What is the most crowded FM frequency?

[fordranger797]

I have no actual research to back up my assumption, but I think that 101.1 is the most common FM frequency. Here in the Seattle area, its possible to receive three different stations on 101.1 alone. I'm sure what I pick up in my region is not a representation of the entire continent though.

 

[Unregistered]

97.7 ???

I would guess that it would be 97.7 or some other FM local frequency. Alternatively something down in the 88-92 segment withy a lot of low power stations.

The technique to determine this is easy but time consuming. Go to 'FM Query' and select all states, a single frequency, and licensed (or licensed + CP). The return will be a count of the records along with the records. But you have to do it for each frequency

 

[gar hi]

My first guess would have been 100.3.

When I lived up north, I thought it was interesting to have an FM station serving the Philadelphia area and the New York area on the same frequency.

One is from Media, Pa and the other from Newark, NJ.

It was always fun to be going up and down the turnpike and hear one station gradually fade in to the other.


Here's a list of all the stations on 100.3.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100.3_FM

Here's the list for 100.1.

Both are quite long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100.1_FM

 

[fordranger797]

My first guess would have been 100.3.

When I lived up north, I thought it was interesting to have an FM station serving the Philadelphia area and the New York area on the same frequency.

One is from Media, Pa and the other from Newark, NJ.

It was always fun to be going up and down the turnpike and hear one station gradually fade in to the other.


Here's a list of all the stations on 100.3.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100.3_FM

Here's the list for 100.1.

Both are quite long.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100.1_FM

Don't forget, both Philadelphia and New York City both have a 101.1, too. Here in the Seattle area, you can get two different 100.3's as well.

 

[Schroedingers Cat]

For historical information on channel use, you could look at Vane Jones Log, White's Radio Log, and The FM Atlas, on David's wonderful Archive, americanradiohistory.com. The Broadcasting Yearbook is another source of these lists. Often, you can spot the crowded channels and lesser used channels by looking at the column lengths of various frequencies.

 

[K6JHU]

Probably need to look at the frequencies where the Class A are - 103.1, 97.7. And maybe down in the public band (88-92) where there can be a lot of 10w stations. Also closer to the center of the band where broadcasters want to cluster. FCC data base is not of much use as it has CP, APP, USE, etc. mixed in. Also has the Canadian and Mexican. BTW, do they count?

So I used the Wikipedia data and did some sampling. The results are (US only):
89.7 - 157
97.7 - 116
103.1 - 114
99.9 - 105
100.3 - 99
101.1 - 99

Any other guesses

 

[fordranger797]

Probably need to look at the frequencies where the Class A are - 103.1, 97.7. And maybe down in the public band (88-92) where there can be a lot of 10w stations. Also closer to the center of the band where broadcasters want to cluster. FCC data base is not of much use as it has CP, APP, USE, etc. mixed in. Also has the Canadian and Mexican. BTW, do they count?

So I used the Wikipedia data and did some sampling. The results are (US only):
89.7 - 157
97.7 - 116
103.1 - 114
99.9 - 105
100.3 - 99
101.1 - 99

Any other guesses

Oh yes, the non-com band must be JAM packed with signals.

 

[cyberdad]

There are FOUR 88.1s within fifteen miles of downtown Chicago. Two in the city, two in close-in suburbs.

 

[K6JHU]

88.1 - 281

The current leader

88.3 - 195

Lots of stations. So the non-comm band looks like the place. 88.1 still leads

 

[K6JHU]

88.5 - 181
88.7 - 171
88.9 - 179
90.1 - 167
90.3 - 164
90.5 - 182
90.7 - 161 (lots of powerhouses on this frequency)
90.9 - 158
91.1 - 176
91.3 - 178
91.5 - 187
91.7 - 211
91.9 - 204

So it looks like 88.1 is the clear leader on the non-comm band. That may make it the overall leader based on a sampling of the commercial band.

But remember this si based on the Wikipedia data. I have not checked the accuracy. Just used it as is.

 

[fordranger797]

The only thing the non-com band has going for it: Most of those stations have considerably low power, meaning they can cram them in with ease. You can't do that when you have class C stations that you need to arrange.

 

[crainbebo]

88.1 definitely. Everyone wants to be at rock bottom - religious, NPR, colleges, high schools, etc. You don't have to tune through much static to get to 88.1 - and we have an 88.1 here in Yakima (KYTR, a Catholic station).

-crainbebo

 

[K6JHU]

But if I remember correctly 88.1 was a restricted authorization as it had to protect the old analog Channel 6.

 

[ftballfan]

On the commercial band: I would guess one of the FM graveyards (even though many stations have moved off of those)

 

[K6JHU]

Checked a couple of the 'graveyards'. Is there another frequency to check?

97.7 - 116
103.1 - 114

 

[cyberdad]

88.1 would seem to be the logical "winner". Notwithstanding any "TV channel 6" allocations, it's first adjacent (87.9 by my definition for purposes of this discussion) is vacant.

 

[fordranger797]

How did 97.7 and 103.1 get to be the graveyard of the FM dial?

 

[K6JHU]

I considered the Class A stations to be the equivalent of the 'graveyards' on AM. Limited power and limited height.

From Wikipedia ... "Historically, there were local "Class A" frequencies (like AM radio's class C stations) to which only class A stations would be allocated & the other frequencies could not have a class A. According to the 1982 FCC rules & regulations those frequencies were: 92.1, 92.7, 93.5, 94.3, 95.3, 95.9, 96.7, 97.7, 98.3, 99.3, 100.1, 100.9, 101.7, 102.3, 103.1, 103.9, 104.9, 105.5, 106.3 & 107.1."

 

[crainbebo]

95.3 has 112 - that's a good number.
92.1 has 148 - very crowded!

-crainbebo

 

[K6JHU]

Crainbo. If you have your FM DX records sorted by frequency, you might be able to give us a quick indication of which frequencies to check further. At the moment, 88.1 is still the high leader.