KRWI 98.1 adds 93.5 translator

[derek20la]

Several weeks ago KRWI Rewind 98.1 from Wofford Heights added translator 93.5 for what they claim is improved coverage into Tulare County (where low-power FM KNFS shares 98.1)

TOTH is "98.1 KRWI Wofford Heights / Bakersfield and 93.5 Visalia /Tulare"

I believe the translator is licensed to Lake Isabella; unsure of which mountain peak the transmitter is on as I can't find any FCC info on the station. But it covers a large area, most of Bakersfield especially to the west and south. Much of the eastern hilly half gets shadowed just like 98.1 does

 

[derek20la]

I decided to call the station and was able to speak with Danny Hill directly. He assured me the translator is licensed and the FCC is having delays updating their public databases. It broadcasts from Shirley Peak, like 98.1

 

[Frequency1]

I decided to call the station and was able to speak with Danny Hill directly. He assured me the translator is licensed and the FCC is having delays updating their public databases. It broadcasts from Shirley Peak, like 98.1

It is K228GB Lake Isabella. No sure how they can say Visalia/Tulare from Shirley Peak. The FCC coverage map does not show any coverage in that area.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

It is K228GB Lake Isabella. No sure how they can say Visalia/Tulare from Shirley Peak. The FCC coverage map does not show any coverage in that area.

They can SAY whatever they want, as long as they ID properly in whatever method is legal, which for translators includes Frequency shift kleying

 

[RF101]

The new Lake Isabella translator runs 78 watts at 2172.4 meters AMSL. Even though the FCC does not track HAAT for translators it does compute to a whopping 806 meters HAAT, equivalent to a full 6kw ERP at the 100M maximum - not bad.


Thankfully, KRWI sales team posted a promotional coverage map which tells even a more colorful story. You can find it at: http://rewind981.com/listen-live/

The graphic consists of a "blue" contour line for the main 98.1 frequency and a "red" contour line for the new 93.5 translator. The "main contour" is portrayed as covering Bakersfield completely along with Porterville and Ridgecrest. The red "translator contour" magically encompasses Visalia, Tulare and Cochrane.

"So what are those 'advertised contours'?" I asked myself. Well, I reversed engineered them using the standard FCC Contour API and datasets for KRWI and K228GB. I even incorporated the translator antenna pattern factors to make things realistic. (KRWI is non-directional ... no need there.)

The Bakersfield-covering KRWI "blue" contour roughly equates to 38 dbU.
The Visalia-covering K228GB "red" contour roughly equates to 30 dbU.

Advertisers and listeners alike will need a nice DX-style yagi to pull in those signals at their target cities...

 

[RF101]

Well, my calculations are either way off or KRWI is running the 93.5 translator with excessive power.

I can readily hear 93.5 thoughout Visalia and it blasts in for places like Porterville and Tulare.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Well, my calculations are either way off or KRWI is running the 93.5 translator with excessive power.

I can readily hear 93.5 thoughout Visalia and it blasts in for places like Porterville and Tulare.

Your calculations are off. The translator was double checked today by the licensee and the person leasing the signal and its operating correctly.

(I asked the licensee, whom I know.. and I beleive he'd tell me if there was an issue)

 

[RF101]

K228GB Lake Isabella 93.5 even has more massive coverage than I earlier mentioned. I can hear the darn thing in downtown Coalinga. I suspect it can even be DX'ed further towards the Coast on the mountain passes.