Re: [HCDX] On the road in OK, NM, AM & FM notes - followups

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

{replies since original post have been inserted in brackets; only pertinent entries repeated}

1340, 2300+ Aug 19, at Clayton NM, we started looking for KSSR Santa Rosa NM, whose activity has been in question. It is not currently on NRC`s silent stations list, and FCC shows it still licensed. We were hearing at least two 1340 stations, one of which was KVOT Taos NM, another progressive station, now with Rachel Maddow show on Air America, the other ``Sports Radio 1340`` making a rumbling het, and fading up at 2305 as skywave may have been starting to kick in, west Texas forecast, 1-866-290-6868 ad about credit. KKAM Lubbock is the one that fits. 

Further into NM on US 412 kept looking for signs of KSSR, but KVOT improved as we got closer to it; at 2332 PSA for Albuquerque Museum i.a., mentioning Taos, more Maddow. (BTW, Rachel is getting her own show on MSNBC following Countdown at 0100 UT starting September 9. Can`t say we are surprised, as her star has been rising as a frequent contributor and sub-host on Countdown, but what becomes of Dan Abrams, Verdict? It`s already gone for elexion special Aug 30. And will she keep doing her Air America show despite the pay differential?)

It turned out we did not make it to my old hometown of Santa Rosa on this trip, but the closest point was on I-25 near Las Vegas, US 84 exit at 1950 Aug 25, and there was still no KSSR to be heard, so I am confident it was off. Nor could I hear Santa Rosa on 95.9, but did not expect to from there as it has always been QRP along I-40, audible only within a few miles of the town. At 1934 Aug 25, 1340 bore ``Northern New Mexico`s progressive talk, KVOT, the Voice of Taos``. This frequency was reactivated in Taos a few years ago after several years of silence since KKIT closed (named for Kit Carson). See DXLD 5-177 for our previous report about Santa Rosa and much more, under USA.

{Glenn, Sounds like a fun trip. One of the highlights of any trip is DXing along the way. Concerning Santa Rosa, 1340 continues to be silent. The FM is on the tower at about 150' so they don't set the woods on fire. When we changed our day pattern last year we swung the northern lobe east about 20 degrees, with almost 1 mv we now put the strongest AM signal into SR and close to 2 mv into Fort Sumner. Few people realize they shot some scenes for the "Grapes of Wrath" in Santa Rosa. Beautiful little classic town. Hope all is well, (Jerry Kiefer, KCKN 1020, Roswell NM, DX LISTENING DIGEST)}

1570, back in Enid around 2000 Aug 28, found new talking house at 1330 West Elm, low het but not sure if off-frequency or on their loop. Woman extolling house virtues, and like others we have heard here, also extolling the talking-house concept. Range 2 or 4 blox only, and by downtown Enid fortunately inaudible, so we can hear weakly standards from KZLI Catoosa. But the next-door neighbors are doubtless deprived of XERF at night until it`s sold. 

{Interesting for a couple of reasons, One that it's on 1570 home to
local KNDY and second because I called 1909 West Elm home during my
stay in Enid. I moved out eleven years ago so memories of the
neighborhood are starting to fade a bit.

I presume they're using some Part 15 device and that they look for some non-local "open" frequency to set up shop? Do they have a sign out front with the frequency posted? 73, de (Nate Bargmann, KS, N0NB, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)}

{The sign in front of the house shows the frequency, or we might never have noticed it; refers to Smith Realty, phone 233-4040 and also to the agent on the recording, Samantha (Sam), Sabedra --- is that an anglicization of Saavedra? No Spanish accent, and she speaks quite slowly and distinctly, which is no advantage when idling in front of the house waiting for her to get around to mentioning the price again, $55,900, but helps readability vs the continuous big hum. Her own number is 580-554-7279. Abode has new electrical and plumbing featuring no galvanized pipes. In promoting Talking House sales method, claims she is the only agent in the area using it, and it is at no extra cost to clients. She has lived here for 20 years and has been realtor a hefty 2 years! Opens with ``Hi, neighbors!`` -- gh} 

1660, 0038 UT Wed Aug 27, baseball game, and Royals mentioned, heard from near Woodward OK. Dominant signal and I figured it had to be KXTR Kansas City departing from its classical format, but not so sure after further research. Royals website says 610 is the flagship, except on Sundays 980, but I believe all these are commonly owned, so 1660 sometimes carries BB instead? KXTR website has no info about its own programming after the morning hours, but nothing about baseball. If not KXTR, must be KRZI Waco or maybe KQWB Fargo, both sports format.

{Yes, it is KXTR! UT Sunday Aug 31 at 0032 on 1660 I was hearing definite KC ads, including mentions of Shawnee Mission, and then back to baseball. So how much classical format is left?}

{Glenn: KXTR-1660 broadcasts Kansas City T-Bones baseball games. The T-Bones are an independent team in the Northern League. Occasionally their announcers deviate from the game and talk about the Royals. This weekend the T-Bones play the Red Hawks from Fargo-Morehead, not to be confused for the Oklahoma City team.

Most nights KQWB-1660, West Fargo ND, dominates the frequency here northwest of Perry OK. They are an ESPN Radio affiliate who broadcasts Chicago Cubs games. If conditions aren't favorable, another ESPN affiliate, KRZI-1660, Waco TX, is heard instead. Good report, thanks (Richard Allen, OK, MWC via DXLD) 

93.5, ``Sunny 93-5``, classic hits, 2340 Aug 19, at mile 50 of US 412 in NM, W of Clayton, way beyond the range of the Clayton 93.5 KENW translator. The only ``Sunny 93-5`` anywhere in the west I can find is KSNN in St George, SW corner of Utah, but that`s way too far for groundwave across the Rockies, and too close for Es. Is there anything nearer?

{Sunny 93-5 is KLMR in Lamar CO. Both myself and Saul [Chernos, Ont.] heard them via Es this summer and I ran into the same problem as you finding only the match in SW Utah originally, but this one was cleared up and is indeed KLMR, 100 kW. Their website http://www.myhometeamsports.com/KLMR.html has a single mention of the slogan (Chris Kadlec, Fremont, Mich., DX LISTENING DIGEST)}

All about LORAN-C at Boise City, except WTFK??? at 
http://www.loran-history.info/boise_city/boise_city.htm  
Including a satellite photo of it. The proudly displayed coordinates are 36-30-20.783 N, 103-53-59.487 W which puts it just NW of the very small town of Felt OK, rather than Boise City. The clix were no longer heard by the time we got to Clayton NM.

{Thanks, Glenn, I was stationed at the now decomissioned LORSTA at Sitkinak Island, Alaska in the 1970's (Wayne Heinen, CO, Aug 31, DX LISTENING DIGEST)}

Near the wind farm west of Woodward, I noticed annoying whines on certain FM ranges extending 1 or 2 channels above and below: 91.3, 95.5, 99.4, 103.6, 107.3. The windmills are some distance from the road, so suspected this was coincidental, car-generated, and uncovered due to absence of local broadcast signals in this area. Whine still heard on 95.5 in Clayton NM area (Glenn Hauser, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

{I would not rule out the windmills as culprits, in particular their
power converter systems. Reminds me on the Siemens-made trainsets
mostly known as ICE: When listening to the radio on a train ride I get
clear whines everytime such a trainset passes by on the neighbouring
track. And listening within such a Siemens/ICE train is basically
limited to local and local-like signals (on FM), anything else (and
even local AM signals) gets drowned out by all the HF garbage.

I fear I'm too lazy to take the radio with me now, so I can only add
another own experience with big windmills (2 megawatts models): They
produce annoying amounts of [sonic] noise. Here I mean not just the
swooosh-swooosh-swooosh of the blades when running, also the equipment
itself is quite noisy, audible over at least 300 metres, with fans
appearing to be the major but probably not only source of the racket (Kai Ludwig, Germany, DX LISTENING DIGEST)}

{Hi Glen[n]. The trip across the dials in NM was especially nostalgic for me as I was born in Albuquerque in 1946, grew up and worked as a DJ gypsy in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Clovis, Roswell and Truth or Consequences at commercial stations. Moved east several years later and worked for VOA in Washington and now retired in Philly area. But man your trip sure brought back some fond memories. Thank you.
(Bruce Barker, Broomall, PA, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)}

{Nice reading Glenn. Most of stuff a pipe dream for this side of "The Pond" but never the less very interesting (Barry Davies, UK, MWC via DXLD)}

{Hi Glenn, I enjoyed reading your account of your trip to Santa Fe via MWC list. I’m sitting here (near Hull, England) listening to a rather poor overnight recording of, at the moment, 1120 KMOX. 

On the advice of Martin Hall, when in London recently I bought a USA and Canada road atlas, so I thought it would be good fun whilst hearing mostly noise, to follow your trip on the atlas. I rearranged the list to chronological order and can see the route you took via Guymon, Boise City, Clayton and Las Vegas. As you pointed out it makes a lot more sense in this order than in that of frequency! Your account was pleasant reading, thanks for sharing it with us. 73 (Andrew Brade, UK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)}

The full report with follow-ups is under USA at
http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld8095.txt
73, Glenn Hauser


      

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