WNBP 1450 etc., replacement car radios

[M.Casey]

Mark, Thank you for the interesting Cape Cod AM DX report & the details.

Even without much music, I still find daytime (and nite) AM DX'ing on the 
car radio fun.  Shoreline locations make it even more fun. WMID in Atlantic 
City is the station whose coverage amazes me--graveyard freq at 1340, not 
much power, but can be received, days, from the CT shore (maybe the 
southside of the Cape or is New Bedford 1340 still on?) all the way down 
almost to Cape Hatteras, NC! and, still playin' the old tunes last time I 
checked.

WACM 1270, Springfield, is still on the air playing Mr. Fuller's Kool Oldies 
but most of us are listening to their FM on 100.1. The format sounds great.

With the poor soil conductivity and the high dial position the Albany 1540 
doesn't stand a chance in Eastern Mass. Yesterday I tried listening to 1540 
when I was near North Adams, Mass., and Stamford, VT. There was a signal, 
but not much of one, which I did not take the time to ID. Us DX diehards get 
tired of static and fading at times. Like WMEX on 1510, even with 50k, those 
high dial stations have a tough time getting out during the day, although at 
nite, they generally work better they generally work a little better than 
the low dial position stations. But, now, only a few of us ever listen to AM 
radio at night, nevermind listening to DX stations at night on AM.

Anyone have an idea what station on 1510, around 10pm last night, in 
English, playing 70's, 80's popular music which sounds like a canned show. 
It had a fair to good signal for 1/2 hour or so around 10pm while traveling 
in Southern Vermont. Again, failed to ID.

I'm looking to replace my 2006 Toyota Tundra radio with an aftermarket unit 
that has decent AM & FM reception, HD & Bluetooth. Looking for 
recommendations on a decent unit.

Thank-You
Mark Casey
K1MAP
Hampden, Mass.

-----Original Message----- 
From: Mark Connelly
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2017 4:39 PM
To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org ; irca@hard-core-dx.com ; 
am@nrcdxas.org ; badx@yahoogroups.com ; CapeDX@yahoogroups.com
Subject: WNBP 1450 (+ WXEX 1540)

As noted on a couple of email lists, WNBP Newburyport, MA has dropped its 
oldies format and now has Bloomberg business talk (... yawn).

Unfortunately this means that I have one music station fewer for my AM car 
pushbutton choices.

The button that once was WNBP has now been reassigned to WXEX from NH on 
1540.  That's more a classic rocker than pre-1980 oldies or nostalgia. 
Still not a bad station though.

Signal strength of WXEX is a bit less than that of WNBP but it is still 
usable away from overhead power lines.

Both 1450 and 1540 have signal "issues" if I'm within 2 miles of the Cape's 
south side facing Nantucket Sound.  WPGG Atlantic City, NJ interferes with 
WNBP on 1450 and WADK Newport, RI interferes with WXEX on 1540.  Still, in 
many areas north of Route 28, WNBP and WXEX are "playable."

That I have to use either of these stations, neither intended to hit this 
area, just shows how scarce the choices are for music on AM other than, 
perhaps, that of an ethnic or religious nature.

WJTO 730 and WCME 900 from Maine are other car radio pushbuttons.  Neither 
of those is a city grade signal here either.  Just shows how slim the 
options are.  In the late '60s, we had rock from WRKO and WBZ Boston, WPRO 
Providence, WHEB Portsmouth, and WABC NYC all providing good signals here. 
Probably a couple out of ME too.

WXEX mentions 92.1 and 97.1 FM with no mention of the 1540 AM.

Well, just for giggles, I checked those channels.  92.1 is WOMR out of 
Provincetown (some of you will remember as being of Ernie Cooper fame) and 
97.1 had "97.1 the Wave" which, per web search, turns out to be WAVD 
Milford, DE (!), obviously via tropo and likely not a regular.

Mark Connelly, WA1ION
South Yarmouth, MA