WNBP 1450 etc., replacement car radios

[A Joseph Ross]

I haven't checked for a long time, and I just got hash when I tried just 
now, but I always used to be able to get Albany 1540 with no trouble 
here in Brookline.  I wonder what's happened since then, or is it just 
because sunspots are down?


On 8/5/2017 5:28 PM, M.Casey wrote:
> 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
>
>

-- 
A. Joseph Ross, J.D. | 1340 Centre Street, Suite 103 | Newton, MA 02459
617.367.0468 | Fx:617.507.7856 | http://www.attorneyross.com