Messages

901

MW Loggings / Re: CKWW AM 580

« on: April 03, 2017, 1448 UTC »

Chris,

Looks like the WHP nighttime pattern skirts you but still it would be a tough catch from your QTH.
However, the CKWW signal is far better than you would expect from a 500 watter, probably due to the good location of the transmitter site with excellent ground conductivity and proximity to big lakes. 

902

MW Loggings / CKWW AM 580

« on: April 02, 2017, 2339 UTC »

Been enjoying Windsor Ontario station CKWW AM 580 "The Greatest Hits of All Time". 
"Broadcasting from the legendary studios of The Big 8".  That would be CKLW AM 800 circa late 60s.  (The studio is on Ouellette Avenue, CKLW AM moved there from Riverside Drive).  They try to imitate the sound of "The Big 8" with vintage jingles.    Power is just 500 watts day and night.  The pattern is directional, aimed northeast; looks like to protect stations in PA, IL, WV as well as WTCM Traverse City here in Michigan.
A real blast from the past.

"And the hits just keep on comin'".   

903

Longwave Loggings / recent NDB loggings

« on: April 02, 2017, 1707 UTC »

The band has been getting more noisy as is typical for this time of year but still some DX to be had.
All logged past two weeks from Michigan QTH.

206  QI   Yarmouth NS  
244  TH   Thompson  MB  
254  5B   Summerside  PEI  
257  SQT Melbourne  FL  
350  DF   Deer Lake  NL  
350  NY   Enderby  BC  1775mi (best DX)
356  AY   St. Anthony  NL  
359  SDY Sidney  MT  
360  PN   Port Menier  QC  
370  YBV Berens River  MB  
390  JT   Stephenville  NL  
396  YPH Port Harrison  QC  

904

MW Loggings / Re: Baseball 50,000 watt clear channel stations

« on: March 27, 2017, 1122 UTC »

1270 AM WXYT Detroit Tigers

50000 watts day and night but directional patterns (favoring NE). 

905

MW Loggings / Re: Baseball 50,000 watt clear channel stations

« on: March 27, 2017, 0850 UTC »

Don't even think about it being on local over the air tv

The days of walking into a barber shop mid-afternoon on a weekday and watching the ball game on over the air TV are a thing of the past.  Baseball games in the afternoon and on OTA TV are, as Ernie Harwell would say, "looong gone".

906

Longwave Loggings / Re: LWBC in Michigan

« on: March 26, 2017, 1339 UTC »

Just some further comment as to the wisdom (?) of assigning the same identifier to 2 beacons so close together in frequency and geographically (110 mi).  

Today with most pilots not using their LW/MW Automatic Direction Finder  (ADF) all that much since everything is becoming GPS based along with the fact that all modern ADFs are digitally tuned and considering that the purpose of an outer marker locator LOM is for close-in short range navigation, say less than 25 mi, so as to find the outer marker as the name implies, this issue of the same IDs is maybe not that much of an issue.

However, back in the day when ADF usage was more prevalent but the dials were analog it would have been easier to tune the ADF to the wrong beacon.  
 
You gotta wonder...   

907

Longwave Loggings / Re: LWBC in Michigan

« on: March 26, 2017, 0216 UTC »

Scott,

Yes, identifier MB is assigned to both beacons.  254 MB is the outer marker locator (LOM) for ILS/LOC RWY 28 @ Manistee Co. Blacker MBL.  257 MB is the LOM for ILS/LOC RWY 5 @ Saginaw/MBS (actually in Freeland and formerly known as "Tri-City").  Both beacons are +/- 1020 cycles so if you are using a narrow enough filter in SSB or CW mode they will be heard by that amount above and below the carrier frequency.  So, in other words, you may hear Manistee at 255.02 and Saginaw at 255.98.    Oh, and they both have an ID period of 6 seconds. (please note, some NDBs only use one sideband and the Canadians use 400 cycle modulation not 1020) Confused yet?  

In the AM mode, your receiver would probably hear the beacon ID on the carrier frequency.  So assuming you are listening to Algeria on 252 in AM mode and your radio has a wide AM filter, you may (from your location 60 mi to MBL and 90 mi to MBS) hear Algeria and Manistee and Saginaw simultaneously.  My guess is that this is what your ears are hearing.  Things only start to get really sticky if you switch in a narrow enough filter and the beacons begin to appear at two locations.  

As far as the CKLW thing is concerned, my involvement was only tangential.  Did get an insite though on the inner workings of the station.  Could go on all night about broadcast station operation but don't want to bore you or get way off topic.  It was a fun time in AM radio.  

If you have any more questions or my rambling response needs clarification, just ask.  73, PV

908

Longwave Loggings / Re: LWBC in Michigan

« on: March 23, 2017, 0130 UTC »

Scott

LW conditions somewhat better hr this evening.  Hearing NDB 253 DD Columbus OH on 252 but no LWBC. 

How about up ur way?

909

Longwave Loggings / Re: LWBC in Michigan

« on: March 22, 2017, 0201 UTC »

LW also in bad shape hr tonight.  The local QRM along with  K Index of 5 making for poor conditions.

yup,  Detroiter.

The Drake Format was CKLWs answer to WKNR.  WKNR 1310, aka Keener 13, suddenly appeared in late  1963 and quickly eclipsed the three other  metro Detroit top 40 rockers (CKLW 800 actually in Windsor Ontario, WXYZ 1270, WJBK 1500) with a lowly signal that barely reached the east side of Detroit from its transmitter site south of Dearborn.  CKLW hired West Coast programming consultant Bill Drake to tighten up their format and regain the position of the top rocker.  An interesting story if you care to research it but even more interesting to have been part of it.  Those were the glory days of AM radio. 

910

Longwave Loggings / Re: LWBC in Michigan

« on: March 22, 2017, 0007 UTC »

Too much RFI/EMI hr in the evening.  Have to do my LW listening in the early morning hours when the QRM goes away.

Anyway, "The Big 8" would be CKLW AM 800 late 60s. 
Bonus points if you can tell me what the Drake Format was.   

911

Longwave Loggings / NDB loggings 3-19-17 0905 - 0945Z

« on: March 19, 2017, 1720 UTC »

Band still in pretty good shape here early this morning other than a large number of static crashes.  Not sure where they were coming from as there is no T-storm activity showing on the WX radar for 1000+ mi from Michigan other than some convective activity in western Missouri.

Anyway, good DX in all directions:  north 396 YPH Port Harrison  QC 1112mi
                                                   east   356 AY   St. Anthony  NL   1420mi
                                                            390 JT    Stephenville  NL  1249mi
                                                   south 391 DDP San Juan  PTR     1945mi
                                                   west  400 QQ   Comox  BC          2031 mi

912

Longwave Loggings / Re: Winter 2016 NDB Logs

« on: March 19, 2017, 0840 UTC »

Hawaii,  nice one.   

913

Longwave Loggings / NDB loggings 3-18-17 0905 - 1045Z

« on: March 18, 2017, 2002 UTC »

Band conditions excellent here in Michigan early today, logged 121 NDBs including a half dozen new ones for me.

Most of the action was to the west, however, did hear 254 5B Summerside PEI about 1000 mi east of here.

248  WG  Winnipeg  MB
269  UDE Delta  MB
284  QD   The Pas  MB
300  YIV   Island Lk  MB
317  VC    LaRonge  SK
356  ZXE  Saskatoon  SK  (new)
368  ZP    Sandspit  BC  (2320 mi best DX)
370  YBV  Berens River  MB
400  QQ   Comox  BC (new)

Eventually some heavy local RFI/EMI brought things to a halt but otherwise an enjoyable morning on LW.   

914

Longwave Loggings / unids

« on: March 18, 2017, 1856 UTC »

368 SOO...   maybe miskeying SOY Sioux Center IA ?

382 UVS ?

413 NDA ? 

915

Longwave Loggings / Re: LWBC in Michigan

« on: March 18, 2017, 0031 UTC »

Scott,

FB on ur LWBC DX.   

Nothing but noise on both freqs here near Detroit.