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As a loyal listener of The Bone, i should know this, but...

E

eyg2181

Guest
this is not a post bashing the bones competitors, i actually have a legitimate series of questions regarding signal coverage.

The Bone comes in good in Bethlehem, Allentown, and Northern Bucks County. but while going north on 512, do they cut out completly at all? because i was taking a back way home today (going west) , and i lost it about 7 miles after the Valeco Gas Station (or something like that) (i think thats bath). it was about 3 miles past the "borough of Jamesville" sign while i was heading west. and it was out completly. it came from clear as day, to completly dead. which is why im wondering, does if fade out that bad on 512 north of bath? if anything it should get even stronger, but today made me curious about the coverage. im sure the signals perfect on 512 until at least past the stroudsburg area. shouldnt that have been crystal clear where i lost it today?

i know the bone comes in real good on 22 until about 2 miles after it merges with 78 (west), and it goes about 20-25 miles on the Northeast Extension (south). so is WWYY really that directional of a station to get full market coverage in most directions, but not others?

i looked at the Radio Locator Coverage Map: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WWYY&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

and i noticed in the West and East it does have about a 20 mile signal loss, but i always figured that was around the 22-78 merging area. the area on the coverage map doesn't look like it should have cut out where it did. like i said it goes down the Northeast Extension pretty good (about 20-25 miles) and northern bucks Gets it good as well. after i lost it i kept checking back as i got down the road, thinking that it maybe a dead spot, but nothing on 107.1. MMR ad YSP were still clear as day and their 70 miles away, (according to Radio-Locator, Jamesville is only 20 miles away). Bethlehen is 25, and the signal boomes, it bleeds onto 107.3. but then again bethlehem is directly south, where the bones signal is the strongest.
 
I am no engineer but when the terrain is hilly, weaker signals don't penetrate as well in valleys as they do on hills. Or The Bone either went off the air for a few minutes.
 
I remember reading on here around the time when they first came on the air that their stick might be relocated to the Wind Gap area. This might be a total rumor or lie and probably is.....

But... that would be a GREAT location for them and would result in a fantastic Valley signal.

There is a 107.1 in Philadelphia, and this might be why the post I read was just wrong information.
 
mrwattson said:
I remember reading on here around the time when they first came on the air that their stick might be relocated to the Wind Gap area. This might be a total rumor or lie and probably is.....

But... that would be a GREAT location for them and would result in a fantastic Valley signal.

There is a 107.1 in Philadelphia, and this might be why the post I read was just wrong information.
Click to expand...

No 107.1 in Philly. There is 106.9 WKDN in Camden pumping out a great signal in Philly though.
 
Sorry!

I was thinking of 107.9 in Philly.

That 106.9 does come in fairly well around here depending where you are.

Anyway, does anyone out there know if that was a rumor?

It probably was.
 
I think it may have something to do with terrain in and around the Wind Gap area. Many stations get staticy and cut out in that vicinity, but will usually come in clear in the town of Wind Gap itself. I also have the same problem traveling on PA-33, just not as elongated as traveling on PA-512.
 
On a related note, WSBG out of Stroudsburg is totally gone or just about gone from about the Saylorsburg area to Wind Gap on Route 33. It is really something. Once you go over the mountain on Route 33, it comes in again as clear as a bell. But like I said, from Saylorsburg to Wind Gap on Route 33, even though it is -- what, about 10 miles at most from the stick---- it is virtually nonexistent!
 
the bone deserves to be credited for doing as well as they do in the ratings with their limited signal. i imagine if they had a stick in wind gap, they'd easily beat 'ZZO. remember that although you may pick up the bone 2 miles past the 22/78 split, that's in a car radio. the standard joe with a 5 dollar walmart clock radio isn't going to get the bone in allentown too well if at all. so if they're pulling in a couple points, that ain't half bad.
 
eyg2181 said:
is there any chance WWYY will ever move their stick?
Click to expand...

Looks like there's been a CP to move it ever so slightly to the south and east from the present location (a quarter mile, if that?) and raise the antenna about 11 meters and lower the power from 1200w to 1050w. From the FCC site, it only looks like they have until the end of November to do this.
 
KSB said:
eyg2181 said:
is there any chance WWYY will ever move their stick?
Click to expand...

Looks like there's been a CP to move it ever so slightly to the south and east from the present location (a quarter mile, if that?) and raise the antenna about 11 meters and lower the power from 1200w to 1050w. From the FCC site, it only looks like they have until the end of November to do this.
Click to expand...

how uch, if at all, do you think this will improve the signal?
 
how uch, if at all, do you think this will improve the signal?
Click to expand...

In theory, it shouldn't extend the reach of the signal any. The increase in height requires the decrease in power. Putting the antenna higher may help to fill in a few of the holes created by shadowing from hilly and mountainous terrain...and lower the electric bill. I'd think that you'd see a minimal improvement at best, but I'm not familiar with the specifics of terrain in that area. Who knows...they could be running the station from the construction permit now and no one noticed a difference. Here are the two coverage maps from the FCC's page:

Current license: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM573902.html

Construction permit: http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM1084983.html

Not much difference between the two.
 
what the company should really do, is move the stick to bethlehem, and go full out on power. that would actually be beter, because then it wouldnt interfere with the peak in NY either, and then it would have the valley COMPLETELY covered. that would be the way to go
 
they can't do that.. They are too short spaced in all directions, thats a real tight freq, actually pretty much all the fm freqs are so packed tight in the northeast, its hard for anyone to move, let alone even start a new signal. They are stuck where they are... They should reallly lose the Valleys best station imaging, because its kinda lame to say that when they can't even cover the valley fully...
Just My opinion, I actually think its a good station, but the imaging really needs to be more honest, its abit misleading... 6kw from 30 miles away is a rimshot, not a solid valley signal. If ya wanna check it out, goto www.fcc.gov or www.radiolocator.com ,you can find all the stations and coverage regions there....
 
at 30 miles the signal is pretty strong (to the south). going SW, it fades a few miles after 22 merges with 78. and if your in jamesville area it fades about 5 miles west (i found this detail out last week).

it comes in REAL good in Bethlehem, my MP3 player stops at it on the scan, which is very sensitive, meaning a signal has to be real strong for it to pick up on scan.
 
If Nassau was smart, they would get rid of Frank on 107.5 and put the Bone on there. The branding would be all set to go, and a 30kW Class B signal would give them some leverage. It has a hell of a coverage area. How many 'Classic Hits' stations does the Valley need? I know, it's Readings 'Classic Hits' station, but WODE's 50 kW practically makes it there already. Actually, ZZO is a 30kW Class B as well, albeit slightly directional. WWYY's 1 kW 30 miles from Allentown won't ever cut it. Obviously, the diary entries the Bone gets would come from the just the eastern side of WZZO's coverage area. Just my two-cents...
 
edarmsttrong said:
If Nassau was smart, they would get rid of Frank on 107.5 and put the Bone on there. The branding would be all set to go, and a 30kW Class B signal would give them some leverage. It has a hell of a coverage area. How many 'Classic Hits' stations does the Valley need? I know, it's Readings 'Classic Hits' station, but WODE's 50 kW practically makes it there already. Actually, ZZO is a 30kW Class B as well, albeit slightly directional. WWYY's 1 kW 30 miles from Allentown won't ever cut it. Obviously, the diary entries the Bone gets would come from the just the eastern side of WZZO's coverage area. Just my two-cents...
Click to expand...

that would make sense, providing Frank comes in better in the valley than it does in reading. the only problem with this idea is that it would be the end of Frank, which would suck, especially for Brian and Randi, they already had to move to another station when WTHK went away. not to mention, i like Frank FM. but all i can say, is that, if this switch by some crazy chance, did happen, ZZO would be in BIG trouble ratings wise. and they got a much bigger coverage area. i could see it now, "The New 107 The Bone Is WWYY Boyertown, The Valley's Real Rock Station!" but that will never happen. besides, i'd hate to see Frank go away. also if this did ever happen, the way to do it would be too Keep Brian and Randi on and have them work with Gina and Scotty. then they might even be better than WMMR
 
WZZO

Summer 07 6.7 Fall 07 6.5 Winter 07 6.4 Spring 08 6.3


WWYY-FM

Summer 07 2.2 Fall 07 1.8 Winter 07 1.9 Spring 08 1.6



If you worked at WWYY and looked at these numbers, would you really think you were the Valley's Rock Station? Shouldn't those numbers be consistent as WZZO's numbers are? (I know, WZZO is trending slightly downward)

Why aren't WWYY's Arbitron numbers steady in the twos or rising if they really are the Valley's Rock Station no matter what the power issue is? And as someone in this post said, their signal is just fine in Bethlehem and really not too bad in Allentown (yes Interstate, I know not as great on clock radios).

The Lehigh Valley consists of Phillipsburg, Easton, Bethlehem, Allentown, and all other towns in between. WWYY's signal comes in just fine in these areas. If you want to argue two miles past interstate 78 in Folgelsville, that is your choice.

A power increase might help ratings, but really, where is the evidence to support the need?
 
Forr a station to have any real ratings 'muscle', it needs some power behind it...MANY people listen at work, and I doubt WWYY's signal makes it past the front door of most places in Bethlehem, let alone Allentown. Driving in your car is a different matter entirely...a 4 watt translator will come in great in a car for miles and miles, but in a building..forget it.

I'd be willing to bet money, that if The Bone was programmed on 107.5's transmitter, ZZO would feel the pinch in a BIG way...

Like I said...most of the diary entries the Bone is getting, are coming from Easton, Phillipsburg, Nazereth, Bath. and the like...mostly northeastern Northampton Co. ZZO's transmitter happens to be in the middle of that county, and covers much more area, more effectively...

Actually, a simulcast on 107.1 AND 107.5 would be the ticket...then you could really have the Valley's Real Rock Station(S)...for real. ZZO would have no choice but to pack it in, and go back to a Beautiful Music format! ;)
 
How about some radio checks in and around the Valley?

Here's mine.

Location: Palmer

Signal on stereo radio tuner: Good with antennae adjustment. WZZO does definitely have the edge on signal strength, no adjustments needed.

The ones in Bethlehem and Allentown are the important ones, like edarmstrong said.

Eye2181 says he gets 107.1 good on his MP3 player in Bethlehem. It stops on a scan.
 
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