News:

Thank you for your patience during the Forum downtime while we upgraded the software. Welcome back and see this thread for some new features and other changes to the forum.

Main Menu

How far do your local radio stations go?

Started by CapeCodder, September 09, 2017, 09:40:14 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

PHLBOS

A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.
GPS does NOT equal GOD


SP Cook

My area does not have any super high clear channel AM stations.  While one TV market the different towns are seperate radio markets and, living in between, I can get both the Charleston set of stations and the Huntington set of stations.   None are really exceptional.  Charleston recently added three FM translators (at low power) for its three best AM stations and those stations push and identify more under their FM freq now, even though you cannot get the FM translators more than a few miles from the tower.

I am right on the edge of WLW's daytime range, can get it in the car.  It used to be a great station. 


doorknob60

#27
I am about 95% sure that I was able to pick up 94.1 FM from Bend, OR, on a dirt road leading through the Mt. Adams Recreational Area, heading to a trailhead, north of Trout Lake, WA. Somewhere about 150 miles as the crow flies. My guess is, we were at a similar altitude to the transmitter, which is at 5965 feet above sea level. At that altitude, there is not much in the way of obstacles between there and Mt. Adams, as the normal ground level in the area is in the 1,000-3,000 ft range. Being that high above everything else probably also helps get around the Earth's curvature problem.

As for Boise stations, no idea. I listen to SiriusXM now, FM bores me (though the catalyst for me was getting a new car, where the FM sound quality was bad and muffled).

nexus73

Quote from: roadguy2 on September 11, 2017, 01:15:18 AM
Apparently, KSL 1160 AM can be heard from as far away as Washington State at night. It transmits from a tower just SE of the Great Salt Lake.

KSL can be picked up here on the South Coast (Coos Bay OR) at night.  KOA out of Denver also makes the trip.  Our strongest clear channel station at night is KGO (San Francisco).

Before such a thing as CNN existed, when the world was looking likely to go up in flames, I would listen to KNX (LA) up here.

Best AM DX: KDKA (Pittsburgh PA) was received by me in 1973.  When I went to the library to look up info on them so I could send them a signal report, little did I know that I was receiving a QSL card that said this was the first ever commercial AM radio station.  It began operating in 1921.

Best AM groundwave feat: Parking on top of a hill here let me try to see what the radio in my 1964 Rambler Classic would do back in the summer of 1973.  Knowing there was a 1000 watt station in Lebanon OR called KGAL, which was a fave Top 40 of mine when going to the Valley, I took my swing of the bat and got a faint but steady signal on the groundwave.  I'll estimate the distance at 120 miles.  Boy was that a great radio in the Rambler!

Rick
US 101 is THE backbone of the Pacific coast from Bandon OR to Willits CA.  Industry, tourism and local traffic would be gone or severely crippled without it being in functioning condition in BOTH states.

Sctvhound

Jacksonville's stations have great ranges. During all of this hurricane coverage, 600 (WBOB) and 690 (WOKV) were two of the strongest AMs up here in Charleston. That's about 200 miles or so from Charleston, but they are steady during the daytime every day.

They both were running local coverage of Irma. 600 was running a simulcast of WJXT-TV 4, while 690 was running their own coverage most of the time except overnight when they simulcast the local CBS.

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:28:17 AM
A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.
How big is the range of am radio?
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

The Nature Boy

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on September 11, 2017, 09:10:44 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:28:17 AM
A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.
How big is the range of am radio?

I got WBZ while driving in the mountains of West Virginia one night. WBZ is a clear channel station and its signal actually covers most of the eastern US at night (and it can go as far west as Southern Ontario during the day).

Roadgeekteen

Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 11, 2017, 09:13:52 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on September 11, 2017, 09:10:44 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:28:17 AM
A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.
How big is the range of am radio?

I got WBZ while driving in the mountains of West Virginia one night. WBZ is a clear channel station and its signal actually covers most of the eastern US at night (and it can go as far west as Southern Ontario during the day).
I wish local music radio stations were am.
God-emperor of Alanland, king of all the goats and goat-like creatures

Current Interstate map I am making:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?hl=en&mid=1PEDVyNb1skhnkPkgXi8JMaaudM2zI-Y&ll=29.05778059819179%2C-82.48856825&z=5

bandit957

Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:28:17 AM
A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.

Decades ago, people in northern Kentucky actually listened to WBZ a little bit. I think it's because Dave Cowens played for the Celtics.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

jmd41280

One time, I was able to briefly pick up Pittsburgh's 102.5 FM (WDVE) near Blackwater Falls, WV (about 95 miles away as the crow flies).  I'm thinking the elevation at Blackwater Falls (~3,000 ft) played a role in that. 

I could be wrong about this, but I swear I was able to (very briefly) pick up Pittsburgh's 105.9 FM (WXDX) as I was coming down the mountain into Breezewood, PA on I-76 west (101 miles away as the crow flies).
"Increase the Flash Gordon noise and put more science stuff around!"

dvferyance

#35
Generally my local FM stations go about as far north as Sheboygan maybe a little farther. Far south as southern Lake county perhaps far northern Cook county and about far west as Madison. WTMJ the strongest AM in the market I have picked up as far as Lebonon IN, Lincoln IL, Eau Claire WI and Coralville IA. Even as far east as the Indiana Ohio state line.

PHLBOS

#36
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on September 11, 2017, 09:18:34 PM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 11, 2017, 09:13:52 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on September 11, 2017, 09:10:44 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:28:17 AM
A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.
How big is the range of am radio?

I got WBZ while driving in the mountains of West Virginia one night. WBZ is a clear channel station and its signal actually covers most of the eastern US at night (and it can go as far west as Southern Ontario during the day).
I wish local music radio stations were am.
In your neck of the woods; you'd have to set the WABAC Machine to about the early 70s.  Back then, WRKO (AM 680), WHDH (AM 850), WMEX (then AM 1510), WEZE (then AM 1260) & even WBZ (between news broadcasts) all played music.
GPS does NOT equal GOD

inkyatari

I live near Chicago.  When I was younger we were camping in the mountains of northern Georgia, and we got Musicradio (RIP) WLS am 890.
I'm never wrong, just wildly inaccurate.

roadman

Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:28:17 AM
A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.
I've pulled in WBZ in Norfolk, VA, Altoona, PA, and Savoy, IL - but only at night.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

bing101

#39
KCBS-AM 740 San Francisco is a 50kw station
KNX-AM Los Angeles is a 50kw

KFBK-AM Sacramento is a 50kw

KQED-FM San Francisco is a 100kw station

KXJZ-FM Sacramento is a 50kw station.

I have picked up KNX Los Angeles from Sacramento at night though. KQED- FM starts to get spotty in parts of the Sacramento Valley due to sometimes interference by personal FM transmitters and I pick up religious talk or personal phone calls on 88.5 FM though.

Bluenoser

Here in Nova Scotia, I've been able to pick up WBZ and also NYC's WINS as well.

roadman

Quote from: PHLBOS on September 12, 2017, 09:30:59 AM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on September 11, 2017, 09:18:34 PM
Quote from: The Nature Boy on September 11, 2017, 09:13:52 PM
Quote from: Roadgeekteen on September 11, 2017, 09:10:44 PM
Quote from: PHLBOS on September 11, 2017, 09:28:17 AM
A co-worker of mine who lives in Glassboro, NJ was able to get Boston's WBZ (AM 1030) there.
How big is the range of am radio?

I got WBZ while driving in the mountains of West Virginia one night. WBZ is a clear channel station and its signal actually covers most of the eastern US at night (and it can go as far west as Southern Ontario during the day).
I wish local music radio stations were am.
In your neck of the woods; you'd have to set the WABAC Machine to about the early 70s.  Back then, WRKO (AM 680), WHDH (AM 850), WMEX (then AM 1510), WEZE (then AM 1260) & even WBZ (between news broadcasts) all played music.
For many years, WRKO was the principal Top 40 station in Boston.
"And ninety-five is the route you were on.  It was not the speed limit sign."  - Jim Croce (from Speedball Tucker)

"My life has been a tapestry
Of years of roads and highway signs" (with apologies to Carole King and Tom Rush)

jp the roadgeek

Quote from: Bluenoser on September 13, 2017, 02:42:24 PM
Here in Nova Scotia, I've been able to pick up WBZ and also NYC's WINS as well.

I've been able to pick up WSB in Atlanta, and now that the local 1120 AM station is off the air, I can get KMOX in St. Louis here in CT.  There was a crazy day about 13 years ago or so where for about 3 hours, every local FM station was powered over by  ridiculously distant FM signals.  I was getting FM stations from southern Missouri, Louisiana, and Jacksonville, FL.  Some of the DJ's in Missouri were getting calls saying that they were being heard from as far away as NJ. 
Interstates I've clinched: 97, 290 (MA), 291 (CT), 291 (MA), 293, 295 (DE-NJ-PA), 295 (RI-MA), 384, 391, 395 (CT-MA), 395 (MD), 495 (DE), 610 (LA), 684, 691, 695 (MD), 695 (NY), 795 (MD)

CapeCodder

From Yarmouth, Nova Scotia I received WBLM "The Blimp" 102.9, Portland, ME and WRCQ 102.9 out of Dennysville, ME both 100Kw. I also received WHOM 94.9, Mt. Washington. All while at the ferry terminal back in '02.

The Nature Boy

Quote from: CapeCodder on September 13, 2017, 07:07:24 PM
From Yarmouth, Nova Scotia I received WBLM "The Blimp" 102.9, Portland, ME and WRCQ 102.9 out of Dennysville, ME both 100Kw. I also received WHOM 94.9, Mt. Washington. All while at the ferry terminal back in '02.

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WHOM-FM

The coverage map for WHOM is fairly insane. New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine are within the "local range" and parts of New York and Massachusetts are within the "fringe" range. I wonder if they hold the record for most states that can normally hear the station.

CapeCodder

Another insane FM signal is KTJJ "J-98 The Boot" out of Farmington, MO can be heard in STL and further. KTJJ's antenna is located on Stono Mtn. KPNT "105-7 The Point" used to have its antenna near Hillsboro, MO. Signal was also very good. Got it in almost every band scan from STL to Quincy, IL.

davewiecking

When I was a young lad (before the Washington Capitals existed), I became somewhat of a fan of the Boston Bruins because WBZ frequently came in quite clearly in suburban DC at night. WLW 700 in Cincinnati, KDKA Pittsburgh and KMOX St. Louis were other ones that I remember right now. But these are the opposite of OP's question.

So my best answer to the actual question is "about 500 miles" based on the fact that I was visiting family in Bluffton, Indiana many years ago, and when I got tired of the cassette I was listening to, popped it out and discovered I was listening to DC's WTOP (at the time a 50kw clear channel station broadcasting on 1500).

JMoses24

A lot of Cincy stations start fading around Sparta and Dry Ridge, KY on I-71 and 75 in KY respectively; about 30-40 miles to the north of downtown on those interstates; and about halfway into Ripley County going west in Indiana. I don't know about east, but I'm guessing roughly about the US 62/68 corridors.

bandit957

Quote from: JMoses24 on September 13, 2017, 11:51:10 PM
A lot of Cincy stations start fading around Sparta and Dry Ridge, KY on I-71 and 75 in KY respectively; about 30-40 miles to the north of downtown on those interstates; and about halfway into Ripley County going west in Indiana. I don't know about east, but I'm guessing roughly about the US 62/68 corridors.

They used to go further. Q-102 used to go well past Carrollton on I-71.
Might as well face it, pooing is cool

hm insulators

Quote from: nexus73 on September 11, 2017, 06:46:50 PM
Quote from: roadguy2 on September 11, 2017, 01:15:18 AM
Apparently, KSL 1160 AM can be heard from as far away as Washington State at night. It transmits from a tower just SE of the Great Salt Lake.

KSL can be picked up here on the South Coast (Coos Bay OR) at night.  KOA out of Denver also makes the trip.  Our strongest clear channel station at night is KGO (San Francisco).

Before such a thing as CNN existed, when the world was looking likely to go up in flames, I would listen to KNX (LA) up here.

Best AM DX: KDKA (Pittsburgh PA) was received by me in 1973.  When I went to the library to look up info on them so I could send them a signal report, little did I know that I was receiving a QSL card that said this was the first ever commercial AM radio station.  It began operating in 1921.

Best AM groundwave feat: Parking on top of a hill here let me try to see what the radio in my 1964 Rambler Classic would do back in the summer of 1973.  Knowing there was a 1000 watt station in Lebanon OR called KGAL, which was a fave Top 40 of mine when going to the Valley, I took my swing of the bat and got a faint but steady signal on the groundwave.  I'll estimate the distance at 120 miles.  Boy was that a great radio in the Rambler!

Rick

My best DXing was pulling in WOAI in San Antonio when I was living on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in the early '80s. I was probably the only person on the island that had a car radio button set for KFI in Los Angeles!
Remember: If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

I'd rather be a child of the road than a son of a ditch.


At what age do you tell a highway that it's been adopted?



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.