• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

AM-Stereo question - 850 WREF

T

Turntable

I've been mulling this around in my brain for awhile, and I've come up with a few theoretical answers, but I hope someone watching this board has a definitive answer for me.

In my car, I listen to WREF in stereo most of the time, and as it so happens, I'm often in range of the transmitter (Route 7- Florida Hill) after sunset. I can hear the station in full C-QUAM and with a solid interference-free signal for a good 2 miles before and after Florida Hill coming from Wilton to Danbury.

Two Questions:

(1) Seems to me they are running exciter power at night. I'm wondering just how much power that is. I'm guessing 5-10 watts.

(2) Their online audio stream at www.850wref.com sounds just like an AM-Stereo C-QUAM signal would under optimum conditions, save for some slight codec artifacts. My guess is that they simply put a C-QUAM Stereo Receiver or air monitor at the TX site and just piped the output into the streaming server.

Anyone have any corrections to these theories?

-Alan<P ID="signature">______________
"...How can you be deaf, with ears like that??"</P>
 
Go right to the source! Ask Tom Ocenkowski, the chief engineer at 203-744-4800 if you're interested. The GM has always been an AM stereo enthusiast. He got me a Sony AM stereo Walkman 20 years ago... still works great, even though the pickin's are mighty slim for AM music programming. Come to think of it, WREF should be 20 years old now. An original positioner: "AM 85 WREF, where the Real Music is, between popular stations at 80 and 88 on the dial!"

> I've been mulling this around in my brain for awhile, and
> I've come up with a few theoretical answers, but I hope
> someone watching this board has a definitive answer for me.
>
> In my car, I listen to WREF in stereo most of the time, and
> as it so happens, I'm often in range of the transmitter
> (Route 7- Florida Hill) after sunset. I can hear the station
> in full C-QUAM and with a solid interference-free signal for
> a good 2 miles before and after Florida Hill coming from
> Wilton to Danbury.
>
> Two Questions:
>
> (1) Seems to me they are running exciter power at night. I'm
> wondering just how much power that is. I'm guessing 5-10
> watts.
>
> (2) Their online audio stream at www.850wref.com sounds just
> like an AM-Stereo C-QUAM signal would under optimum
> conditions, save for some slight codec artifacts. My guess
> is that they simply put a C-QUAM Stereo Receiver or air
> monitor at the TX site and just piped the output into the
> streaming server.
>
> Anyone have any corrections to these theories?
>
> -Alan
>
 
That'd be Osenkowsky. I used to work for Berkshire Broadcasting in the early-to mid 90's. In fact, I left about a year after Berkshire acquired WREF. At the time, there were thoughts of swapping callsigns with WLAD to give it a better signal-- it never happened. I probably wouldn't bother Tom with such a question, he's far too busy. I'll see what I get here and then if no answers come about, and my curiousity persists, I might give him a call. Thanks for the reply, though.

-A

> Go right to the source! Ask Tom Ocenkowski, the chief
> engineer at 203-744-4800 if you're interested. The GM has
> always been an AM stereo enthusiast. He got me a Sony AM
> stereo Walkman 20 years ago... still works great, even
> though the pickin's are mighty slim for AM music
> programming. Come to think of it, WREF should be 20 years
> old now. An original positioner: "AM 85 WREF, where the
> Real Music is, between popular stations at 80 and 88 on the
> dial!"
>
> > I've been mulling this around in my brain for awhile, and
> > I've come up with a few theoretical answers, but I hope
> > someone watching this board has a definitive answer for
> me.
> >
> > In my car, I listen to WREF in stereo most of the time,
> and
> > as it so happens, I'm often in range of the transmitter
> > (Route 7- Florida Hill) after sunset. I can hear the
> station
> > in full C-QUAM and with a solid interference-free signal
> for
> > a good 2 miles before and after Florida Hill coming from
> > Wilton to Danbury.
> >
> > Two Questions:
> >
> > (1) Seems to me they are running exciter power at night.
> I'm
> > wondering just how much power that is. I'm guessing 5-10
> > watts.
> >
> > (2) Their online audio stream at www.850wref.com sounds
> just
> > like an AM-Stereo C-QUAM signal would under optimum
> > conditions, save for some slight codec artifacts. My guess
>
> > is that they simply put a C-QUAM Stereo Receiver or air
> > monitor at the TX site and just piped the output into the
> > streaming server.
> >
> > Anyone have any corrections to these theories?
> >
> > -Alan
> >
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"...How can you be deaf, with ears like that??"</P>
 
Sorry Tom!

Having been a mid 80's middle management guy at Berkshire, I remember WLAD's application for 1160 before full-time status on 800. There were competing applications too, and nothing came of it. I'm not sure how WLAD's signal would have improved by moving to 850 without some major modifications. WLAD at 800 now sits right in the middle of the market on a fairly uncluttered frequency (during the day) while WREF is in Ridgefield. On reduced night power, WLAD still covers Danbury even during big CKLW skywaves. It's not a perfect scenario, but other local options are even more limited. The market has grown more than enough in 30 years to warrant some consistent and wider nighttime AM service. How that happens is beyond me.

> That'd be Osenkowsky. I used to work for Berkshire
> Broadcasting in the early-to mid 90's. In fact, I left about
> a year after Berkshire acquired WREF. At the time, there
> were thoughts of swapping callsigns with WLAD to give it a
> better signal-- it never happened. I probably wouldn't
> bother Tom with such a question, he's far too busy. I'll see
> what I get here and then if no answers come about, and my
> curiousity persists, I might give him a call. Thanks for the
> reply, though.
>
> -A
>
> > Go right to the source! Ask Tom Ocenkowski, the chief
> > engineer at 203-744-4800 if you're interested. The GM has
>
> > always been an AM stereo enthusiast. He got me a Sony AM
> > stereo Walkman 20 years ago... still works great, even
> > though the pickin's are mighty slim for AM music
> > programming. Come to think of it, WREF should be 20 years
>
> > old now. An original positioner: "AM 85 WREF, where the
> > Real Music is, between popular stations at 80 and 88 on
> the
> > dial!"
> >
> > > I've been mulling this around in my brain for awhile,
> and
> > > I've come up with a few theoretical answers, but I hope
> > > someone watching this board has a definitive answer for
> > me.
> > >
> > > In my car, I listen to WREF in stereo most of the time,
> > and
> > > as it so happens, I'm often in range of the transmitter
> > > (Route 7- Florida Hill) after sunset. I can hear the
> > station
> > > in full C-QUAM and with a solid interference-free signal
>
> > for
> > > a good 2 miles before and after Florida Hill coming from
>
> > > Wilton to Danbury.
> > >
> > > Two Questions:
> > >
> > > (1) Seems to me they are running exciter power at night.
>
> > I'm
> > > wondering just how much power that is. I'm guessing 5-10
>
> > > watts.
> > >
> > > (2) Their online audio stream at www.850wref.com sounds
> > just
> > > like an AM-Stereo C-QUAM signal would under optimum
> > > conditions, save for some slight codec artifacts. My
> guess
> >
> > > is that they simply put a C-QUAM Stereo Receiver or air
> > > monitor at the TX site and just piped the output into
> the
> > > streaming server.
> > >
> > > Anyone have any corrections to these theories?
> > >
> > > -Alan
> > >
> >
>
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom