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WBOM, what transmission mode are they broadcasting in?

DJKraze

DJKraze

I've mentioned this before. No one seems to think they aren't analog AM just because there's been no filing. So, hopped into the car, I made a few videos and I've posted the first one on youtube, there will be more to come as I just learned today about 2 central CT stations that have been deleted for not renewing their licenses. One is obvious, the other might not be and NOTHING has been mentioned on the CT forum (unless I missed it)

The link for the first video (don't worry, it's clean, not some kid faking radio stations and there's nothing copyrighted in it) is at
 
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DJKraze said:
I've mentioned this before. No one seems to think they aren't analog AM just because there's been no filing. So, hopped into the car, I made a few videos and I've posted the first one on youtube, there will be more to come as I just learned today about 2 central CT stations that have been deleted for not renewing their licenses. One is obvious, the other might not be and NOTHING has been mentioned on the CT forum (unless I missed it)

The link for the first video (don't worry, it's clean, not some kid faking radio stations and there's nothing copyrighted in it) is at
Click to expand...

WPRX is notorious for not filing a license renewal and fixing the issue later

If WBOM 1470 was broadcasting in HD, hybrid digital and you had a lock on their signal, you wouldnt hear anything under it like in this video. Same with if it was all digital. Once a digital signal is locked, nothing comes in under it.

\This sounds more like 1470 is running no audio on 1470 and is just spewing crud onto other channels. This isnt digital.
 
It's not as clear in the video as it is to listen live. It sounds less like static and more like a digital mode similar to shortwave DRM stations. I have another upcoming video right outside the transmitter site which has a bit clearer image of the sound on 1460 & 1480. There is no signal on 1470, just background noise as if it's an open channel. The other sound that seems like second or third adjacent channel noise seems more like it's coming from yet another station in the area. I should have brought one of my communications receivers with a signal meter. If they are actually transmitting an AM carrier, they have been dead air for weeks (I thought about going near the site before to see what the signal was like, but waited until I had time.)

Also, yes, you guessed the first station, WPRX has done it yet again, but they are still on the air as well. The second station is WWEB 89.9 at Choate Rosemary Hall. Seems the staff over there might have forgotten they have a radio station (I won't say where I heard that from)
 
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DJKraze said:
It's not as clear in the video as it is to listen live. It sounds less like static and more like a digital mode similar to shortwave DRM stations. I have another upcoming video right outside the transmitter site which has a bit clearer image of the sound on 1460 & 1480. There is no signal on 1470, just background noise as if it's an open channel. The other sound that seems like second or third adjacent channel noise seems more like it's coming from yet another station in the area. I should have brought one of my communications receivers with a signal meter. If they are actually transmitting an AM carrier, they have been dead air for weeks (I thought about going near the site before to see what the signal was like, but waited until I had time.)

Also, yes, you guessed the first station, WPRX has done it yet again, but they are still on the air as well. The second station is WWEB 89.9 at Choate Rosemary Hall. Seems the staff over there might have forgotten they have a radio station (I won't say where I heard that from)
Click to expand...

WWEB is no more. it was dismantled and disbanded several years ago.

Youre missing my point on 1470.. if it was Hybrid digital or all digital, there would be no background noise.. itd be silence. Anal;og noise wont infilitrate a digital signal

Sounds like something is wrong with 1470
 
I'm waiting on the upload of the second video recorded at the transmitter site.

Ok, I neglected to mention one thing, this is not a digital radio I'm using. I'm listening to an analog radio and on an analog radio a digital station has a signature sound, there will be other noises that can interfere, they won't be heard on a digital radio as that kind of noise is ignored by the decoder. Also, at this proximity, the main signal even on an analog radio will be nearly clear or almost silent if no programming is airing. The amount and type of noise on 1470 is that of an empty channel without a signal with background noise and second or third adjacent interference. The same sound can be heard on an empty channel (1450), which does get demonstrated in the next video.

My question is still what mode are they transmitting, as it's fairly evident to me (even without bringing my scope) that there's more going on here than just an analog AM (if THAT is even on the air)
 
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DJKraze said:
I'm waiting on the upload of the second video recorded at the transmitter site.

Ok, I neglected to mention one thing, this is not a digital radio I'm using. I'm listening to an analog radio and on an analog radio a digital station has a signature sound, there will be other noises that can interfere, they won't be heard on a digital radio as that kind of noise is ignored by the decoder. Also, at this proximity, the main signal even on an analog radio will be nearly clear or almost silent if no programming is airing. The amount and type of noise on 1470 is that of an empty channel without a signal with background noise and second or third adjacent interference. The same sound can be heard on an empty channel (1450), which does get demonstrated in the next video.

My question is still what mode are they transmitting, as it's fairly evident to me (even without bringing my scope) that there's more going on here than just an analog AM (if THAT is even on the air)
Click to expand...

youre still missing what im saying.. theyre transmitting in a screwed up mode.. IE: Regular AM with some audio issues on the AM transmitter

if this was digital, no noise would make its way into the 1470 carrier from other station. you even say it yourself "the type of nosie on 1470-".. if this were digital, 1470 would just be a complete absolutely quiet blank carrier as cl;ose as you say you are anfd no nosie would introduce from nearby

1450 just gets blanked out by being so close to 1470

I think somethings wrong with their AM stl and or transmitter ... since the Translator is in a different locaiton and everyones listening on the FM,no one knows something is wrong with the FM
 
here's the second video, really listen closely to the difference in the side channel noise between 1460/1480 and 1070/1090, they are both types of digital signal noise.

 
DJKraze said:
here's the second video, really listen closely to the difference in the side channel noise between 1460/1480 and 1070/1090, they are both types of digital signal noise.

Click to expand...

I still contend this is a transmitter problem not not digital. Again, if it were digital thered be zero noise on 1470.. and you have noise on 1470.

That crackling on 1450 sounds like modulation from 1470 for some reason... i definately heard some kind of modulation there.

Why dont you contact full power radio? I think something is amiss here rather than intended
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
I still contend this is a transmitter problem not not digital. Again, if it were digital thered be zero noise on 1470.. and you have noise on 1470.

That crackling on 1450 sounds like modulation from 1470 for some reason... i definately heard some kind of modulation there.

Why dont you contact full power radio? I think something is amiss here rather than intended
Click to expand...

I don't have the contact info for them. Also, my working hours are a bit crazy, I don't think I can call them when someone will be there. Not to mention they might not care to hear from a retired engineer even if I might be coming back into the biz soon (Not more than talk at this point, hope I have time for it). Not to mention that I do think this is intended and I have no reason to call. I just don't understand why paperwork hasn't caught up at the FCC yet. I also remember about 3 weeks ago when this whole thing started the station was like this for a short period (a day?) and then was back to AM Analog mode for a day or two and then has been this way ever since.
 
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I also think this is a transmitter or STL issue. That churning noise is definitely not IBOC or even anything close to the DRM that I've heard on HF or MW overseas. It sounds like it's chugging, the same way digital transmissions in NXDN or P25 might do in the public safety bands. But of course it isn't that, it just sounds similar.

I bet it's just some low level digital hash that would normally be nearly inaudible, but has been brought up to maximum volume by the audio processing gear.
 
An AM HD station in MA3 (full digital) mode, on an analog tuner would sound like pink noise. It is not meaningfully different than to what you hear from WTIC's adjacent channels. You would only hear silence if your tuner was HD Radio capable and locked onto a valid HD Radio signal that was broadcasting no programming.

HD Radio in MA1 mode has the analog program, with high frequency noise if your analog tuner is wideband enough.

I do not hear anything that sounds like HD Radio hash on 1460, 1470 or 1480.
 
I took a brief capture of WWFD 820, which is the demo station for MA3 HD Radio near Baltimore. The attachment is 10 seconds tuned to 820, then a brief silence, then 810, then silence, then 830. This recording is taken from the SDR operated by W3HFU at Westminster, MD.
 

Attachments

  • WWFD-May02-820_810_830.zip
    212.5 KB · Views: 1
It *WAS* a technical problem, the STL had run some kind of muck and has been fixed.

The CT Engineering pool is very small... but theyre decent guys and had you contacted Full Power to speak to Scott Baron, their chief engineer, id wager youd probably have been politely answered :)
 
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