Coming down to Miami for the break and I've got some spare time here at the hotel looking at FM coverage maps. I'm seeing most FM stations WPOW, WFEZ, WFLC WHYI WMIA etc have a directional, oval shape coverage pattern. It just seems odd to me because stations up here in the Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville markets use non directional. Why are most Miami FM stations directional tho? Is there a technical reason why picking one versus the other better suited down here? How would going non directional affect the coverage for surrounding communities like West Palm Beach or Key Largo? Thanks guys
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Miami/Fort Lauderdale FM coverage pattern
- Thread starter billy2047
- Start date
The oval pattern is intentional to avoid wasting signal over the ocean and the everglades.
That directionality saves a bit of power and can thus save a bit of money. Unlike AMs, FMs that are directional can not exceed the licensed ERP in any direction, but you can directionalize to not waste power over oceans or swamps..
That directionality saves a bit of power and can thus save a bit of money. Unlike AMs, FMs that are directional can not exceed the licensed ERP in any direction, but you can directionalize to not waste power over oceans or swamps..
Seemed most Miami signals reach up to About Hobe Sound / Jupiter. / Lake Okeechobee to just about or below Key Largo. Reliable up to about West Palm.
I was heading north on I95 and was able to listen to WFLC, WPOW all the way into st lucie county line. Anything further than that co channel starts to take over.
The purposely directional stations can not exceed the normal maximum coverage for their class. So in several cases it is not as if they were squeezing the signal to push it out... they are just limiting it to the east and west. In others, they are trying to get their class of coverage without a higher power transmitter.
If, like WHYI for example, they are a C0, they can replicate the coverage of 100 kw at 1476 feet to the north and south, but if they are a C1 they can't squeeze the pattern to improve
It's been a while since I worked on FM sites and powers, so I hope I got this right. Calling Mr Fybush, please!
Radio-Locator tells you whether a station is directional or not. While many Miami-Ft. Lauderdale FMs are directional, I notice some are not.
Non-directional: WMLV 88.9, WCMQ 92.3, WRTO-FM 98.3, WEDR 99.1, WKIS 99.9, WLYF 101.5, WSFS 104.3, WXDJ 106.7
Directional: WLRN 91.3, WFEZ 93.1, WMIA-FM 93.9, WZTU 94.9, WRMA 95.7, WPOW 96.5, WFLC 97.3, WHYI 100.7, WMXJ 102.7, WMIB 103.5, WHQT 105.1, WBGG-FM 105.9, WAMR 107.5
Non-directional: WMLV 88.9, WCMQ 92.3, WRTO-FM 98.3, WEDR 99.1, WKIS 99.9, WLYF 101.5, WSFS 104.3, WXDJ 106.7
Directional: WLRN 91.3, WFEZ 93.1, WMIA-FM 93.9, WZTU 94.9, WRMA 95.7, WPOW 96.5, WFLC 97.3, WHYI 100.7, WMXJ 102.7, WMIB 103.5, WHQT 105.1, WBGG-FM 105.9, WAMR 107.5
96.9 WIWF near Charleston SC also
"Protects The Water" 😂🤔
"Protects The Water" 😂🤔
93.1, 93.9, 94.9, 96.5, 97.3, 100.7, 102.7, 103.5, 105.1, and 107.5 are all on the ERI master antenna on the ATC site (the "Gannett" tower). So they all have the same pattern and height. Everyone is also at a full 100kW, except for 107.5 which is at 95kW. (Not noticeable to anyone). That antenna is directional.
You can see pictures of it here. ATC Guy Gannett tower at NECRAT
99.9 and 106.7 now share an antenna on a different ATC site (The WTVJ/WFOR site), which is near that tower. So those two have nearly identical signals.
91.3, 99.1, 101.5, 104.3, and 105.9 are the only five stations up in the big tower farm in North Miami/Hollywood with their own antennas.
88.9 and 98.3 use separate antennas on the old channel 6 super tall tower down in Homestead.
92.3 and 95.7 use a special panel antenna that allows 92.3 to be ND, while 95.7 is DA, in downtown Miami.
If you're curious to see any of the others, I do have them listed as well. Miami on NECRAT
For a bit of "old guy" information I don't believe 106.7's main transmitter was ever in Miami. Their city of license is Fort Lauderdale. 106.7 started back in the 60's at SE 15th Street near Ocean World WFTL (1400 am) tower. It was later moved for only a short time to the then new WFTL tower on NW 21st Ave (just west of I-95 Between Sunrise & Oakland Park Blvds. An old RCA aux transmitter was there and remained as backup for a newer RCA that was installed at the Candelabra tower. The tower was co-owned by Ron Crider former owner of WMJR 100.7 (later to become Y-100) and WFTL and 106.7 owner Joe Amaturo).
At the time both stations had antennas side mounted just below the top pedestal. Others side mounted were 99.9, and 103.5 which was mounted further down on the tower. The FM's were in the same transmitter building as ch 51 except for 105.9 which was in it's own separate building.
At the top was Ch 45, Ch 51 and 105.9. Yes thats right 105.9 had one of the top spots on the tower owned by RKO General at the time they wanted 105.9 to have the best signal possible.
105.9 ran a 40KW RCA transmitter which was 2 20KW transmitters with a combiner in the middle. They ran it at 33KW with a less efficient antenna. I was told using an antenna with fewer bays would cut down on picket fencing which was once a problem on the FM car radios at the time. I never noticed any difference.
The other FM's each had a single 20KW transmitter. 100.7 and 106.7 used RCA's and 99.9 had an oddball (AEL or something) Ch 51 also had an RCA. Ch 45 must have been in a separate building.
That's the way it was from 1973 to ????
Side note the 300+ foot? WFTL tower on NW 21st Av fell during hurricane Wilma and was never rebuilt, but that's another story.
At the time both stations had antennas side mounted just below the top pedestal. Others side mounted were 99.9, and 103.5 which was mounted further down on the tower. The FM's were in the same transmitter building as ch 51 except for 105.9 which was in it's own separate building.
At the top was Ch 45, Ch 51 and 105.9. Yes thats right 105.9 had one of the top spots on the tower owned by RKO General at the time they wanted 105.9 to have the best signal possible.
105.9 ran a 40KW RCA transmitter which was 2 20KW transmitters with a combiner in the middle. They ran it at 33KW with a less efficient antenna. I was told using an antenna with fewer bays would cut down on picket fencing which was once a problem on the FM car radios at the time. I never noticed any difference.
The other FM's each had a single 20KW transmitter. 100.7 and 106.7 used RCA's and 99.9 had an oddball (AEL or something) Ch 51 also had an RCA. Ch 45 must have been in a separate building.
That's the way it was from 1973 to ????
Side note the 300+ foot? WFTL tower on NW 21st Av fell during hurricane Wilma and was never rebuilt, but that's another story.
To add to Mike's tails:
The WKQS (formerly WWOG) transmitter was indeed and AEL / Singer transmitter. The station was licensed to Boca Raton but could ID as Boca Raton/Miami. When Ron Crider and Joe Amaturo were trying to get financing for the tower, the banks required them to get one more lessee. The only possible candidate was WWOG. The microwave shot was 28 miles due south and the STL was first adjacent to WHYI's STL. When a cold front would move through the area and cause the WWOG/WKQS STL to fade, beautiful music listeners were treated to the sound of Y-100.
The WKQS (formerly WWOG) transmitter was indeed and AEL / Singer transmitter. The station was licensed to Boca Raton but could ID as Boca Raton/Miami. When Ron Crider and Joe Amaturo were trying to get financing for the tower, the banks required them to get one more lessee. The only possible candidate was WWOG. The microwave shot was 28 miles due south and the STL was first adjacent to WHYI's STL. When a cold front would move through the area and cause the WWOG/WKQS STL to fade, beautiful music listeners were treated to the sound of Y-100.
Back in the day (early 1970's) I was able to reliably receive the non-directional signal of WMYQ 96.3 (Now WPOW 95.5) with a 10 element Winegard FM antenna from Dunedin Florida (North of Clearwater)
That is why the station on Catalina Island, 740 AM, used several microwave antennas up and down on one of its towers and used diversity reception circuits such as used to be used for long distance radio telephone services. If one antenna was not getting signal from the mainland studios, they switched to another higher or lower and antenna to get a good signal.
At that time before the FM expansion in Orlando, friends of mine said they received WAXY FM 105.9 all the way up to Disney World on their car radio.
One addition 103.5 WSHE used a Harris FM20H3 I believe.
Amaturo never said anything to us about owning the tower. I most likely found out from one of the engineers Doug Holland or Ralph Chambers two great guys I always enjoyed talking with.
Last I checked (early this year) Joe Amaturo is still alive at 100 years old.
Amaturo never said anything to us about owning the tower. I most likely found out from one of the engineers Doug Holland or Ralph Chambers two great guys I always enjoyed talking with.
Last I checked (early this year) Joe Amaturo is still alive at 100 years old.
Yes, small studio as well as transmitter I believe. RKO General spent gobs of money on equipment! That site was put in after I left. I can ask a good friend of mine about it since he worked summers in the engineering department in the mid-to late 70's.
WGLO 106.7 maintained an aux transmitter at the WFTL 1400 transmitter site.