I was over in West Seattle today and didn't hear a need for any translator for KPLU. Granted, we never actually turned on that station, but there was no noticeable signal difference from KLCK out there. We were at Walt Hundley Playfields if that makes any difference. If I lived where I currently do and commuted to that area every day, I would see no reason at all to tune to 92.1 to hear the same programming as I can hear on 88.5. Speaking of unnecisary translators, how is KOMO's 97.7 signal in Centralia? I can't decide whether they need that one or not. On the G8, it's kind of staticky and multipathed, making the 99.7 translator they have necisary, but I haven't had the opportunity to try it on a car radio. Also oddly, I don't think I ever found that signal when traveling down that way with my iPod. I'm kind of also curious to try the 104.7 103.3 combination from the G8. Again if I commuted to downtown I wouldn't see any reason to change the station, though depending on the radio, I might have the one in the office set to 103.3.
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KPLU, where are you trying to serve?
- Thread starter bobdavcav
- Start date
From what I can tell, a KPLU translator on 92.1 just makes it more difficult to try and pick up Victoria, BC radio. As for KOMO, I would think that the 1000am signal would be plenty audible in Lewis county, even if the FM signal was less than ideal.
Here is an interesting thought: what would be the results of having every Seattle FM move their tower from Cougar/Tiger westward to Gold Mountain?
Ok first off correction to my earlier post I meant 103.7 103.3. Ford, I am far enough north that I don't have any difficulty picking up Victoria, but I hold the same view about the KHTP translator on 103.3, it just about kills any chance at KKCW. As for moving west, that would probably clear up the signal problems in areas like downtown Edmonds and the Seattle waterfront, but I'd be worried that you'd have the same issues in areas like Lynwood, Bothell, Bellevue, and North Bend. Maybe not Lynnwood, but certainly further east. I would be a little worried that the hill I live on top of would block the Gold signals, though I haven't tried KXOT around town.
Well KXOT only runs at an ERP of 4,300 watts, but I would bet that a full power station would do very well from that location. I think reception improvements would be enough to justify the idea of moving westward. I mean, if you are having a problem picking up Seattle FM's in downtown, there is something wrong.
Just an interesting fact, in Gig Harbour, a set of rabbit ear television antennas will not yield you any life of signal from the Queen Anne, Capitol, or Tiger antennes. However, KCPQ from Gold Mountain is always booming in perfectly. I remember when the cable would go out; a television that was not even hooked up to any kind of antenna would receive KCPQ like I was still watching cable. The only other station that would yield results similar to this is KBTC, and that transmitter site is almost viewable from my house. KCPQ also came in equally as well in Tacoma. I swear by Gold Mountain as a transmissions site.
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106.9 when it was KBRO-FM, KWWA and KHIT transmitted from Gold Mountain. They moved to Capitol Hill (during their KNUA days), before moving to their current location due to having poor signal quality on the east side and around South Center. I think they moved their transmitter some where around '90.
So Bellevue would be out of luck if such a move was ever to occur? I suppose that would be bad for the radio biz here in western Washington. Unfortunately, we live in a radio market where adequate coverage for every town/city is impossible from the master signal.
In the south sound, the Seattle FM's come in, but not without typical FM fluttering. I had a hard time picking up a clear signal driving through downtown Olympia when you are off the elevated motorway. Olympia is within the local contour, but it didn't exactly sound like it. The signals are good enough in Tacoma though.
I don't think we usually have problems with the Seattle signals until we're south of Olympia. You are right though, the terrain around here is not easy to work around. Yes, some of the signals downtown are not ideal for city-grade coverage, but unless you have an iPod radio or lower quality, they're not unlistenable by any stretch of the imagination. I am a little surprised that there isn't a station with a translator up here in south Snohomish County pointed directionally north south to serve the Edmonds bowl and around Mukilteo.
The 92.1 Mhz translator is very important for KPLU. There is so much multipath and other noises going from Alki Beach, The Fountelroy Ferry Dock, 3 Tree Point, onward to Marine View Drive and the Arroyos, Shoreline, Normandy Park, Des Moines and finally to areas of Federal Way. Since KPLU has a larger share of in-home & in-office use due to it's Jazz format (as opposed to a CHR format which is mainly in-car), a clean signal without pops and hisses is really important. Thus, the translator remains.
Well now, that was scientific wasn't it? At Walt Hundley Field, there would be no problems listening to the 88.5 signal (not that you would know that) but take a drive down Beach Drive to the Lincoln Park area and the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock, Fauntlee Hills, etc. and you would have immediately seen the need for the translator.
Not doing this simple research (like even turning on the station you are complaining about) renders your arguments invalid.
Val
Hey Val, I was wondering when The Voice of Vashon at 101.9 Megacycles is going to light up. Everytime I am in West Seattle I check to see if they've gone on the air. VoV has already the air product (since it has an internet stream) and a construction permit (CP), so when are they going to fire up their tramsmitter?
As far as that 101.9 signal on Vashon goes, I'm hoping for never.
106.9 originally ran at 30,000 watts off their AM stick in Forest Ridge Park as KBRO-FM and KWWA until 1983. Their signal was really spotty and very hard to pick up everywhere else, even in Lynnwood.
I first noticed them in 1981 and at the time, they were running an automated B/EZ format. "This is Puget Sound West Radio" (the VO never said "West Puget Sound", but "Puget Sound West".) And that's another thing, the voice-over had a Texas accent. Or something. I'm not sure what it really was, but it was VERY distinct. Good deal of twang.
And the fun was just beginning. In September 1982, KWWA changed to AOR.
They became "Star Rock 107 K-2WA" And they KEPT this voice over guy. Only this time, his annoucements were processed with REVERB. ("Here's Led Zeppelin now with 'The Crunge'!" over the drum opening.....) The voice over also called it "K-Wah-Wah". Musically, it was a hodgepodge of '70s rock, some new wave and an occasional metal tune.
I also remember KBRO and KWWA had midnight sign-offs. And KWWA simulcasted KBRO's AC format every night in the 11pm hour in pure AM fidelity.
By mid-1983, KWWA had gradually been toned down to a clone of KBRO. Then the station moved to Gold Mountain and 100,000 watts and KWWA changed to a 20 song loop of current pop hits for August 1983 and a different voice over simply IDing "This is KWWA Bremerton. FM 107" There was curiously no advertising during this period. And KWWA continued the AM fidelity 11pm simulcasts and simultaneous sign offs with KBRO, the static ID and the same aging 20 song loop of current pop hits for August 1983 until the debut of KHIT on July 4, 1984.
Technically, there is no improvement. The reason for directional FM stations is to permit "short-spacing" allowed by FCC Rules. The pattern departs from Omni only in there will be a reduction of signal in the direction of another station.
AM is a different story. AM stations use directional arrays not only to reduce signal in the direction of other stations, but to increase signal in another direction.
FM deals with mileage separations and "predicted" contours, while AM relies on actual field strengths, along with measurments.
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