KOA could be heard well in Minnesota pretty much anytime after the sun went down. Their 50,000 watt non-directional signal on a clear channel meant you didn’t need much to pull it in. I recorded this brief aircheck as part of a routine dial scan.
Reception was made using a Pioneer SX-3900 receiver and horizontal longwire antenna. The recording was made with a Technics stereo cassette deck and Scotch Dynarange tape.
#1 by Oscar on November 27, 2009 - 2:51 pm
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KOA is a power house. I used to drive nights and it was a companion when traveling through central and Northern Minnesota. After moving to the West coast, most nights it was present and some nights strong right to the central California coast. KTRB 860 has moved from Modesto to Pleasanton and jumped to 50KW (with three different antenna locations depending upon time of day), so the days of KOA being recieved here are gone.
#2 by Drew on November 28, 2009 - 7:47 am
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It’s a shame how the former clear channels are so junked up now with interference. Even under the new rules, they’re supposed to be protected to 750 miles. But that’s a crock. The noise floor underneath from the mixing of all those flea power signals creates a noise floor which makes it too fatiguing to listen. When I lived in Apple Valley, I could hear co-channel interference under WCCO at night! Quite a difference from 1982 when I was able to hear ‘CCO in San Diego at night…as well as WLS and KOMA!
Drew