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What has happened to WXIO-LP in Ridge Manor?
- Thread starter wlsl
- Start date
I haven’t been able to listen on my phone to their online stream; keep getting an error message saying there is a configuration problem; but on my iPad Pro, I can stream and their stream is in stereo and sounds good; but on my iPhone-noting but error messages........if their OTA signal was in stereo, it would sound so much better; I had occasion to go to Brooksville today and by the time I got about a mile or two west of the Burger King (just west of I-75) the signal was gone; whereas there have been times where I’ve picked it up in Brooksville. Picked them up in the parking lot of WalMart in Bushnell, but just around the Jumper Creek area of Bushnell (north of the Post office) I was picking up what at first I thought was WXIO; but was a repeater or 88.3 and 88.7 out of Orlando. (Which Radio Locator indicated that frequency in that area was a translator for WVLG 640).
WXIO-LPFM; still broadcasting in “glorious” MONO! 
Also visited one of the more upscale stores in Ridge Manor Friday evening (Dollar General) and at the checkout area, they had the radio on WXIO; don’t know if it was their preference or because it may have been the strongest signal available. (This Dollar General is not more than .2 mile from the station if that far). Still no visible antenna; gates locked and sheriff’s deputy car parked inside the gated area.
Also visited one of the more upscale stores in Ridge Manor Friday evening (Dollar General) and at the checkout area, they had the radio on WXIO; don’t know if it was their preference or because it may have been the strongest signal available. (This Dollar General is not more than .2 mile from the station if that far). Still no visible antenna; gates locked and sheriff’s deputy car parked inside the gated area.
WXIO-LPFM; still broadcasting in “glorious” MONO!
Also visited one of the more upscale stores in Ridge Manor Friday evening (Dollar General) and at the checkout area, they had the radio on WXIO; don’t know if it was their preference or because it may have been the strongest signal available. (This Dollar General is not more than .2 mile from the station if that far). Still no visible antenna; gates locked and sheriff’s deputy car parked inside the gated area.
Sheriff's car? Now that is creepy. I'm back in Dade City. I used to receive their signal if parked in the right spot at Wal-Mart. I'll give it a listen today.
The Sherrif’s cruiser is and has been there more often than not, since at least mid January; again it’s the only church in the area that is gated (and locked most of the time) and feels the need to have a sheffif’s deputy there; it is creepy and I’m not sure what that is all about.
I did not want to start a new thread for this, but I was cruising around Saint Petersburg and decided to approach but not visit two LPFMs at 96.5 +/- 200KHz.
W Music Tampa Bay's tower and antenna are at a church just east of I-275 and north of the orange juice stadium that I am not being paid to endorse.
W Black Power United is hidden away in the ghetto and their single bay is on a sorry looking tower on the side of their operations building.
W Music Tampa Bay's tower and antenna are at a church just east of I-275 and north of the orange juice stadium that I am not being paid to endorse.
W Black Power United is hidden away in the ghetto and their single bay is on a sorry looking tower on the side of their operations building.
Thanks, but the attachment won’t open for me; will have to check the FCC FM query site to see if I can find the new antenna; I assume it’s still on the church property but just not visible from the road; also after I mentioned that the sheriff’s cruiser is there nearly all the time; when I drove by today, there was no sheriff.
I’m thinking if it was a car purchased from Hernando county ; that either the county would remove the phrase “Hernando County Shefiff and their emblem before hand; that said businesses can rent a sheriff to watch the business. I suppose your theory is possible though, but I would think that if anyone would want to put the Hernando county seal on their car and have Hernando county on it; to fool or trick people, they would be a bit more clandestine about it and not be parked for hours in such a visible location since actual Hernando county deputies are going up and down that main thereofare all the time or pullling to the side to use their radar to catch speeders.
The other two churches within .4 mile of them, don’t have locked gates (or even any gates at all) and only one of the churches, have I ever seen any visible security except once after there had been theft of some pumpkins left outside for some fall festival.
The other two churches within .4 mile of them, don’t have locked gates (or even any gates at all) and only one of the churches, have I ever seen any visible security except once after there had been theft of some pumpkins left outside for some fall festival.
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A monthly update - for WLSL and others in or near the Ridge Manor area; WXIO is still in mono and WVLG’s 102.7 translator is overriding WXIO 102.7, in the parking lot of the Publix in Brooksville (approx 15 miles from WXIO) and the translator from the Villages is also coming in at the adjacent Walmart Parking lot in Brooksville.
I took a look at the FCC data page and it indicates the antenna is 65 feet above ground meaning it should be visible. So I looked and unsuccessfully tried to locate correspondence with the FCC concerning the antenna situation. I have a sad feeling that these folks don't clearly understand FCC rules fully. That being said, our antenna took a hit Friday XMTR and processor is fine. Cable modem and BARIX box are fried. Hopefully back up and running within the next 48 hours.
WLSL, sorry to hear about your hit Friday, a lot of bad weather Friday afternoon and beyond.
I too think the people running WXIO don’t understand FCC rules and compliance, I have too looked on the FCC FM Query site (the detailed output) and looked to see if there’s any correspondence regarding the antenna and to put it kindly......what we see or don’t see at what is supposed to be the antenna site clearly does not match up with any correspondence on the FCC site. From triangulating I have concluded that the antenna has to be on or very near their church compound, but one would think it would be clearly visible unless it’s not in a vertical position. The other thing that bothers me is the fact, that they have not to the best of my knowledge lodged any type of complaint against WVLG’s translator seriously compromising their range........ my only conclusion is that they are trying to stay under the FCC radar, not knowing whether or not they are in violation of any FCC regulations in regard to the antenna.
As to the compromised reception; as nearby as the Winn Dixie (less than 5 miles from the WXIO compound) depending on where you park in the parking lot, WVLG’s translator comes in better than WXIO in most parking spaces, the same in the parking lot at the nearby Wendy’s as well as the Cracker Barrel and all three are east of I-75 and SR50 (Cortez Blvd).
I guess this is a story in contrasts between experienced engineers and radio people running an LPFM vs one being run by people that really don’t know what they’re getting into and I believe the antenna situation might be part of the reason why they are not in stereo.
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I wonder if it would be helpful to reach out to them? Also I suspect there is something suspicious with the ERP of the translator and/or antenna. The 40 dBuV contour should not be making it to Winn Dixie. Whereas our 92.7 40 dBuV "barely" makes it to Winn Dixie. So if your car is in the right spot you can hear us. Our ERP is 85 watts. Go figure.
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I have no idea as to whether whoever is in charge would welcome help or not; while I’m not a fan of the Villages (mediocrely constructed homes with inflated prices and basically WVLG and their newspapers primary goal seems to promote more sales).......that said, I think engineers they contract for maintainance are highly qualitifed and I can’t imagine they would be out of compliance with FCC regulations; they are 250 watts with antenna height of 269 feet, so personally I’m not surprised they can get out as far as Bushnell and Brooksville; as far as the WD and Wendy’s parking lot, I’m not talking of listenable reception, just bits of pieces of song, that I can flip to AM 640 to match. I think if WXIO had their antennas and other equipment set up properly, WVLG probably wouldn’t be interfering at the Winn Dixie and Wendy’s.
But I will say Power 90.1 out of Brandon as a LPFM is certainly out of compliance when it interferes with a full power fm (WJUF) out of Inverness in areas between Dade City and RM, RM and have even had interference with WJUF in south Sumter county; I think it’s incredible that a LPFM that is under 35 watts could have a clean signal in Z’hills; quite a distance north of Brandon.
I concur! Back around November, I played phone tag with an engineer a WUFT and mentioned the interference and he left me a message later, saying he would come down this way and check it out and about 10 days later, I noticed that Power 90.1’s signal range decreased significantly for about 3 weeks, then slowly surely but the wattage ended up being cranked up to previous levels. Yesterday while at the Open Air post office in downtown SP, Power 90.1 was coming in well enough to light up the stereo light; it used to be in and around downtown SP, it was usually WGCU, Fort Myers and sometimes WUFT out of Inverness.......but now it’s Power 90.1’s “less than 35 watts” (SIC) during the day and WGCU from late afternoon to early morning and no WJUF.
Back on topic, WXIO is still in mono.
It’s too bad, that for whatever reason, the affiliation with the Ridge Manor News no longer exists, when it existed WXIO had a daily newscast and weather that was repeated several times each day, and each promoted the other.
Also WLSL, is it possible that the antenna is somehow strapped onto or attached to the tall light pole about 50 feet east of the building?
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