1130

[jon]

As radiofan has noted previously, here is the Northern half of Alberta, KQRR near Portland often dominates 1130 KHz for long periods of time around sunset or sunrise.

So I was surprised this evening to hear KBMR in Bismarck, North Dakota, completely dominating the frequency long after sunset in Edmonton, though obviously while KBMR was still on non-directional day power of 10,000 watts. Especially given that CKWX was more or less alone just 5 minutes earlier.

[Toomas Losin]

That's great! I understand that hearing anything from either of the Dakotas is something to celebrate. They're a conspicuous white hole on my map of North America as the closest two states that I haven't heard anything from.

I'll never hear KBMR unless CKWX shuts down for maintenance but looking at the FCC data it should be possible to hear something else if I can catch one in the morning after a return to day power/pattern unless the day patterns are unfavourable.

[jon]

WDAY-970 was one of the Dakota stations I used to get fairly regularly in Burnaby in the late 1960s. amlogbook.com lists it as Silent, but their web site claims they are still on the air. I used to point a loop in their direction, which also nulls out Portland, and wait for both Spokane and Billings, Montana to fade out, and usually there they were. A quick look at a current station list on the frequency makes me think it should still be possible despite the CKNW co-channel interference AKA slop.

KFYR-550 in Bismarck was generally the easiest to hear in the days when KARI in Blaine went off the air on a weekly basis. Nulling out KARI in Vancouver is probably not very practical, though phasing methods might work. A religious program on KARI with a lot of quiet passages might make nulling more practical.

Similar story for KFGO-790 in Fargo, given KGMI in Bellingham. And a lot more stations to contend with even if you get rid of KGMI: CFCW, KJRB, KGHL and maybe even KABC.

South Dakota looks much more difficult than it used to be. KSOO-1140 looks like the best bet with a good loop, but KGEM in Boise would have to fade out and nothing else happen to come in, if KSOO were to be revealed amidst the co-channel interference from CKWX. If I read CHRB's night pattern correctly, Vancouver should be far enough South that not too many of their 46,000 night-time watts should reach you.

Like so much other domestic DX, patience and a lot of luck is the most important. Monitoring the frequency regularly with a loop antenna in the right direction on a regular basis. And never forgetting that if one station from a particular area is coming in unusually well, then others from the same region usually will, too.

[radiofan]

In the mid/late 1980's, WNAX 570 Yankton, SD (The Weather Station) was a regular in Calgary (even with CKEK Cranbrook on the same freq) as was KELO 1320 in Sioux Falls, SD. KFYR 550 in Bismarck, ND
was there most nights along with some interference from KARI Blaine, CFJC Kamloops and CKPG in Prince George.

[Dan Sys]

I never logged anything from The Dakotas during my early DX years in Vancouver, but since moving to Aldergrove I have logged 810 KBHB Sturgis, SD (Mar/99), KBMR 1130 Bismark, ND (Apr/95), and 1560 KKAA Aberdeen, SD (Jan/99). All three were heard at or near 5AM (PST) according to my records.

[radiofan]

Another regular in Calgary was KQWB 1550 from Fargo.