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K241CO is on the air

M

Mediafrog+

The KHSJ translator on 96.1 is on the air. All of 5 watts at 5 meters above the ground at a site just west of the 290-Beltway 8 intersection. Poor signal even in the vicinity of the transmitter. Phone line audio--the AM on 1430 actually has much better quality. Really only listenable less than 3/4 mile east and north of the transmitter site, but probably a bit better in the main signal lobe aimed due west. Radio-Locator map indicates Highway 6 is the fringe limit to the west.

BTW, still no sign of the KNTH translator on 103.3. Perhaps Chuck Tiller has an update on that?
 
96.1 will get wiped out from 96.1 from Bryan College Station quite often L O L
 
DJboutit3 said:
96.1 will get wiped out from 96.1 from Bryan College Station quite often L O L
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Doubt it, look at KNDE BCS vs K236AR Mo City and KTWL vs K287BQ, the translators are wiping out the full-power signals, often times within their licensed service contours...
 
Mediafrog+ said:
The KHSJ translator on 96.1 is on the air. All of 5 watts at 5 meters above the ground at a site just west of the 290-Beltway 8 intersection. Poor signal even in the vicinity of the transmitter. Phone line audio--the AM on 1430 actually has much better quality. Really only listenable less than 3/4 mile east and north of the transmitter site, but probably a bit better in the main signal lobe aimed due west. Radio-Locator map indicates Highway 6 is the fringe limit to the west.

BTW, still no sign of the KNTH translator on 103.3. Perhaps Chuck Tiller has an update on that?
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Wrong call signs I think it's KSHJ
 
Not to be negative, but in looking at the coverage area of this translator, what are they looking to accomplish and how much ROI can there be? Looks more like the coverage of a part 15.
 
As crazy as it sounds, the value of an AM station increases when you have a translator, no matter the coverage area of the translator or people reached with it. Translators are cheap to operate as well. In addition, just having a small piece of Houston coverage on FM, no matter how tiny, is coveted. Can it be moved? Can it be increased in power? Only time will tell.
 
b-turner said:
In addition, just having a small piece of Houston coverage on FM, no matter how tiny, is coveted. Can it be moved? Can it be increased in power? Only time will tell.
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I think a lot of people are banking on the hope that the FCC will allow the FM band to be glutted with stations, same as AM. And their little transmitter can be upgraded to a full FM. But in Houston, I think maybe the Spanish language religious broadcasters are fighting with each other over doctrine or something - trying to grab frequencies to stop the other from getting them and being heard.
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
I think a lot of people are banking on the hope that the FCC will allow the FM band to be glutted with stations, same as AM. And their little transmitter can be upgraded to a full FM. But in Houston, I think maybe the Spanish language religious broadcasters are fighting with each other over doctrine or something - trying to grab frequencies to stop the other from getting them and being heard.
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Noone is banking on the FCC allowing xlators and LPFMs to upgrade to Class A or above full service...not going to happen. Unless the FCC seriously cuts the spacing of stations mileage and class wise, it aint gonna happen ever....
 
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b-turner said:
As crazy as it sounds, the value of an AM station increases when you have a translator, no matter the coverage area of the translator or people reached with it. Translators are cheap to operate as well. In addition, just having a small piece of Houston coverage on FM, no matter how tiny, is coveted. Can it be moved? Can it be increased in power? Only time will tell.
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96.1? If a LPFM is on the channel already in range, nope....the LPFM and FX stations have equal protection...Also there is the adj channel 95.7 and 96.5 issue to raise power and coverage at its current location; 96.1 would likely have to move south toward Sr Rd...so adj ch interference can be avoided...but if a 96.1 is already on the south side, that is a moot point and there is the Bay City signal to contend with...cant overlap 60dbU contours..and that may be hard to do without directional and even then...
 
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ContinuousWave said:
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96.1? If a LPFM is on the channel already in range, nope....the LPFM and FX stations have equal protection...Also there is the adj channel 95.7 and 96.5 issue to raise power and coverage at its current location; 96.1 would likely have to move south toward Sr Rd...so adj ch interference can be avoided...but if a 96.1 is already on the south side, that is a moot point and there is the Bay City signal to contend with...cant overlap 60dbU contours..and that may be hard to do without directional and even then...
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I would expect that Rice's KBLT-LP, transmitting from one of the light poles atop Rice Stadium at 96.1, would make it difficult to make a move in that direction.
 
Is this station targeted only to cover that small of an area? I actually like this station but it's signal is worthless north or I10
 
They have their foot in the door with the little translator. There's a big difference between filing a Construction Permit and having a license. Now they can try to move location, channel, whatever, that might get them more coverage, power, better location, etc. That's harder to do without a license. And at even 5 watts, it is highly likely the value of the translator the day it got it's license was greater than the expense of getting it licensed. There's demand for translators at any wattage. That translator might be able to move, so the value is what can be done with it, not where it sits now. Then there might be someone wanting the translator out of the way and be willing to pay to get that done. Even in such a small area you hit a population that might exceed what a very rural FM at full power might hit. It can be leased...maybe a LPFM? At any rate, as minimal as it is, it has value far beyond what it is today.
 
johndavis said:
Whaddaya want for 10 watts?
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KBLT runs 41 watts at 47 meters, so a little better than the old Class D FMs (which is what the old KTRU started with, IIRC.)

The KBLT signal is good along I-10 inside the Loop, but dies by the time you get to the West Beltway. On 290, the signal starts to die around Pinemont, though I've had spotty reception farther out, and even along the NW part of the Beltway. Of course the KSHJ translator has trimmed KBLT's coverage a bit, but in what was pretty useless signal areas.

The recently launched KTEK translator on 96.1 has also trimmed KBLT's southern coverage, though you can still hear the Rice station clearly along the South Loop.
 
Further anecdote about the KSHJ translator: The other night around 11pm I was driving past the 290 and Beltway 8 intersection, where the translator is located, and checked the signal. The audio was a mess--several different sources fighting against each other. Then I quickly realized: The translator is actually taking the KSHJ audio feed off the air! Now the 1430 night signal is very poor in northwest Harris County, and what I was hearing was the usual pileup of co-channel signals being rebroadcast by the translator. I checked 1430 on my radio and heard the exact same thing. I could hear the KSHJ programming in the mix on the FM audio, but it was pretty much lost, with a Spanish language station (didn't stick around long enough to get an ID) usually being on top.

Hard to believe some engineer thought this was a good idea, unless this is just a temporary setup.

The K241CO signal doesn't cover very much. lts coverage area and pattern is much like K218GB on 91.3, which allegedly runs 99 watts but appears to operate with much less power.
 
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