98.1 SANDIA CREST TRANSLATOR

[jerry85303]

Hmm...interesting information posted in the FCC applications section of the radioinsight blog;

Clear Channel has acquired 98.1 K251AU Albuquerque from Maria Candelaria for $170,000. Concurrently the translator has applied to increase from 10 to 165 watts. It will rebroadcast an HD subchannel of 107.9 KBQI.

 

[K6JHU]

So no $700k

Actually though the HD subcarrier of 107.9 does not bring anything new to the table as far as formats in ABQ are concerned. But it beats the HD subcarrier of 89.3 (silence for as long as I have been scanning by).

Of course, I may be the only one in ABQ who can comment about what it on the HD subcarriers having the only HD radio in ABQ

 

[ABQRADIO]

Clear Channel will likely be using both their translators - 100.9 and 98.1 - as HD-to-Analog outlets as they do in many markets across the country. While I believe this is an abuse of the translator rules, and an end-run on the ownership caps, it is completely legal, so oh-well. Keep in mind that CC can run anything they want on these as they can change their HD sub-channels' formats at whim. So, just because they are running something on one of their HD side channels now, that may or may not have anything to do with what they decide to feed the translators with when they are built.

Of course, I agree with K6JHU about who is (not) listening to the HD side channels. Thankfully, the government stations and Clear Channel, along with Entravision (have you heard the 1450 splatter from 1390 to 1510?) are the only ones doing HD. Citadel got the equipment and license for 770, built the facility, tested it for three hours and turned it off, again thankfully. Clear Channel tried to run it on 1350, did so for a few months and got about three miles of coverage with it, so they (again thankfully) turned it off. So the translator HD "rebroadcast" end-run is a way for stations' lost investment in HD to be recovered a bit by enabling the use of a translator to put up another analog FM signal.

Within a couple of months we should know what CC is going to put on those two frequencies, so stay tuned...

 

[boiseengineer]

Citadel got the equipment and license for 770, built the facility, tested it for three hours and turned it off, again

Actually, that tall tower could not be matched to pass the HD signal.
That word from the consultant that tried.

One thing I notice about translators that are that far away from the population is that they're only good for in-car listening as they have no building penetration.

 

[stevensonair]

How's this allowed on 98.1 with a full power KBAC in Santa Fe?

 

[ABQRADIO]

Indeed, the half-wave KABQ-AM tower is essentially incompatible with the bandwidth required for AM HD. The 98.1 will protect KBAC with a Scala CL-FM log-periodic antenna that will supress the signal toward KBAC so its interfering contour (40 dbu 50,10) will not intersect the protected contour of KBAC (60 dbu 50,50). Easy to accomplish.

 

[Kent]

How's this allowed on 98.1 with a full power KBAC in Santa Fe?

Translators are secondary services and only have to certify that they won't interfere with a primary station. If that turns out to be false, they can be ordered off-air. There is no spacing requirement. In the case of KBAC, 98.1 Las Vegas can't get a signal into Albuquerque, and a translator isn't going to go far enough toward Las Vegas and Santa Fe to interfere with KBAC.

 

[K6JHU]

But with a non-directional antenna it might interfere out on the eastern plains (e.g Moriarty). The 94.5 translator puts an excellent signal out there.

 

[Kent]

Although the primary signal contours of 94.5 and 98.1 don't touch, I suppose KBAC could have a listener or two beyond the area of normal listening. If that were to happen, the translator at 98.1 would have to go off-air and attempt to remedy the situation for those listeners. If successful, it could resume broadcasting. Sometimes, the station can go to the listeners and help them filter the translator or install a new antenna, though it has to directionalize, cut power, and/or move in other situations.

That translator is presently non-directional but only running 10 watts. Once it upgrades, it will go directional but will still operate with less power than most of the other Albuquerque area translators. When calculating interference contours, it didn't seem to consider KBAC a factor. Maybe that was because Clear Channel used to own KBAC and had already considered this possibility?

 

[ABQRADIO]

Actually, 98.1 currently operates with a custom Scala directional antenna. The new antenna will be a Scala CL-FM log periodic antenna identical to the one used by 94.5 and 103.7. 98.1 as currently configured has two challenges: at its current power, the inability to fully overcome the KBAC signal refracted over the Sandias, and the nearly impossible task of receiving the Belen parent station over the air on 98.7. The new facility being constructed by Clear Channel will cover the market nicely.

 

[dawireless]

I love reading all these high tech engineering posts regarding translator strategy .
It tickles my exciter.
Its too bad Tesla is not around to participate in the BS.
O how tricky it is to bounce signals across the fruited plains?

Wow reminds me of rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Actually as I read this never ending peanut powered radio Drama,I am listening to my Tunein radio app on my Kindle Fire.
Tunein has thousands of live radio streams from around the world 24/7.

Any way aint radio exciting?