So you mean the curbs around the perimeter of the round piece of property around the tower where the brick walls and transmitter shack are?
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680 The Fan Going After WSB
- Thread starter RoddyFreeman
- Start date
No. The curbs of the sidewalks next to the stores that pedestrians walk on.
WCNN has a hard null towards WPTF at night, and a mild one during the day. WPTF certainly has no nighttime null towards Atlanta.
WCNN isn't that old--WRNG 680 came on the air in 1968 with only 1000 watts, increasing to 25kW in 1970, and was a nondirectional daytimer until 1980 when they built the 8-tower array in Ptree Corners and moved out from the Cheshire Bridge radio gulch. They might have had some plant upgrades but they were operating 50kW DA day/10kW DA night as far back as 1980.
Looking at the old FCC microfilms the original transmitter for WRNG as proposed back in 1959 was going to be just north of Perimeter Mall near where the Target is, with five towers!
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WRGC Sylva, NC moved to 540 to benefit WCNN, WRGC used to be on 680
Let's not forget 680 WMFS in Memphis, of which the deep western protective null of WCNN somewhat goes over Marietta/Kennesaw.
FYI, WPTF was not shy about calling the WCNN hotline at sunset if our system did not switch to the nighttime array.
I went to huntsville AL a few weeks back and even though I could use the app, I enjoyed scanning the dial to follow The Braves Radio Network, I never missed a pitch...
I don't know but I have picked up WPTF in Western NC even when WRGC in nearby Sylva was still on 680.
I don't think that was the reason. I remember reading years ago they wanted one of those frequencies above 1600. I think the station just wanted a signal increase. Well, I guess it would benefit WCNN if they did that on another frequency.
Wikipedia doesn't mention a reason for the frequency change (everything up to that point is sourced), or the plan to move above 1600. I need to find that detail if I can and add it.
Look at the nulls... they are/were to protect WRGC and are to protect WPTF.
I'm almost 100 percent positive WRGC moved to benefit WCNN. I got that idea from somewhere. I've asked a current WRGC staffer since what I suspect are the applications in the FCC Database won't load.
WRGC moved because 5kw wouldnt fit on 680, but it did fit on 540. So in a round about way it did benefit 680.
but nwo theyre filing to take 540 to 1kw day only and peanut whistle power at night
I've added the information to Wikipedia about WRGC's attempt to move to the expanded band. I just found the article about the approval, not about why they didn't do it. Nowhere does the article mention WCNN, but it does mention WPTF.
You know I have asked years ago here, can you hear WPTF 680 around Atlanta (or outskirts) at night, if you are away from WCNN's main lobe? If I recall correctly, I had a few people say you can.
Which as I asked before, how did WCNN get the OK to do what they did on 680 in Atlanta. I know few if any listen to skywaves (WPTF), but it doesn't make sense?
Anybody know?
I live north of Jasper GA and WPTF comes in very clear at night after WCCN go directional.
IIRC 680 North Atlanta originally was a daytimer. There is a 680 50 kw in Boston but they are directional up and down the coast. There also was a 24 hour directional station in Silvia NC. They got a FM translator and went class D on 540 5kw day and 190 watts night non directional (which really has better coverage than their old directional 2 site set up). There is a Memphis 680 class B too. 680 is carved up somewhat. The Raleigh 680 is a class A. I am not sure of it's status pre 1980 but thanks to the poor soil conductivity Atlanta is no threat signal wise daytime. I don't know about the nighttime "protection" of what I guess would have been an old 1B. It was on a "Clear" channel but there were 2(?) other 50 kw stations on the channel so I guess it wasn't a "Clear Channel Station" like WSB, WSM, etc.
IMHO: Had someone had the funds, pre 1990 they could have bought both stations and "neutered" Raleigh's 680 nighttime signal and could have had the second best 24 hour AM signal in Atlanta. Kinda like what happened to WOWO for the New York signal. I seriously doubt if such a project would give any kind of financial pay back now in the Atlanta market.
IIRC 680 North Atlanta originally was a daytimer. There is a 680 50 kw in Boston but they are directional up and down the coast. There also was a 24 hour directional station in Silvia NC. They got a FM translator and went class D on 540 5kw day and 190 watts night non directional (which really has better coverage than their old directional 2 site set up). There is a Memphis 680 class B too. 680 is carved up somewhat. The Raleigh 680 is a class A. I am not sure of it's status pre 1980 but thanks to the poor soil conductivity Atlanta is no threat signal wise daytime. I don't know about the nighttime "protection" of what I guess would have been an old 1B. It was on a "Clear" channel but there were 2(?) other 50 kw stations on the channel so I guess it wasn't a "Clear Channel Station" like WSB, WSM, etc.
IMHO: Had someone had the funds, pre 1990 they could have bought both stations and "neutered" Raleigh's 680 nighttime signal and could have had the second best 24 hour AM signal in Atlanta. Kinda like what happened to WOWO for the New York signal. I seriously doubt if such a project would give any kind of financial pay back now in the Atlanta market.
I was listening one night but I don't remember precisely where I live. It was a call-in show and someone was complaining about the signal quality north of Raleigh after dark. The host said they pick us up really well in Cuba.
To clarify: there was only one I-A clear on 680 and that was San Francisco.
WPTF was a class II station under the old NARBA designations and became a class B.
Only class A stations get skywave protection at night. Class B stations only have their groundwave contours protected, which is why so many other 680s exist in the east - not just Boston and "North Atlanta" but also Baltimore, Corbin KY, and so on.
The common thread with all those 680s (along with San Antonio and St. Joseph MO) is that they all have deep nulls protecting San Francisco.
WPTF was a class II station under the old NARBA designations and became a class B.
Only class A stations get skywave protection at night. Class B stations only have their groundwave contours protected, which is why so many other 680s exist in the east - not just Boston and "North Atlanta" but also Baltimore, Corbin KY, and so on.
The common thread with all those 680s (along with San Antonio and St. Joseph MO) is that they all have deep nulls protecting San Francisco.
It was until they built the 8-tower array in Ptree Corners in 1980.
Also WPTF was a very prominent AM station in North Carolina until the late 1990s or so. There would have been a huge amount of outcry. They had the NC State flagship rights for decades and some very prominent personalities. Now it's just another pass through for FOX News shows outside morning and afternoon drive. Think they are a UNC affiliate now as well just like WBT.
At the time of the move to the new 8-tower site, WCNN (then WRNG) was 25,000 watts daytimer. During the summer they would play CBS Radio Mystery Theater for the last hour they were on the air. I used to have a collection of the episodes I recorded off of WRNG.
I have an aircheck of Boortz signing off WRNG Ring Radio, from 1979.
Those were the days. I remember the stunting from WRNG to WCNN. The Braves tomahawk chop played in a loop for an entire weekend. By Sunday, it was a bit muffled because the cart tape heads had not been cleaned.