[IRCA] Daytime MW DX circa OK as far as WY

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

Daytime groundwave observations, in reverse chronological order, times and dates strictly UT, as originally published in DX Listening Digest, and mixed in with daily SW log postings to numerous mostly-SW or multi-band lists:

** U S A. From a quiet location in west Enid, (the Walmart parking lot), a bandscan on caradio April 3, see also OKLAHOMA, found some intriguing subaudible heterodynes from normally open frequencies, thus bearing some very weak groundwave signals. (Skywave not a factor well past equinox and barely an hour past local mean noon.)

830, at 1948 UT, SAH of about 6 Hz. All the possibilities are long shots from here led by WCCO; also Wyoming, Missouri, NM/Texas, Tucson, even Coahuila. So which pair are 6 Hz apart??

840, at 1937, SAH of 144/minute. KTIC West Point NE is sometimes audible by itself at the limits of groundwave, so has to be one of them. Otherwise there is a station in the RGV, another in Louisiana, or maybe a remnant of WHAS. So which pair are 2.4 Hz apart?

1040, at 1944 UT, a slow SAH of 26/minute. Three possibilities are 50 kW WHO Des Moines, 3.3 kW KGGR Dallas, and 15 kW KCBR Monument CO (Colorado Springs). The first two are relatively common here, but KCBR [which inherited the call from VOA Delano] would be a neat daytime catch this far away. So which pair are 0.43 Hz apart?

Caveat: could be misled by local mixing products, but doubt it, since have never identified our only three local signals, 960, 1390 and 1640 on such other MW frequencies, altho 960 and 1390 do show up on shortwave harmonix and other mixes.

1130, another station whose store is not being minded, KLEY, Wellington KS, open carrier/dead air at 1944 April 3; back on at next check around 2005. It`s dual a 1550 station, not sure if same affected it (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) cf OKLAHOMA 1580

** U S A. MW bandscan on the DX-398 at midafternoon March 25 found weaker signals overall than I get on the caradio, but at least this is direxional. One of interest appeared on 1010, between much stronger KTOK-1000 and KOKP-1020, at 2021 UT, slogan ``Rocket 10-10``, or so I thought, and oldies. Loops ENE/WSW. 

I also got out the Sony SRF-59 ultralight to see how it would measure up: 1010 station barely audible, but bothered by the adjacents unlike the DX-398.

At 2030 playing Elvis` ``Now or Never``; mostly music, occasional brief announcements, no hard-sell commercials heard. Missed hourtop ID if any at 2100 but music still going rather than news.

Groundwave, has to be either Independence KS or Amarillo TX, roughly collinear with Enid. Must be recent format change as NRC AM Log 2009-2010 shows gospel for KIND, ``Grace 10-10``, and C&W for KTNZ, ``True Country``. Independence is closer but weaker, and normally it`s a stretch to pull in Amarillo even on 940. NRC pattern book shows 1010 KIND non-direxional and Amarillo with a minor lobe usward.

Steve Sprague in nearby Coffeyville KS has the answer in NRC DX News Vol. 77, #22 posted Feb 27, 2010: 
1010 KIND KS Independence, 2/16 Has changed formats from religion to oldies rock and roll. Will ID as "Rocking 1010." (So not ``Rocket``)

Bill Kurtis, TV newsman, commercial pitchman, and documentarian, originally from Independence, is an owner of KIND; glad to see he has divorced himself from dependence on gospel huxters (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

** U S A. From a quiet location in the mall parking lot, west Enid, on caradio, March 23 at 1655 UT, I am delighted to find that WWLS-640 Moore OK has turned off IBOC. Happens occasionally from this CC station, but too early to hope it`s permanently off as is the case with their other outlet, KTOK-1000. 

There is still plenty of IBOC on 630 from KMKI-620 The Metroplex, that poor frequency previously getting a double whammy of it from both sides, impossiblizing KHOW in the daytime here, but 650 is blessedly open --- and there is something on it! Most likely it`s Wyoming, a rare state on daytime groundwave here.

Soon heard an EIB sounder, but fortunately it`s break time and I don`t have to listen to rantings of that SOB. I quickly compare to local KGWA-960 on portable radio just in case, and the commercial does not match. At 1658 comes ID as KGAB, call-letters only. At 1700: ``Cheyenne`s number one news-talk radio, KGAB, Orchard Valley-Cheyenne``. How can a station carrying Rush and his ilk maintain any journalistic credibility whatsoever during ``news``?

NRC AM Log shows day power is 8.5 kW, non-direxional. Regular KLTT 670 Denver 50 kW is a bit stronger than usual, so groundwave is doing well, perhaps tnx to some lingering snowcover over the plains atop the Ogallala Aquifer. Distance is approximately 790 km = only 490 miles.

Next chance to check it at 1831 UT, high noon by LMT, and signal still there but weaker vs noise level on the street where I am driving. Heard ``AM 650`` slogan only, and also earlier there seemed to be a trace of a second 650 signal, tnx to a SAH. Unless it`s some local mix, there are only three possibilities, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas. 

WSM Nashville, 50 kW non-direxional has been received years previously in daytime, but more likely skywave in winter, not equinox, and the groundwave conductivity thru the Ozarx is not good. KIKK Houston/Pasadena is only 250 watts, with better conductivity but still quite a stretch, almost exactly same distance as to KGAB.

22.5 hours later: WWLS IBOC is back on; goodbye, Wyoming! (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. Nothing much on the X-band at mid-afternoon, like there was skywave in deep winter, but March 17 for a few minutes from 2014 UT on the caradio at a relatively quiet spot in the mall parking lot, noticed some activity on the low end of the MW band --- groundwave at its limits. Referencing NRC AM Log 2009-2010.

580, dominant WIBW Topeka has JBA CCI, most likely KRFE Lubbock TX, tho KJMJ Alexandria LA might be possible. Normally there is nothing but WIBW audible here.

720, very weak signals making SAH, surely WGN Chicago and KSAH San Antonio, same as night situation QRMing each other with much bigger signals.

760, KKCV Kansas City gospel huxter on sex abuse dominant, but SAH of about .83 Hz (50 fades per minute), and talk underneath, presumably KKZN Denver (670 makes it here reliably in the daytime, and 850 used to before TX messed up the frequency.)

780, KSPI Stillwater OK still has weak spurs on 774 and 786.

830, JBA, SAH, probably WCCO, and what else? There are LA and MO stations, but more likely KMUL Farwell TX in the Panhandle. If they ever get their 50 kW CP going instead of 1.1 kW, should be a regular. Or KMUL and one of the closer stations.

910, dominant but marginal KVIS Miamuh OK, with CCI, one talk and one C&W music. KVIS and KATH Frisco TX (The Metroplex) are both religious. Other possibility is KINA Salina KS, sportstalk, which I don`t think I have ever logged tho KSAL 1150 is a regular (Glenn Hauser, Enid OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

** U S A. 1280, KSOK Arkansas City, Kansas [the town rhymes with the state], a semi-local, missing March 13 at 1945 UT. I believe this also happened a few weeks ago inexplicably. By the time I was in the car, at 2200, hoping to inpull something else, it was back on as if nothing had happened, lengthy self-congratulatory ID, including ``The absolute best in classic country, in south-central Kansas, and north-central Oklahoma``, KSOK, Ark City. It`s a daytimer and I still haven`t got around to hooking up my AM stereo tuner to see if it retains C-Quam (Glenn Hauser, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST) ###


      
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