They haven’t been on the air for several days now. I’m not close enough to hear their translator so can’t say whether it is off as well.
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Hudson Valley Anybody heard 1420 WLNA lately?
- Thread starter Ex-RadioTV
- Start date
Updating: WLNA has a carrier on, without any audio. Their translator on 94.3 continues to beam out “The Beacon” as if nothing’s wrong with its AM 1420 parent.
Is there a FCC loophole that allows the translator to continue operating with programming even though the AM is broadcasting silence?
Is there a FCC loophole that allows the translator to continue operating with programming even though the AM is broadcasting silence?
A colleague reached out to WLNA owner Pamal this morning and informed them of the silence on WLNA. In short order they were able to restore the audio.
THE BEACON is back.
THE BEACON is back.
Isn't that crazy? The owner didn't realize or different care that the AM station was off the air, as long as the FM translator was airing the conservative talk format.
I was thinking the same thing. Apparently, us radio nerds care a lot more about these stations than the people who own them!
Many, if not most, of the owners of translators linked to AMs could not care less about the AM itself; if the FCC allowed the translator to exist on its own, they would likely turn the AM off.
The translator is one of those that is forever linked to WLNA. So in order for the translator to keep running, so must WLNA.
But you have to wonder who is listening on AM. It’s supposedly 5kW-DA day and can be heard in Newburgh when the sun is up. Night is a kilowatt, shooting in another direction.
Why not just go back to being a non-D class D station with flea-power at night. Or even sign off at night. That’s enough to allow the translator to operate 24/7, and they’ll reduce their power bill to boot.
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My point was that even the translator is probably of not much value, as it is only reaching a very small area, with it's one watt of power. Is it worth maintaining an AM station for such a flea powered translator?
….and, it’s off the air again.
A really sharp engineer might be able to work out a better translator freq and power but it might require an expensive directional antenna from a different location. It's tuff being that close to NYC and on paper the terrain is not helping either.
I believe it was back on within a day or two of my 4/3 post. But I can only “hear” it via the SDR in Beekman. And that’s no way to listen to their programming, if at all.
AM was the go-to everywhere at one time. But now it is over. WLNA was off the air and NO ONE NOTICED. Even the station management didn't know.about it. While I agree that AMs should go dark and translators should probably be allowed to go it alone, I think we miss the point that owners are so out of touch with the rules that they allow the translator to operate contrary to rules when the AM fails. How about fines until they adjust their automation to remove the translator as is required, when the AM fails? Maybe if owners were forced to pay attention to the crap that they broadcast, the crap might end up being not so crappy
I don't think the WLNA AM Transmitter is even at anything near its Licensed power of 5 Kw for the last 10 or more years and not even on the Night 1Kw Pattern either. I can't even pick up the station on RT 9 in Cold Spring (@5Mi as the crow flies), which should be in the main lobe of the daytime Pattern. I used to be able to pick up the Station daytime from Tarrytown to Newburgh on 84, and down in New City. I think they are currently just putting out enough power to cover the city of license. A 5-tower directional in a swamp is expensive to maintain for diminishing returns.
BUT…they have that 1 watt translator, with the single-bay antenna, not far from the t-t-t-top of the WHUD tower, which gets out really well:
W232DQ
Radio Locater says Poughkeepsie is within the distant and fringe service area. I like in Poughkeepsie and have not received WLNA in many years, so I think you are correct. As far as their translator W232DQ on 94.3 , 94.3 in Poughkeepsie is WKXP , Kingston. With only the minimum power of 1 watt on a crowded dial how far can they get out.
I have said this since the program of AM revitalization began. Hardly anyone listens to a station on AM if it is available on FM. Most Stations only refer to the AM for legal ID. Allowing stations with FM translators to shut down the AM should help clear up some of the noisy mess that is AM , especially at night. They are challenged enough with other outside sources of the noise floor without forcing the stations to continue continue to broadcast pointlessly. They also could use a HD2 to feed the translator. The FCC would need to create a new class of FM stations just for former AM stations that have switched. They would receive the same protection as other FM stations, even at their low power status. If the AM dial is cleaned up a bit perhaps some of the stations without translators could increase their AM power to overcome some of the noise.
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Were that to happen, it seems unreasonable to punish what often are decades-long AM operators to make the FM channel open to all. In that case, the AM operation would be kept, perhaps reducing power or going daytime only.