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Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?

Posted by ChiTownGal on July 15, 2020, 10:46 am

While radio-surfing apx. 2:30 AM this morning in hopes of finding something to ease my insomnia, I stumbled upon WLS-AM 890. I could barely hear the actual program (not that I was all that interested anyway) because it was being drowned out by beeping noises every couple of seconds, almost like a Morse code. This did not happen on that same station during daytime. What's going on?

Re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?

Posted by Jeremy Andrews on July 15, 2020, 2:13 pm, in reply to "Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?"

Might have been a DX test.

Re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?

Posted by Sal vitro on July 16, 2020, 10:36 am, in reply to "Re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?"

Many programs are “social distancing” and using internet connections at times those will drop out and may be making the noises you are referring to.

Sal

Re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?

Posted by John, from Wisconsin on July 15, 2020, 9:19 pm, in reply to "Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?"

I'm wondering, seriously, if ChiTownGal is hearing Cuba. 200000 watts and the Radio Reloj has a sounder every minute (Reloj=clock) and is that possible?

You can scroll to CUBA and see the 200000 watt power.

http://www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php?area=3&kHz=890

They stream here: http://www.radioreloj.cu/multimedia/radio-reloj-audio-en-vivo/

If nothing else, you'll get an interesting time check.

re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?

Posted by stormy01 on July 15, 2020, 9:51 pm, in reply to "Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?"

some questions:
• how far away from the WLS transmitter in Tinley Park was the interference received on the radio receiver? if the station isn’t a local grade signal, there are plenty of electronic devices that can easily interfere with AM signals, even local strong signals. (note that in recent years a number of people have said the WLS 890 signal is weaker due to the surrounding area of the transmitting getting built up and lowering ground conductivity)

• email or call the engineer at the station and ask if they’re aware of any interference issues?

• there is something called PLC that the utilities, primarily ComEd use, that sends coded signals over the power lines - these power lines could have been leaking interference...

remote possibility someone is trying to jam the WLS signal, but why? nothing really worth jamming on the big 89 now, lol...

Re: re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?

Posted by ChiTownGal on July 16, 2020, 1:41 pm, in reply to "re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?"

My radio is in my home in Ravenswood, about a mile and a half from the lake. I have no idea how far away that is from tinley Park.
Thanks for all the answers, folks!
What is a DX?

DX: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?

Posted by Stormy01 on July 17, 2020, 2:16 pm, in reply to "Re: re: Why is WLS-AM "beeping" over the late-night programming?"

DX - origin with Morse Code radio operators, means “distance” Possibly in the infancy of radio the term “DX” was coined, so “DX” is around 100 years old.

For Ham (Amateur) Radio operators, CB’ers with their linear amplifiers and Short/Medium Wave listeners (we call Medium Wave “AM” in North America, which is the modulation method, not necessarily bound to wavelength, there is “AM” on the aircraft VHF band which is higher in frequencies than what we know as FM)

The challenge for radio hobbyists enjoy is to listen to, or in the case of Hams/CB’ers is to talk to people hundreds, and often thousands of miles away via radio.

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