WRCR 1700 Sign On The Air-Reception Reports Welcome

[xmradiopro]

WRCR 1700 signed on the air offically last night but started their live morning show at 6AM this morning. WRCR is not up to the full power of 10,000 Watts yet as they are in testing mode for the next few days operating at 3kW. Would like to hear reception reports from the tri-state area. In my area of South Queens the JFK TIS station is interfering with WRCR's broadcast but hope this gets resolved soon.

 

[davideduardo]

WRCR 1700 signed on the air offically last night but started their live morning show at 6AM this morning. WRCR is not up to the full power of 10,000 Watts yets as they are in testing mode for the next few days operating at 3kW. Would like to hear reception reports from the tri-state area. In my area of South Queens the JFK TIS station is interfering with WRCR's broadcast but hope this gets resolved soon.

The 2 mV/m contour barely strikes a piece of NW Bronx, it is really unlikely that you would ever have a signal on a "normal" radio anywhere in Queens, particularly the southern area.

 

[xmradiopro]

WRCR 1700 is broadcasting at reduced power of 3kW for the next few days in test mode. They will be up to full power at 10kW soon reaching NYC and Queens.

The 2 mV/m contour barely strikes a piece of NW Bronx, it is really unlikely that you would ever have a signal on a "normal" radio anywhere in Queens, particularly the southern area.

 

[davideduardo]

WRCR 1700 is broadcasting at reduced power of 3kW for the next few days in test mode. They will be up to full power at 10kW soon reaching NYC and Queens.

My description of the coverage is based on the full 10 kw power. The 2 mV/m contour barele reaches the Bronx, and even that is too weak a signal for useful reception by average listeners.

 

[xmradiopro]

why then does the WRCR 1700 coverage map include South queens in the map ?

My description of the coverage is based on the full 10 kw power. The 2 mV/m contour barele reaches the Bronx, and even that is too weak a signal for useful reception by average listeners.

 

[davideduardo]

why then does the WRCR 1700 coverage map include South queens in the map ?

What is posted here is an engineering map based on the limits of specific field intensities. It does not mean that the station is listenable in all those areas, but it does mean that other proposed stations or changes have to protect the outer limits of WRCR's signal. We could, if we wanted, go out to the 0.1 mV/m contour and you would see a circle that reached nearly to Trenton, Allentown and Hartford but which would not indicate that any consumer radio could hear the station. It's just a "circle" calculated by math involving the frequency, power, antenna efficiency and ground conductivity.

That map you refer to shows the 0.5 mV/m contour... used for certain protection requirements but not a signal that can be used by the average listener in a noisy urban environment.

For example, where I live NE of the Salton Sea, I am in the 1 mV/m contour of KFI, Los Angeles. I can not hear KFI in the home, even on a nice Tecsun portable. Outside, there is some audio on the channel, but it is under the residual noise level. Since I live at least 2 miles from the nearest overhead power lines, I am in a better position to "hear" KFI than most residents of my area.

Driving towards LA, I can get it free of noise about 80% of the time when I am inside the 2 mV/m contour, and then only on the freeway. On surface streets, it is not detectable until around the 5 mV/m contour, where is is good in the car but still "iffy" in homes and buildings depending on the noise from computers, CFLs and such.

So the limit for useful reception is generally the 5 mV/m and in denser areas, the 10 mV/m area.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Why are they broadcasting with only 3000 watts?

What is this -- Spring Training ? Do they get granted a do-over with a new, corked stickball bat ?
What's the problem? Do they have a 10,000 watt transmitter, or an 11,000 watt transmitter (according to one article I saw), or a 3000 watt transmitter?

 

[xmradiopro]

They are at test mode for a few days...they are now at 10kW full power.

Why are they broadcasting with only 3000 watts?

What is this -- Spring Training ? Do they get granted a do-over with a new, corked stickball bat ?
What's the problem? Do they have a 10,000 watt transmitter, or an 11,000 watt transmitter (according to one article I saw), or a 3000 watt transmitter?

 

[NewsStud]

So the limit for useful reception is generally the 5 mV/m and in denser areas, the 10 mV/m area.

David,

Your encyclopedic knowledge never fails to impress, sir.


I'd like to pose a thought: I don't think it really matters if WRCR can reach the five boroughs. WRCR on 1300 had a severe handicap and could not even be heard in the entirety of Rockland County, the community which it intends to serve. The new 1700 will accomplish that.

For those Rocklanders who commute to the city in their cars, and have a desire to listen but can't receive via AM, can use a mobile device to stream the station.

 

[davideduardo]

David,

Your encyclopedic knowledge never fails to impress, sir.

Thank you!

I'd like to pose a thought: I don't think it really matters if WRCR can reach the five boroughs. WRCR on 1300 had a severe handicap and could not even be heard in the entirety of Rockland County, the community which it intends to serve. The new 1700 will accomplish that.

Absolutely. This is not a move to become a station that is competitive in the New York City market. It's a move to have a decent day and night signal in Rockland County and to provide service to local listeners and an ad medium to local advertisers or larger ones who want to reach the local community.

Any spillage of signal outside of the local trade area is just a bonus. But if it does not benefit local advertisers, it produces no additional revenue for the station.

 

[xmradiopro]

it seems the station is testing different antenna patterns as i was receiving the station with good audio by turning my portable radio pushing out the tis station but later in the afternoon i received nothing. As far as the TIS station goes I'm told they are working on this with the FCC but it could take months as they act slowly on these matters.

 

[davideduardo]

it seems the station is testing different antenna patterns as i was receiving the station with good audio by turning my portable radio pushing out the tis station but later in the afternoon i received nothing. As far as the TIS station goes I'm told they are working on this with the FCC but it could take months as they act slowly on these matters.

WRCR does not have "antenna patterns" as it is non-directional.

The existence of a TIS at JFK will not affect WRCR's useful coverage in the least.

 

[K6JHU]

"For example, where I live NE of the Salton Sea.." NE? I can believe NW, but N is nothing but cactus

 

[davideduardo]

"For example, where I live NE of the Salton Sea.." NE? I can believe NW, but N is nothing but cactus

My bad... they shudda' not put the E and the W next to each other on the keyboard.

Of course, I am about 12 miles W by NW of the NW tip of the Salton Sea.

Arizona deserts have cactus. Some CA deserts do. But the areas around the Coachella Valley don't until you get into the High Desert. Just dust and tumbleweeds and desert brush with an occasional smoke tree in a wash. Even the nopales don't grow without irrigation.

 

[K6JHU]

I live in NM. Biggest issue I have is Cholla. Went through and killed every one on the property so the dogs don't get tangled up in it.

Back on topic. The signal on 1700 is probably going to go nowhere. The X bands are cursed with something that is not groundwave and certainly skywave is no use to them. No wonder they let 10 kW on that band. FCC data base shows no X band in the entire states of Arizona and New Mexico. Conductivity is just that bad.

 

[MarioMania]

To my understanding, WRCR going to be in HD

Most people won't like this, Because it will make 1680-1710 kHz un-listenable