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Author Topic: CKWW AM 580  (Read 4138 times)

Offline pinto vortando

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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'".   
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2017, 1351 UTC »
Nice catch. Probably impossible to get here due to WHP in Harrisburg. Even nulling seems dubious as it is only about 45 degrees off the path to WHP.
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline pinto vortando

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #2 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. 
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2017, 1514 UTC »
Do you know the exact carrier frequency, down to the Hz? I could try looking for it in the waterfall, to see if it is even getting here.
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline pinto vortando

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2017, 1934 UTC »
Chris.

 Took me a while to get back to you because  have not that kind of freq measuring capability here.  However, my buddy has a service monitor and he says the station is right on 580.000.
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #5 on: April 04, 2017, 2245 UTC »
Here is a waterfall I made of 580, showing the carriers of the various stations I can receive. It started before sunrise, maybe around 1015z, at the bottom, time goes up. I just stopped it a few minutes ago, around 2240z. The big fat carrier is WHP. I think I can count at least 15 of them. There are supposedly 25 active stations in the US/Canada on 580, so right there I see 60% of them. Maybe one is CKWW?  ;D

It's fun looking at MW station carriers, some are lines, some have squiggles in them (maybe from fans or AC units turning on and off?), some have a large drift, probably when they switch power levels. Each is really a fingerprint.

Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline pinto vortando

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2017, 0832 UTC »
What RX and antenna were you using?

That is a really cool display. 
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #7 on: April 05, 2017, 1157 UTC »
A netSDR and the 670 ft sky loop (which is not great at 580 kHz actually).

A while back I wrote some software to take SDR recordings and generate similar waterfalls for every channel on the MW band. I should see about getting back to that, maybe making a cross platform (Mac/Win) version.
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline BDM

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2017, 0449 UTC »
CKWW is just about in my backyard, just across the lake from me.
Radios -- Perseus SDR // SDRPlay RSPdx // Icom IC-7300 // Tecsun PL-660 // Panasonic RF-5000A --Antennas-- Pixel Pro 1B loop - 82' fan-dipole at 40' - tuned MW/BCB 40" loop and 100' receive only dipole
-Brian--North of Detroit--MI-
1710/KHz the MW Pirate Clear Channel (not so much anymore "sigh")

Offline skeezix

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2017, 2133 UTC »
Will be impossible to hear them here.

Chris, I would definitely like to see that program.
Minneapolis, MN

Offline Chanter

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2017, 0723 UTC »
I can get CKWW here, but not often.  Guessing that's to do with relative proximity.  It's more common to hear Kansas City on 580, if anything. 
Madison, WI, U.S.A. 
Tecsun PL-660, Yaesu FT60R handheld, and Realistic DX-398 (back up and running!) 
QSL's appreciated 

There's a geeklady turning that dial!
SWLer, MWLer, LW and HF beaconeer, technician class ham, DXer of all bands and program listener. 
RNW forever.

Offline pinto vortando

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Re: CKWW AM 580
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2017, 0106 UTC »
I can get CKWW here, but not often.  Guessing that's to do with relative proximity.  It's more common to hear Kansas City on 580, if anything. 


Nice catch from Wisconsin.   :)
Das Radiobunker somewhere in Michigan

 

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