WFAN and Beyond!!

So yesterday I had to make the long drive up to New Hampshire to bring back a bunch of stuff
for my son at his college as he is coming home for the Spring semester to attend school locally.
At the same time the NY Giants were playing the Eagles at 1PM. Well I switched on 660FAN at 1PM
while on the Merritt Parkway in Ct. and proceeded to listen to the game through Ct, Mass, Vt and
INTO New Hampshire!!!!! I mean by the time I was going east from Vt into NH it was really starting
to fade but I was able to make out the final play where the Eagles missed a FG at the buzzer that
would have tied the game!!!
Ya gotta love the wattage some AM stations put out. Some years ago I picked up FAN just north
of Baltimore and I remember WAY WAY BACK (LOL) when I was a youngun and the family used to
vacation in the Catskills and my Dad would pick up stations from Cleveland and beyond!!!
BTW I dont know why I never used the Hutch/Merritt/Wilbur Cross/Rt 15 route to Ct 91 before!!!
No trucks like 95 and I breezed back and forth!!
AND it passes right by the Sikorsky plant in Stratford!!! C'mon now!!! :D

I think WFAN has an antenna out in Long Island, which isn't terribly far from most of New England as-the-radio-signal-flies. Every time I've driven through CT, I've passed the time listening to New York radio stations.

I grew up near Denver and was raised listening to Broncos games on KOA 850 AM. KOA is a clear-channel station with a 50,000-watt transmitter, hence its nickname "The Blowtorch Of The West" We were able to pick it up a couple of times at night even after we moved east. To Indiana. :!:

Get this... This fall I was driving down to Alabama on I-81... Yankees are playing the Indians in the playoffs... Anyway, I'm bored in TN and see if maybe ESPN radio is carrying the game, so I turn my radio to AM and the station happens to be on 880AM. John Sterling and Susan Waldmann, coming in loud and clear with the Yankees play-by-play. I got them all the way through Knoxville, some 700 miles away!

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Originally Posted by adam613

I think WFAN has an antenna out in Long Island, which isn't terribly far from most of New England as-the-radio-signal-flies. Every time I've driven through CT, I've passed the time listening to New York radio stations.

I grew up near Denver and was raised listening to Broncos games on KOA 850 AM. KOA is a clear-channel station with a 50,000-watt transmitter, hence its nickname "The Blowtorch Of The West" We were able to pick it up a couple of times at night even after we moved east. To Indiana. :!:

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It is like the blowtourch of the planet man. I can feel the cancer now from the power if you read this!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KOA_(AM)

I think any station than can be picked up in Europe is impressive.

The 50,000 Watt clear channel voice of the Mets, Jets, Knicks, Rangers... :)

Picking up WFAN that far during the day is impressive - I can usually get it reliably as far north as Saratoga, and as far south as Wilmington during daylight. After the sun goes down, and ionosphere starts skipping, though, you can get almost anything. Back in the day, some frequencies were cleared for long-range broadcasts (at least 660, 770, and 880 for New York, the (ex-)WNBC, WABC, and WCBS, respectively). All three of those were easily received in Montreal when I lived there. When driving between Washington and New Jersey at night, I keep myself entertained by flipping through the AM dial and trying to ID the station from the weather or traffic report. Boston, Louisville, Charlotte, Cincy, and Chicago are all clear as a bell, as is the French news from Montreal on 690 and Radio-Canada (the French service) on 860. I can occasionally pick up St. Louis on a clear night, but the distance record was set one night when I heard Spanish news bulletins on 570, along with a tone, and what sounded like .-. .-. in Morse every minute on the minute. Some quick Googling when I arrived revealed what I was listening to - Radio Reloj, coming atcha from Santa Clara, Cuba! I recommend 740AM, CHWO from Toronto, which plays the really classic oldies - Billie Holiday, and the like. I even have it as one of the AM presets in my car.

>Picking up WFAN that far during the day is impressive<

Sure made me happy. Especially when the Giants won!! LOL!! But you should have seen me on
NH Rt202 screaming at the radio for a few more minutes of reception when the Eagles went for the FG.

I routinely pickup WFAN in Milton, MA, which is about 15 miles S. of Boston. Even at night, it is very clear. IIRC, WFAN is somewhat modified, or stronger than the average radio signal. Does anyone know if this is possible? I'm pretty sure I read something that the FAN modified the signal, in order to get the feed played in New England. This is all part of the NY/NE sports rivalry.

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Originally Posted by flyguy1

Even at night, it is very clear.

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It should be MORE clear at night...that's the nature of AM radio :)

WFAN/660 is a 50,000 watt, "clear channel" station meaning no other stations may broadcast on that frequency between sunset and sunrise (with some exceptions). The have one antenna, located in the Bronx, off City Island off City Island

Here's an approximate view of their signal coverage:

http://www.radio-locator.com/pats/WFAN_AM_LU.gif

• Local Coverage: Within this area, you should be able to receive the radio station on almost any radio with moderately good to very good reception.[/*:m:fd548]
• Distant Coverage: Within this area, the signal of the radio station may be weak unless you have a good car radio or a good stereo with a good antenna.
  You may not be able to receive the station at all on walkmans or other portable radios.[/*:m:fd548]
• Fringe Coverage: Within this area, the station's signal will be very weak. You may be able to receive this station if you have a very good radio with a good antenna, but it's possible that interference from other stations may prevent you from picking up these stations at all.[/*:m:fd548]

For more geek-like information on WFAN, check out Radio Locator

I was sure beyond the fringe Sunday!! LOL!!