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Author Topic: The mystery -550Hz carrier within 1240AM. I'm not the only one hearing this.  (Read 1793 times)

Offline ThaDood

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Here in WV, I'll do the late night drive home from work, and sometime MW DX'ing, if nothing is on C2C AM. But, if C2C AM is somewhat interesting, I'll tune-in to local 1kw 1240AM WVTS, and even drive right by the TX  site. Well, for the last week, when I get more than a few miles away from that station's site, I hear a HET tone that is somewhere from 500Hz - 600Hz in there. At 1st, I thought this to be yet another DSL internet carrier radiating out, but I hear this all over while on the drive, except very  near the WVTS TX site. I even see this carrier on the 'lil SDR display of my newer Xiegu G90. I've even heard this in the daytime, so I thought it to be local. However, Boomer, near Pittsburgh, is even seeing and hearing, this on his Kiwi SDR, and told me that the carrier is -550Hz from 1240kHz center. I've just asked a recently moved to FL friend if he hears and sees this. So, now I suspect that this isn't local from WV, unless someone is running several watts of power, and it can skip. Question is, can a 1240AM station be that far off FREQ? Maybe, someone grabbed an emergency back-up transmitter to get back on-air after all these Mid-West tornadoes? This timing would be about right. So, anyone else seeing and hearing this?
I was asked, yet another weird question, of how I would like to be buried, when I finally bite the big one. The answer was actually pretty easy. Face-down, like a certain historical figure in the late 1980's, (I will not mention who, but some of you will get it, and that's enough.) Why??? It would be a burial that will satisfy everyone: (1) My enemies will say that it will show me where to go. (2) On the same point, I can have my enemies kiss my butt. (3) It will temporarily give someone a place to park a bicycle. See??? A WIN / WIN for everyone.

Offline refmo

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I have local WFTM on 1240 here near Maysville, KY, but I can hear and see the het underneath.
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Offline Josh

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Can you guys get a bearing on it via a ambc portable? The online sdrs df might not be able to discriminate this one.
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Offline ThaDood

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Re: The mystery -550Hz carrier within 1240AM. And, 1540AM, +205Hz!
« Reply #3 on: December 23, 2021, 2015 UTC »
Whoa... Boomer asked me about the strong HET, that's +205Hz, on 1540AM. Yeah, I really can hear this one. Huh... How many more AM stations are off-FREQ?
I was asked, yet another weird question, of how I would like to be buried, when I finally bite the big one. The answer was actually pretty easy. Face-down, like a certain historical figure in the late 1980's, (I will not mention who, but some of you will get it, and that's enough.) Why??? It would be a burial that will satisfy everyone: (1) My enemies will say that it will show me where to go. (2) On the same point, I can have my enemies kiss my butt. (3) It will temporarily give someone a place to park a bicycle. See??? A WIN / WIN for everyone.

Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: The mystery -550Hz carrier within 1240AM. And, 1540AM, +205Hz!
« Reply #4 on: December 23, 2021, 2021 UTC »
Whoa... Boomer asked me about the strong HET, that's +205Hz, on 1540AM. Yeah, I really can hear this one. Huh... How many more AM stations are off-FREQ?

The 1540.205 kHz station shows up here as well:

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Offline Dr. Strangelove

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Getting it here in northwest Alabama also.
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Offline uhf35

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Re: The mystery -550Hz carrier within 1240AM. And, 1540AM, +205Hz!
« Reply #6 on: December 25, 2021, 1752 UTC »

The 1540.205 kHz station shows up here as well:


Hi! Minimal comment: I was reading new topics and came across this one, while listening to KYND 1520 KHz from Pattinson, TX. The point is that I observed that in the SDR of the Waller Country Club Radio, an "unidentified carrier" is labeled at 1536! KHz :o , with no modulation but with what appears to be a slight tone (I really couldn't be sure. The level of signal are minimal and the "scratches" due to modulation in the KYND's upper side band are quite intense.)


« Last Edit: December 25, 2021, 1754 UTC by uhf35 »

Offline atrainradio

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For what it's worth, as soon as WNWR 1540 drops its power at night in Philly, I clearly hear a HET tone tone. If I remember correctly, someone traced it back to a station in Georgia, though I forget their calls. Though for another FWIW, I haven't heard any HET on 1240 in my area. But I'll tune in tonight and listen more closely.
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