I have mentioned in the past that Blue Bucket Radio is located near the top of a mountain and one of the things that comes with living at a higher elevation is that radio waves propagate rather well from directions where there are no obstructions. In our case, we are near the top of a mountain but in a valley surrounded by two ridges in front of and behind our home.
Still Medium Waves find their way to our receivers with no problems, in fact i have heard our old frequency (1520 khz) with very little sky wave one night and then the next night there are a few high powered stations fighting to be on top. So I moved to 1610 khz but there is two stations i was having trouble with a night and during critical hours, a spanish station on 1610 and another spanish station on 1600, the station on 1600 khz would cause splash over on 1610 khz mixing with my signal and the signal from the high powered 1610.
So after a week of listening with my transmitter off, 1620 seemed to be the best choice, it doesn’t receive splash over from 1610 or 1630 and I hear no strong signals on 1620 that would present a problem at night. Seems like a good choice for now, that is until the FCC intervenes and a strong station takes over 1620 khz.
It could happen, just something we have to deal with when it happens.
So for now, we are on 1620 Khz and still on 102.7 FM
Thanks
Bucket On the Dial
Hello Barry and Stephanie.
Blue Bucket Radio’s updated AM and FM frequencies have been added to the National AM & FM Dials on the KDX Part 15 page:
KDX PART 15 PAGE
Finding A Good AM Frequency
is a difficult process. I have been operating on a clear (daytime) frequency but at night distant stations are heard. Using my communication receiver with an outdoor antenna I scanned the X band at night and found what appeared to be a clear frequency. I confirmed this via a car radio in my driveway. I switched my transmitting frequency to this and did a test drive listen after dark and found that when I was about 300 feet from my home there was interference. As I drove farther away it became apparent that the interference was from a TIS station at the Columbus, Ohio airport which is 23 miles away.
The surprise was that I cannot hear this station at my base or in my driveway, yet just a few hundred feet down the road it is strong enough to interfere with my AM station.
I conclude that, at least at my location, trying to get a usable AM range after dark beyond my property boundaries is a lost cause. The AM band is just too crowded to use for Part 15 after dark.
Neil
Frustrated Broadcasters
Neil, it is frustraiting trying to find a useable frequency for both day and night time broadcasting, there are so many variables to consider. You just have to figure out what works well for your location and hope for the best.
In my case, night time operations are still confined to our road for some reason but i don’t mind at all, i just don’t want to take the tme out to shut the transmitter down at a certain time every evening. I never know if i will be home or out at a certain time of the day or night so keeping up with a sign off time won’t work for me.
But, i wouldn’t rule out that option. Just limit the AM to daytime operations and have an outlet timer inline with the power adaptor start and stop the transmitter at a predetermined time. The FM could carry on during the night time hours until morning around 7 a.m.
Something to consider in case any of us have to change frequencies in the future, i do think there will be some changes coming to the xpanded AM band due to FCC restructuring/revitalizing of the the AM BCB.
Carl. Thanks for updating the National AM & FM Dials for us, we greatly appreciate that. I need to check some other places i advertise for my station on and adjust the frequency change there too.
You know , i broadcast on AM out of nostalgia. I like the warm monophonic sound of AM if it is processed properly and of course a good radio makes a difference too.
That is something i am lacking here at the Radio Ranch and i hope to remedy that sometime this summer by purchasing a tube type radio.
I run the FM just because i can and it offers a clean stereo signal for a few hundred feet. It’s not even enough to cover the 8 houses in this valley but it’s there anyway, pumping out into the ether from my faithful Ramsey FM 25B and a dipole antenna taped to the wall inside the house. Even the dipole is too short for 102.7 FM.
It’s still fun, if not a bit challenging.