[IRCA] Glenn Hauser travelogs AM/TIS/HAR, OK-NM-TX, Aug 23-31, 2010

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

My trip log August 23-31 thru NW OK, NE NM, back thru TX and OK.
Referencing the FM Atlas XXI, NRC AM Log, FCC Query info:

In four sexions: FM, AM, TIS/HAR, and TV, then chrono order each, all times and dates strictly UT, u.o.s.:

[FM and TV portions posted to multi-band or VHF/UHF lists]

AM:

1440, W of Elmwood in the OK panhandle, Spanish here at 2349 UT Aug 23, with a fast SAH, maybe 15 Hz or so. We are closer to Amarillo`s KPUR, but it`s not Spanish per NRC AM Log, while KTNO in The Metroplex (COL University Park) is --- and it`s 50 kW, favorable direxionally unlike the CO and KS 1440 stations. We also get KTNO in Enid, but it takes some skywave to kick it in. 

1570, had Spanish at this time, 2350, already skywave from XERF; and at 2351, 1640 with Royals baseball, i.e. KFXY from back in Enid, departing from its Faith 1640 gospel music format.

670, KLTT Commerce City/Denver CO, the 50 kW daytime gospel huxter which barely makes it to Enid on groundwave, understandably stronger in northern NM, enough to tell that it is running IBOC, messing up 660 and 680, which I thankfully can`t detect in Enid.

950, driving thru Española NM, KDCE was splattering some 50 kHz above and below, intolerable. But wait till we get to Santa Fe!

810, KSWV, is even filthier than KDCE, heavy splash 790-830, and audible as far as 900. We may have been close to the site on Cerillos Road, but it was the same all over the city, no excuse. August 30 at 1607 UT, KSWV splash was even audible on KKOB 770!

We also found a number of mixing products on the caradio:

1540 and 1120, leapfrog mixes of KTRC 1260 and KVSF 1400 (the two swapped calls a few years ago). They are on the same tower. 1540 mix also impossiblizes reception of second harmonic of KKOB 770 Albuquerque which we used to get in ABQ; and the co-channel night-only relay on 770 in Santa Fe may also harmonicize, much lower power, but much shorter range.

1620, 2 x 810 KSWV, with an ad in English at the moment, 1608 UT, not 100% SS.

1710, mix of 810 and 1260, both in English, 810 being the ``AM 810 News Center``; leapfrog 450 kHz away. Maybe there is another one at 360 kHz. KSWV is not at the same site as 1260/1400.

Daytime MW range on I-25 just N of Santa Fe extended to XEJUA 640 Juárez, KTSM 690 and KAMA-750 (Spanish) El Paso, KTNN 660 Window Rock, weaker KHAC 880 Window Rock. 

580 Lubbock TX also has good range, heard in this area as well as in the TX and OK Panhandles, once overcoming WIBW. NRC AM Log 2010-2011 shows KRFE with only 500 watts day, AC format, but I was hearing nostalgia music. The website http://www.am580lubbock.com/ calls itself ``easy listening`` but mostly talkshows, and major lobe to the WNW.

On an excursion to Puerto de Luna, S of Santa Rosa, we were able to pull in the following in the daytime at 2106-2113 UT August 30:

1210, KGYN Guymon OK

1060, open carrier with whine, good strength. Must be KIJN, Farwell TX, 10 kW with Spanish religion. Someone back east was wondering whether this is on the air: yes, and no.

900, agritalk, must be KFLP Floydada TX, ``all ag, all day`` per NRC.

800, JBA something, but KSWV Santa Fe 810 splash a problem even here. I was expecting XEROK Ciudad Juárez, certainly not running any 150 kW as still listed by WRTH 2010. Could be KDDD Dumas TX which is now Spanish per NRC.

620, Disney music, all the way from Plano TX, KMKI which I also get in Enid, plus IBOC. See also 530 under TIS sexion.

570, when we were 19 minutes from TX at 0019 UT Aug 31, KSNM Las Cruces had a fast SAH and CCI, most likely from KLIF Dallas; and KRFE ACI.

830, looked for KMUL Farwell TX, Spanish, as we were closest along the border, but not heard, off the air?

1210, KGYN Guymon OK, after 0500 UT in Amarillo was very poor, with WOAI IBOCQRM. KGYN must have really been direxional westward at night.

1310, KZIP Amarillo, we noticed accompanied by IBOC noise in the daytime, unlisted as such.

1550 is the shameful station in Amarillo, axually licensed to nearby Canyon, KZYK. NRC AM Log says ESPN Deportes, 1000 watts day, 219 night, 500 PSRA. Aug 31 at 0514 UT could hear some low-modulation Spanish music buried by rumbling noise, same at next check 1222. Could it be some QRMotel? No, still there everywhere on caradio; at 1336, I find that the rumble on 1550 spreads out 100 kHz above and below! Forget about hearing anything else in Amarillo on 1450-1650. Next check at 1456 as we are heading out of Amarillo to the NE on US 60, modulation has increased but distorted, so we can tell it is ESPN Deportes, and the noise blob has decreased to only 50 kHz above and below, probably only due to our increased distance from it. 

1650, at 1506 UT when we are just east of the airport, hear a mix of KGNC 710 plus KIXZ 940, not at the same site.  

640, WWLS Moore OK, reaches at least as far as Amarillo on daytime 5 kW groundwave, not too surprising as KGNC 710 does the same far into OK with 10 kW.

[Meanwhile, Bruce Winkelman in Tulsa has IDed my Spanish mystery on 1580, Saturdays only at 13-15 UT as KHGG Fort Smith AR, which has been running La Zona Deportiva since April with ESPN Deportes]

TIS/HAR observations:

1610 and 530, nothing heard around Santa Fe; 1610 used to be active.

1610, sign on I-25 by Pecos National Monument says tune to this frequency, but nothing heard.

On I-40 around Santa Rosa, the HARs on 1610 and 1680 are still on the air, long after reconstruxion has been completed. 1680 first noticed around mile 260. 1610 was very good at the Colonias exit 267, but I had never found out their exact locations and never spotted likely antenna masts. A few years ago, the tagline was ``don`t drink & drive --- arrive alive``. Now the two are relaying NWS weather robot; everywhere it`s ``partly cloudy`` with exactly the same intonation. But 1610 is interrupted EVERY 42 seconds, and with less of a pause, 1680 every 40 seconds, for a YL message which says:

``The New Mexico Department of Transportation, District 4, welcomes you and your family to the Land of Enchantment. Seat belts save lives. Remember to buckle up and drive safely``.

These far too frequent interruptions make it just about impossible to follow the weather info. BUT --- altho the NWS relays are synchronized, the identical DOT spiels are not, so the interruptions come at different times. If you`re lucky, as soon as one NWS is cut off, flip to the other frequency, back and forth. 

NWS also gives MDT timechex on the hour and half hour. At 1905 UT Aug 24, ID as ``WXJ33, 162.550 for north central NM from Albuquerque``. This one really serves Santa Fe, altho it may be controlled from ABQ, but its official service area does not include Guadalupe County! So why is it relayed here? http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/Maps/PDF/WXJ33.pdf

These two have pretty good range, both audible down to the end of the paved road past Puerto de Luna, some 12 miles south of Santa Rosa. Eastward on I-40, 1680 remained stronger than 1610, so 1680 must be further east. I could still hear them at mile 301.

FCC info reveals:
Callsign: WQEL629  Licensee: New Mexico, State of, DOT District 4  Radio Service: Public Safety Pool, Conventional (PW)  
City: Las Vegas, NM  Status: Active  
Grant Date: 02/28/2006  Expiration: 02/28/2016  
 
Site: 1  Address: I-40 @ Exit 273  City: Santa Rosa, NM  County: GUADALUPE  Coordinates: 34° 56' 42.6" N, 104° 42' 22.2" W   
Frequency: 1.61000000 V  

Site: 2  Address: I-40 Exit 277  City: Santa Rosa, NM  County: GUADALUPE  Coordinates: 34° 56' 42.6" N, 104° 38' 30.6" W   
Frequency: 1.68000000 V

1610, east of Tucumcari, another NMDOT is heard around mile 347, but this one just runs the seat-belts notice, no NWS. Not found in FCC, searching Quay, nor neighboring Curry, Harding counties. Seems none of them feel any need to ID by call or location.

1670, we got off at the most westward I-40 exit to Tucum, and did not see any signs about this one, just ran across it when we were beyond Tucum to the east: A bit too early for WTDY, at 0014 UT Aug 31, and besides, it`s a local loop, gist: take exit 332, for the Dinosaur Museum at Mesalands Community College, where there is now also a single wind power turbine dominating the town`s skyline, apparently also housing ``the world`s highest classroom``; and mentioned http://www.mesalands.edu

Nothing there about their radio station, but FCC search finds:

Callsign: WQIQ632  Licensee: Mesalands Community College  
Radio Service: Public Safety Pool, Conventional (PW)  
City: Tucumcari, NM  Status: Active  
Grant Date: 04/15/2008  Expiration: 04/15/2018  
 
Site: 1  Address: I-40 off ramp Exit 332  City: Tucumcari, NM  County: QUAY  Coordinates: 35° 9' 2.4" N, 103° 43' 41.0" W  
Frequency: 1.67000000 V

530, generally not suitable for TIS/HAR in northern/eastern NM due to KNMX 540 Las Vegas, but as we were about to leave NM on I-40 E of Tucumcari, one became audible with the same NMDOT4 seat-belt notice as on 1610, and about same strength, no NWS. Probably San Jon or Glenrio. I also heard 530 with same loop earlier at Puerto de Luna, but can`t be sure it was from same transmitter. Most, probably all of the old NM TIS loops with Ricardo Montalbán are long gone.

FCC search for 530 in Quay County:

Callsign: WNWU971  Licensee: NEW MEXICO, STATE OF  Radio Service: Public Safety Pool, Conventional (PW)  City: ALBUQUERQUE, NM  Status: Active  Grant Date: 02/06/2002  Expiration: 05/06/2012  
Site: 5  Address: 1 MI W RT 66 EASTBOUND  City: SAN JUAN, NM  County: QUAY  Coordinates: 35° 6' 39.2" N, 103° 21' 22.8" W   
Frequency: 0.53000000 V  [It`s San JON, not JUAN --- gh]

Callsign: WQEL629  Licensee: New Mexico, State of, DOT District 4  Radio Service: Public Safety Pool, Conventional (PW)  City: Las Vegas, NM  Status: Active  Grant Date: 02/28/2006  Expiration: 02/28/2016  
Site: 3  Address: I-40 @ Exit 329  City: Tucumcari, NM  County: QUAY  Coordinates: 35° 8' 57.0" N, 103° 46' 52.2" W   
Frequency: 0.53000000 V [did not hear this one, but did I try?]

Amarillo still has VHF NWS YL robot relay on 1610, very useful. More cities should do it if a frequency like this be available. Becoming audible around the Channing exit 37 on I-40, long before a sign appeared about it at mile 60 on the west side of AMA. Strangely enough, FCC does not come up with any 1610 in Potter County.
(Glenn Hauser, OK, NM and TX, DX LISTENING DIGEST)


      

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