910 CKDQ (Drumheller, AB) expected to leave the air July 19 [off the air 7/22]

[nitroengine]

https://newcountry925.ca/make-the-flip/#1718324885214-e86d0ed7-8960

According to a recent update on their site, CKDQ is expected to leave the air on 910 sometime on July 19th. As some of you may already know, they have been approved to transition to FM, with the date 910 was expected to go off being pushed back a few times now.

[BoomboxDX]

That's good for the station, I suppose, it will give them a few years of life before all Radio goes online 100%, but it's too bad for those of us outside Alberta that listen or used to listen to it.

I recall listening to it a lot on my Realistic TRF while in the writing den, helping my mom with her novel, back in the early 1980's. CKDQ came in really well on 910, opening early in the evening back then. Lately I haven't heard them on 910 very much. 910 here in my corner of the PNW is mostly KMTT Portland.

[shadypyro]

That’s too bad, at night time here in BC I often get 910 AM and other stations from Alberta

[BoomboxDX]

That’s too bad, at night time here in BC I often get 910 AM and other stations from Alberta

Understood, as I'm maybe 200 - 250 km S of you. More Canadian stations are going off the AM band. As you're aware, CKGO 730 Vancouver may leave the air later this year, unless they're sold to a new company, and CHQT 880 Edmonton is going the same way.

I remember when CKYL 610 Peace River AB would come in nightly, and then they went FM only. Going FM-only seems to be the Canadian version of the US "revitalization" plan, where AM's got the ability to have an FM translator.

Right now, as I write this, there is some super weak Country, seemingly beaming NE-SW, Brookings, SD) so it could be one of them, although a check of both those stations' streams makes it improbable, as the music on the air I'm hearing doesn't match either stream of the Minot ND or Brookings SD stations.

[Shortwave_Listener]

I listened last night from 11:45 PM to 12:05 AM Mountain Time, and they were still on. Still there as of now.

[nitroengine]

I guess testing hasn't gone as planned... Not the first time they pushed back the deadline. The first figures I heard were late June, then it was July 1st, then it was first week of July, then July 19.

I hope they push it as far as they can because CKDQ is my last unheard Alberta station. I don't have high hopes of logging them though, I've tried for a few years now. It doesn't help that I have a nearby very hot local on 900 (KTIS), a semi-local on 920 (KDHL), and 910 WSUI who comes in like a local most of the time at night. I'd probably need a phaser box to really have much of a hope of landing CKDQ.

[BoomboxDX]

I'm probably hearing them at night playing modern country underneath a stronger KMTT Portland. Heard modern country last night under KMTT, and the signal faded out around 5 a.m. - 6 a.m. local, which would pencil in somewhat correctly.

All I can say is keep trying. The other two stations I mentioned (the ones in ND & SD) play classic country, not modern country. So that could possibly help with an ID.

[nitroengine]

Their pattern nulls in my direction at night. Some suspect that they've been staying on their night pattern indefinitely, or have been running reduced power for the past few years.

CHQT 880 was my 2nd to last unheard AM from Alberta that I finally logged this past January. I remember they came in a bit earlier than expected, right at my sunset here, was in for probably no more than 3 minutes before CKLQ (Brandon, MB) came bombing in as they normally do. Other Alberta stations such as 930 CJCA and 1010 CBR are fairly common. 1140 CHRB (High River, AB) was coming in like a local all night long for a couple of months this past winter. They must've been stuck on their day pattern.

I have heard CKGO 730 here before, glad I have them checked off the list. There is a number of BC AM stations I still need. I should probably prioritize those needed Canadian AM stations considering they've been dropping like flies over the past couple of years.

I think 630 CFCO (Chatham, ON) is the most recent to apply to move to FM. Assuming they get approved, they'll probably be gone in about a year. They are fairly common here when I get my strong local WREY in a null. They are also one of the last remaining Canadian stations running C-QUAM AM-stereo. 750 CKJH also runs C-QUAM, but they have been feeding the exciter with a mono feed.

[nitroengine]

According to a member on an AM DX group, CKDQ left the air at just past 11am (MDT) yesterday (7/22).

[shadypyro]

That’s too bad, at night time here in BC I often get 910 AM and other stations from Alberta

Understood, as I'm maybe 200 - 250 km S of you. More Canadian stations are going off the AM band. As you're aware, CKGO 730 Vancouver may leave the air later this year, unless they're sold to a new company, and CHQT 880 Edmonton is going the same way.

I remember when CKYL 610 Peace River AB would come in nightly, and then they went FM only. Going FM-only seems to be the Canadian version of the US "revitalization" plan, where AM's got the ability to have an FM translator.

Right now, as I write this, there is some super weak Country, seemingly beaming NE-SW, Brookings, SD) so it could be one of them, although a check of both those stations' streams makes it improbable, as the music on the air I'm hearing doesn't match either stream of the Minot ND or Brookings SD stations.

Yeah I heard 730 AM from Vancouver is going off the air, it now rebroadcasting 980 AM