[IRCA] On the road in OK and NM, AM notes

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

Notes from my trip to Santa Fe NM and back to Enid for a week in August, Nissan Sentra 2004 caradio, a lot better than my previous ones. FCC AM and FM queries have been checked in most cases; also referenced NRC AM Log 2007, now one year old, and possibly some calls or other info outdated now. Latest FM Atlas sometimes consulted, now 3 years old. All dates and times strictly UT! Rearranged by frequency order, altho continuity would be better in chrono order --- 

640, 2308 Aug 19, WWLS Moore OK was still audible into NE NM around Clayton, with call-in, probably sports talk, what else? Their IBOC was a nuisance further east but maybe not this far. 

760, 2134 Aug 19, ID as ``Colorado`s Progressive Radio``, Randi Rhodes show but with constant picket-fence breaks in modulation! Is no one paying attention? That`s 50 kW KKZN Thornton, in NRC AM Log 2007 as ``Boulder`s Progressive Radio``; maybe they use both. Nice to be getting toward the end of OK where we can axually hear something other than the far right on commercial AM radio! Signal does not compare to 50 kW KOA (W of Guymon OK on US 412)

790, 2123 Aug 26, Roger Miller singing ``K.C. Star``, mixing with talk station at 152/minute SAH = 2.53 Hz. Music from K-XXX, Colby KS, talk from KFYO Lubbock TX (West of Boise City OK on US 412)

860, 2127 Aug 26, no doubt KPAN Hereford TX was the station bothered by IBOC from KOA-850 Denver, in the daytime (W of Boise City OK on US 412)

1040, 2130 Aug 26, medical talk or infomercial, 1-800-395-1904, Dr Pinkus` Ultimate Health Care, then closing show ``Discoveries in Health`` with Chris McKay, from the KCBR Info Center, 2132 ``Healthline Live``. This is Monument CO (Colorado Springs), another strangely powered 15 kW station. But to me, KCBR will always be ``the Voice of America station in Delano, California, signing off``

1210, KGYN Guymon OK, we drive right past E of town on US 412, with its three towers in a straight line aimed at Philadelphia, but might as well be one for often running ND at night. At 2057 Aug 19 near the site, I was getting IBOC-like noise on 1140, and a match on 1280, but the latter obscured by Liberal KS on 1270. So KGYN puts out spurs plus and minus 70 kHz. For a few miles along US 412, KGYN also desensitizes the entire MW band on caradio with its 10 kW. It will be a relief if they ever manage to move this to OKC, but a loss of local radio for the Panhandle. A pickup was parked next to the shack with call letters on it. On the way back we passed it again and took a photo of the three towers and the shack.

1340, 2300+ Aug 19, at Clayton NM, we started looking for KSSR Santa Rosa NM, whose activity has been in question. It is not currently on NRC`s silent stations list, and FCC shows it still licensed. We were hearing at least two 1340 stations, one of which was KVOT Taos NM, another progressive station, now with Rachel Maddow show on Air America, the other ``Sports Radio 1340`` making a rumbling het, and fading up at 2305 as skywave may have been starting to kick in, west Texas forecast, 1-866-290-6868 ad about credit. KKAM Lubbock is the one that fits. 

Further into NM on US 412 kept looking for signs of KSSR, but KVOT improved as we got closer to it; at 2332 PSA for Albuquerque Museum i.a., mentioning Taos, more Maddow. (BTW, Rachel is getting her own show on MSNBC following Countdown at 0100 UT starting September 9. Can`t say we are surprised, as her star has been rising as a frequent contributor and sub-host on Countdown, but what becomes of Dan Abrams, Verdict? It`s already gone for elexion special Aug 30. And will she keep doing her Air America show despite the pay differential?)

It turned out we did not make it to my old hometown of Santa Rosa on this trip, but the closest point was on I-25 near Las Vegas, US 84 exit at 1950 Aug 25, and there was still no KSSR to be heard, so I am confident it was off. Nor could I hear Santa Rosa on 95.9, but did not expect to from there as it has always been QRP along I-40, audible only within a few miles of the town. At 1934 Aug 25, 1340 bore ``Northern New Mexico`s progressive talk, KVOT, the Voice of Taos``. This frequency was reactivated in Taos a few years ago after several years of silence since KKIT closed (named for Kit Carson). See DXLD 5-177 for our previous report about Santa Rosa and much more, under USA.

1520, KOKC, OKC, 2315 Aug 19, sports talk, uncertain if remnants of groundwave, or skywave had started. WWLS 640 also heard a few minutes earlier (W of Clayton NM on US 412)

1530, 2317 Aug 19, ``Legends 15-30, KCMN`` Colorado Springs. Live DJ with ``Forgotten 45s`` oldies such as Aznavour on ``your drive home`` (? I am nowhere near home and getting further away by the minute), long pauses between cuts. NRC AM Log 2007 shows this one with odd power of 15 kW. Another good station for oldies, tho probably syndicated, is 93.9 Ratón, KRTN (west of Clayton NM on US 412)

1550, 1951 Aug 19, norteña music featuring accordion, atop another station. 1957 announcement talking over music sounded like ``Está escuchando --- sucia`` or that`s what it sounded like, sucia meaning feminine dirty! No ID at TOH, no announcements at all until 2014 as I suspect the DJ had stepped out for a smoke break, then ``La Potencia, 15-50, KDCC``, i.e. Dodge City KS, and the other one with a SAH of about 6 Hz would be Canyon TX` listed KZRK. Both are only 1 kW.

1570, back in Enid around 2000 Aug 28, found new talking house at 1330 West Elm, low het but not sure if off-frequency or on their loop. Woman extolling house virtues, and like others we have heard here, also extolling the talking-house concept. Range 2 or 4 blox only, and by downtown Enid fortunately inaudible, so we can hear weakly standards from KZLI Catoosa. But the next-door neighbors are doubtless deprived of XERF at night until it`s sold.

1590, 1950 Aug 19, a slow SAH of about 0.5 Hz between KWEY Weatherford OK, and KVGB Great Bend KS, the latter atop with ID as ``AM 15-90, KVGB, The Talk of the Town`` (W of Woodward OK on US 412)

1610, 2300 Aug 19 at Clayton NM, no sign of any TIS on this, 530 or any other MW frequency. I believe there had been some speculation that one was active here.

1660, 0038 UT Wed Aug 27, baseball game, and Royals mentioned, heard from near Woodward OK. Dominant signal and I figured it had to be KXTR Kansas City departing from its classical format, but not so sure after further research. Royals website says 610 is the flagship, except on Sundays 980, but I believe all these are commonly owned, so 1660 sometimes carries BB instead? KXTR website has no info about its own programming after the morning hours, but nothing about baseball. If not KXTR, must be KRZI Waco or maybe KQWB Fargo, both sports format.

In western Cimarrón County, OK, and just over the border in Union County NM on US 412, was hearing rapid clix on certain MW frequencies, obscuring weak broadcast stations, such as 1390, 1380, 1370, 1360, 1350, 1330 and various spots as low as 1070. These were no doubt harmonix of the Boise City OK LORAN-C station. Fortunately there were some open spots such as 1500 and especially 1340 where I wanted to hear KSSR Santa Rosa NM if it was on, q.v. above. 

All about LORAN-C at Boise City, except WTFK??? at 
http://www.loran-history.info/boise_city/boise_city.htm  
Including a satellite photo of it. The proudly displayed coordinates are 36-30-20.783 N, 103-53-59.487 W which puts it just NW of the very small town of Felt OK, rather than Boise City. The clix were no longer heard by the time we got to Clayton NM (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)


      

_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx