950, WWJ, still in HD?

[WOHO]

Quick question, did the HD decoder on my car stereo crap out, or is WWJ no longer broadcasting in HD? Ordinarily, even with a weak HD-AM signal, I'll at least get the "flashing HD" as it tries to decode the HD signal after 6 tries. Anyhow, I have basic mono from AM 950 near the Michigan/Ohio border, with not even a 'flashing' HD. So, if WWJ is indeed in HD, then it's time to dump the newer HD radio and put back in the 20 year old AM Stereo radio.

[MWmetalhead]

WWJ hasn't broadcast in HD on AM 950 in close to two months.

There was a lengthy HD outage in 2020, followed by renewed HD broadcasts that lasted for maybe six months before HD transmission suddenly disappeared again.

Sister station AM 1270 also is not broadcasting in HD.

I think all of the Crawford Broadcasting stations on AM dumped it in the past year, too. That is noteworthy, because their Chief Engineer was drinking the HD "Kool-Aid" for quite a long time.

AM 910 WFDF is the only station on the AM band in Detroit, to the best of my knowledge, that is currently using it. The HD signal's range sucks relative to analog signal range.

[kc8yqq]

WOWO, your HD receiver doesn't decode C-QUAM?

[WOHO]

KC8YQQ, my old Directed Electronics add-on HD tuner would decode WLS CQUAM by swapping channels and using the HD filter, but that went away when they moved the WLS transmitter, and about that time, the D.E. tuner literally burned-up from heat and locked-up the processor; but the Kenwood HD and JVC HD tuners don't decode CQUAM from CFCO, I may have to go back to go back to 2001 technology to get CFCO and WION in stereo in the car again.
Likewise, have a home Sangean HDT-1X, version 0.2 and it is supposed to decode CQUAM in addition to HD-AM, but it has not, in fact, the AM is rather deaf compared to a 20 year old Jeep radio. Don't know if it requires a really specific AM antenna match and you have to use the factory loop, which I do not have, rather than an AIWA/RS loop antenna for AM? FM RDS and HD is okay, it even does the HD split: analog in one channel, HD in the other channel for FM HD1 stations sync!
In regards to Crawford 560, it's too bad as their analog AM Stereo was pretty decent sounding, and it didn't wreak havoc on poor old CKWW like their AM 560-HD slammed them.

[Kennelly Heaviside]

WFDF (6740) and WWJ (6653) both have Major 50 kW Day Lobes which reach quite well to near West Branch in analog along I-75. The HD signals are detectable near Pinconning, about 30 miles South, near I-75. I think that is impressive, even though I have many reservations about IBOC, especially on AM. Reportedly, the digital and analog signals reach farther along US 23 than along I-75.

[MWmetalhead]

I have never been able to hear 910 in HD reliably in eastern Oakland County. I think decoding ability depends heavily on the receiver being used.

WWJ decodes fairly reliably if I'm not driving near an electrical interference source. The exception is downtown Detroit and New Center, where decoding is always difficult.

[Kennelly Heaviside]

KC8YQQ, my old Directed Electronics add-on HD tuner would decode WLS CQUAM by swapping channels and using the HD filter, but that went away when they moved the WLS transmitter, and about that time, the D.E. tuner literally burned-up from heat and locked-up the processor; but the Kenwood HD and JVC HD tuners don't decode CQUAM from CFCO, I may have to go back to go back to 2001 technology to get CFCO and WION in stereo in the car again.
Likewise, have a home Sangean HDT-1X, version 0.2 and it is supposed to decode CQUAM in addition to HD-AM, but it has not, in fact, the AM is rather deaf compared to a 20 year old Jeep radio. Don't know if it requires a really specific AM antenna match and you have to use the factory loop, which I do not have, rather than an AIWA/RS loop antenna for AM? FM RDS and HD is okay, it even does the HD split: analog in one channel, HD in the other channel for FM HD1 stations sync!
In regards to Crawford 560, it's too bad as their analog AM Stereo was pretty decent sounding, and it didn't wreak havoc on poor old CKWW like their AM 560-HD slammed them.

I don't recall WLS ever moving their transmitter site since the 1930s. It used to be in Downers Grove about 4-5 miles South of the WCFL towers, when it shared the 870/890 frequency with WENR. They applied a couple times in the 1970s to move to Addison and West Chicago, but it was withdrawn. A station in Wisconsin on 900 refused to accept contour measurement data, the best I can figure.

[Kennelly Heaviside]

WLS Application to move near Addison, IL. One proposed move in the 1970s, showing map of proposed TL. Application Returned at request of Attorney.

https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&hist=8999&facid=73227

This looks like the WLS TL before the change in the 1930s.

https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&hist=8969&facid=73227

Move to Tinley Park Mokena area was in 1938.

https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&hist=8975&facid=73227

This is all being reconstructed by the REC History Project from History Cards and other data.

[k8jd]

Still see the big tower for WLS, US 45 and I 80, on Google Earth image of October 2020.