WCKY Radio (Cincinatti) in West Tennessee

[Rural King]

Okay, I was apparently able to pick up WCKY radio out of Cincinatti last night. Really strange. Was this skip? I've always grew up hearing about skip TV and radio, but never have really heard it despite listening to the radio all the time, albeit mainly Memphis NPR, I've also heard that with so many more stations sending out signals that skip is alot rarer now. Its talk radio, so I liked it.

Just wondering if this is skip, or is it perhaps it is being relayed out of another city. Anybody know if they relay? WKNO NPR Memphis relays out of Jackson and Dyersburg, so thats why I wondered about if this could be a relay signal.

[Kyle]

I haven't had that much success on the radio dial on finding distant signals, but I have picked up an Evansville (IN) TV station before on rabbit ears.

[Rural King]

Try 1530, thats WCKY. I could still pick it up this morning, but not as well when I was in Paris.

Off-Topic @ Kyle:

Can you pick up Memphis off rabbit years out of curiosity?

What all can you pick up in your area? Jackson for sure.

[sleepy]

I remember being in West Texas, around the Big Bend area, and there would be absolutely no radio stations--FM or AM--that you could pick up during the day. The whole dial was just blank. You really felt like you were off the grid.

[Kyle]

Try 1530, thats WCKY. I could still pick it up this morning, but not as well when I was in Paris.

Off-Topic @ Kyle:

Can you pick up Memphis off rabbit years out of curiosity?

What all can you pick up in your area? Jackson for sure.

Occasionally I can pick up some sound and an occasional picture on WPTY and WLMT (ABC24 and UPN30 respectively), as well as Fox 13 (WHBQ). I live in McKenzie, so they are mostly too far away to pick up period. I have picked up WSMV and WTVF from Nashville (only once or twice on the other pair of rabbit ears though). Interestingly enough, I am able to receive sound (and occasional signal) from KBSI and KFVS in Cape Girardeau. No WPSD though (couple of times, but not like all the websites say it should), because of an interesting trend in FM radio stations trying to broadcast their signals on TV channels.

I can get 7, 11, and 16 (the important Jackson stations) without any real problems. On the other antenna I can get WKMU (PBS station from Murray State) and WQTV (UPN station also from Murray). The UHF band channels however come in on much higher channel numbers than what they are assigned to (16 comes in on 67).

Also, with WQTV and WPTY on the same channel, sometimes I can get one channel more than the other.

[Lexy]

Okay, I was apparently able to pick up WCKY radio out of Cincinatti last night. Really strange. Was this skip? I've always grew up hearing about skip TV and radio, but never have really heard it despite listening to the radio all the time, albeit mainly Memphis NPR, I've also heard that with so many more stations sending out signals that skip is alot rarer now. Its talk radio, so I liked it.

Just wondering if this is skip, or is it perhaps it is being relayed out of another city. Anybody know if they relay? WKNO NPR Memphis relays out of Jackson and Dyersburg, so thats why I wondered about if this could be a relay signal.

Radio. My profession for over 6 years.

If it was an AM signal (Which I believe theirs is), then it could be a directional antennae in Cincy that is sending out the signal. Remember, AM radio waves travel ALONG the ground and FM travel "through" the ground. Which means that AM stations can be heard a great distance away if the conditions are right. FM stations can be tuned out if the signal fails to get through a structure or a mountain for example. Traveling through a tunnel will cause an FM station to blackout until you come out of the thunnel. The station I worked for in Lexington was a 5,000 watt AM (590-WVLK) and could be heard in Ohio County, KY and in places around Nashville during the day. AM stations (at least most of them) have to power down at sunset and power up at sunrise. I worked for a time at 1510 WLAC here in Nashville and could here myself clear as day in Ottawa, Canada and San Antonio, TX!!!! It was a clear channel 50,000 watt signal day and night with a north-south directional antennae. I worked at the "Beaver" in Clarksville for a time as well. It is a 100,000 watt FM signal and you could hear me in Evansville, IN!!! LOL!! Radio signals can do strange things at night. It all depends on the conditions and the signal strength. If it is a relay, then the station that is the repeater should give out its call sign, not the Cincy station. It is required, although losely enforced, that all stations give their callsign and city of license within five minutes of the top of the hour or five minutes after the top of the hour. FM or AM, it doesn't matter. The city of license is NOT always the city it is broadcasting from though. An example would be WRVW-107.5 "The River" in Nashville. It is licensed to Lebanon, but the tower is on the bluffs north of downtown on I-24 by Old Hickory Blvd.

Help any???

[Rural King]

Yeah that helps alot. I'm pretty sure it was skip, esp. being it was a AM station, 1530.

[LA_TN]

RK, for where you live, I would expect you to pick up KMOX 1120 (STL) and WHAS 840 (LOU) with ease. I know from WKy I could pick up TV from STL, Terre Haute, Springfield (MO) and Memphis using directional antenna; but could not get past LOU or even get Lexington - was blocked by the hills...

btw Is Lexy's favorite TV station WLEX? ha-ha

[Lexy]

RK, for where you live, I would expect you to pick up KMOX 1120 (STL) and WHAS 840 (LOU) with ease. I know from WKy I could pick up TV from STL, Terre Haute, Springfield (MO) and Memphis using directional antenna; but could not get past LOU or even get Lexington - was blocked by the hills...

btw Is Lexy's favorite TV station WLEX? ha-ha

When I lived in lexington, that was the only TV station to watch. LOL!! They were awesome for such a small metro. Much better than what we have here in Nashville currently.

[smeagolsfree]

The atmospheric conditions at night help in picking some radio stations up. I scan through the dial and I am able to pick up WOAI out of San Antonio, WOR out of NY, WLS Chicago, and the list goes on. I know in the mornings on WLAC, they transmit well into at least a dozen states. It also helps that the wattage of all the stations I mentioned are 100,000 watts.