Strong AM signals

[Len14043]

There has been much discussion about the daytime signal of WLW in this forum. I know from personal experience that WLW can be heard in the Quad-Cities, Milwaukee and Western New York state during the day. However, as good as WLW is, WJR seems to have a better daytime signal - at least in terms of their city-grade signal. Last month while in Lima Ohio, WJR was stronger despite LIma being closer to Cincinnati, i.e 90 and 110 miles from the WLW and WJR towers, respectively. I used a CC radio SW with an analog signal strength meter. The ground conductivity must be better in Michigan and Northern Ohio. WJR puts a city-grade signal into Toledo and Cleveland. I am curious if WLW can be heard north of Detroit, seeing that WJR can be heard south of Cincinnati.

[charlestondxman]

WLW has a great daytime signal, but it does get noisy in places like Toledo, and above Detroit, Montreal's fringe signal and WNZK start interfering with WLW.

One hot summer day a few years ago, I picked up WLW east of Knoxville on I-40 in the daytime, and it can often be heard in Knoxville during the day. During the winter, it can often be heard as far S as Nashville and even metro Atlanta during the day.

WHAS also has a great signal, as I was picking up a listenable signal during the day this weekend at Vanderbilt on my walkman. The night signal, however, was weaker. WCKY was also coming in very clear, like usual.

[Len14043]

Ironically, WJR gets splattered by WSB and WABC at night just outside the metro Detroit area. Their nighttime signal is very noisy in Toledo and Cleveland.

[Icangelp]

WJR has a weak but listenable signal daytimes here in Cincinnati and a strong signal at night, one of the most reliable out of towners.

As I recall, in Detroit WLW gets blasted by those Birach Broadcasting stations in Dearborn that switch back and forth from 690 & 680, otherwise you could hear WLW in Detroit.

When I traveled by car for my job, I used to listen to WLW days all the way into Iowa and to St. Louis. The mountains kill the signal to the east in West Virginia.

When I was a boy, our family lived for four years in Evansville and WLW came in like a local. Of course that was in the early 50's. There weren't a whole lot of flourescent lights, dimmer switches, computers and electronics back then. Hardly any at all actually. My neighbor did have an abacus and a slide rule that reeked havoc with the lower half of the AM band when he was using them. But that was then, and this is now.

[gar fla]

I once had a flight where there was a change of planes in Cleveland and I had about an hour to wait for my next flight and I remember sitting there in the terminal and listening to what I could get on my little Walkman.

WJR was coming in good and AM reception is usually not that good in general in airport terminals.

Not a bad signal for being about 100 miles away received in those conditions.



Oh, and this was during the day, between 12 and 1 pm.

[rbrucecarter5]

I once had a flight where there was a change of planes in Cleveland and I had about an hour to wait for my next flight and I remember sitting there in the terminal and listening to what I could get on my little Walkman.

WJR was coming in good and AM reception is usually not that good in general in airport terminals.

Not a bad signal for being about 100 miles away received in those conditions.



Oh, and this was during the day, between 12 and 1 pm.

WJR barely makes it to Dallas, and I have yet to hear it from Houston.  WBAP, on the other hand, often boomed into Southern Michigan, as did KOA and WWL. 

[Icangelp]

I once had a flight where there was a change of planes in Cleveland and I had about an hour to wait for my next flight and I remember sitting there in the terminal and listening to what I could get on my little Walkman.

WJR was coming in good and AM reception is usually not that good in general in airport terminals.

Not a bad signal for being about 100 miles away received in those conditions.



Oh, and this was during the day, between 12 and 1 pm.

WJR barely makes it to Dallas, and I have yet to hear it from Houston.  WBAP, on the other hand, often boomed into Southern Michigan, as did KOA and WWL. 

Bruce,

Funny how things go. WBAP has its good nights, but generally it is not a steady signal here in Cincinnati. Mind you, I don't check it that often. KOA on the other hand, seldom made it here, but now is a weak but regular signal.

Is WCKY heard in TX at sunset before going directional? How about WLW and WHAS?

[schmave]

There has been much discussion about the daytime signal of WLW in this forum. I know from personal experience that WLW can be heard in the Quad-Cities, Milwaukee and Western New York state during the day. However, as good as WLW is, WJR seems to have a better daytime signal - at least in terms of their city-grade signal. Last month while in Lima Ohio, WJR was stronger despite LIma being closer to Cincinnati, i.e 90 and 110 miles from the WLW and WJR towers, respectively. I used a CC radio SW with an analog signal strength meter. The ground conductivity must be better in Michigan and Northern Ohio. WJR puts a city-grade signal into Toledo and Cleveland. I am curious if WLW can be heard north of Detroit, seeing that WJR can be heard south of Cincinnati.

WLW is degraded by IBOC though. Back before IBOC, WLW was a bit stronger and louder in St. Marys and Wapakoneta than WJR ... I always thought WLW sounded clearer in St. Marys than in Columbus, both of which are about the same distance from the Mason tower. But I think the ground conductivity is slightly better out in that part of the state than in the center.
WJR and CKLW both have very imnpressive daytime signals throughout western Ohio, and I personally have heard WJR down past Portsmouth in the daytime.

[dlf]

WHAS makes it into the Texas Hill Country sometimes; it's not as dependable signal wise as it once was. WLW is the same way (at least here). I was over in College Station a couple of weeks back and pulled in the big 4 from Chicago, WHAS and WLW.

WCKY is another station that used to make it down here prior to its DA flip. I haven't heard them in years; during the day I receive 1530ESPN out of Austin, but once the skywave starts to kick in, 1530 is all Spanish.

In South Central Texas, WSM is fairly reliable at night. I pull in WSB at sunset and a little after, but Spanish also rules 750 at night. I'm not sure if I'm receiving El Paso, although one night I think I had Caracas.

I used to pull in WBAP quite well in SW Ohio back in the 90's. I haven't been up there in a long time, so I don't know how their signal is these days. I must live in the groundwave/skywave cancellation zone for WBAP, as their night signal fades a lot. KRLD is much stronger and consistent (at night).

KOA booms in here at night; I had the Broncos game on for a spell and the signal was clear. WOAI is a local signal here (tower is 30 miles away); KOA and WWL are the most consistent of the 50KW signals down here (in South Central Texas) at night.

dlf

[schmave]

WHAS makes it into the Texas Hill Country sometimes; it's not as dependable signal wise as it once was. WLW is the same way (at least here). I was over in College Station a couple of weeks back and pulled in the big 4 from Chicago, WHAS and WLW.

WCKY is another station that used to make it down here prior to its DA flip. I haven't heard them in years; during the day I receive 1530ESPN out of Austin, but once the skywave starts to kick in, 1530 is all Spanish.

In South Central Texas, WSM is fairly reliable at night. I pull in WSB at sunset and a little after, but Spanish also rules 750 at night. I'm not sure if I'm receiving El Paso, although one night I think I had Caracas.

I used to pull in WBAP quite well in SW Ohio back in the 90's. I haven't been up there in a long time, so I don't know how their signal is these days. I must live in the groundwave/skywave cancellation zone for WBAP, as their night signal fades a lot. KRLD is much stronger and consistent (at night).

KOA booms in here at night; I had the Broncos game on for a spell and the signal was clear. WOAI is a local signal here (tower is 30 miles away); KOA and WWL are the most consistent of the 50KW signals down here (in South Central Texas) at night.

dlf

Re. WBAP and KRLD, remember that WBAP's tower is considerably closer to you than KRLD. KRLD's tower is up near Rockwall, northeast of Dallas, so it can direct its signal back over the Metroplex at night. WBAP's tower is near Mansfield. But if you live only 30 miles from WOAI, I'd think you'd be out of WBAP's cancellation zone. That said, I am not where you are! Both signals blast into Houston at night, and WBAP often makes into Ohio (where I'm from and will live again soon) quite well.
WOAI blasts in San Marcos but you can hear crosstalk underneath as close as Austin.
WSB gets into Houston nearly every night and is the dominant channel on 750, at least as dominant as anything can be next to KTRH's monster lobe over the city.
As I mentioned in a nearby thread just a few minutes ago, I've noticed WLW comes in even worse down here than it just did a few years ago. Co-channel KSEV does its damage, of course, but even out here in the southeastern section of the metro WLW just sneaks through rather than barreling.