I truly find this hard to believe because this station's signal is so crappy. I have a great car radio so I know it is not that. Also, this is during the day not during critical hours, when the station's signal is non-existant west and north of 295. I encounter some static on this signal all the time while driving furthur than ten miles from the tower location. This is absolutely rediculous. Static in Johnston? Static in Smithfield? West and North of 295 it sounds horrible. This station can't even cover all of Rhode Island! When you get over 20 miles away, the static becomes too tough to deal with. I have a friend who lives in East Bridgewater, MA and the station barely even makes it out there. I would think that a station like WPRO would at least cover all of RI since the state is so small. I know WBZ is 50,000 watts but I think it's pathetic that a Boston news station can be heard all throughout RI but a Providence news station can't.
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Does 630 WPRO really broadcast at 5,000 watts?
- Thread starter radiojay1
- Start date
P
PaulBWalkerJr
Guest
Has this been a constant problem or have you noticed it more, as of late?Maybe they are operating on a 500 or 1,000 Watt backup transmitter? It's very possible. i know when I lived in Colchester, I got them on a boombox decently...
Well according to my history listening to the station, I have been able to receive them as far North as York Beach Maine and as far south as Rye New York right outside Manhattan. Of course those distant locations have been right on the water where signals are always better. In any event that has been my experience with WPRO. Your mileage may vary....... and according to some..... it definitely does.
What time of the day are you hearing the bad reception? WPRO is non directional during the day but has to switch to a directional pattern at night.They have to protect CFCY on Prince Edward Island to the northeast, and WMAL Washington DC to the southwest. Here's the pattern:http://fccinfo.com/CMDProEngine.php...abSearchType=Appl&sAppIDNumber=25929&sHours=N
The pattern looks roughly like a figure 8 with the "waist" of the 8 going NE-SW, and the lobes going NW-SE.
Dave Gardiner
WVCH 740/WNWR 1540
The pattern looks roughly like a figure 8 with the "waist" of the 8 going NE-SW, and the lobes going NW-SE.
Dave Gardiner
WVCH 740/WNWR 1540
Could 630 WPRO increase daytime power?
During the day (before they power down in evening) I am noticing this static, only 10 miles away in Johnston, RI just driving aorund. I just think that is rediculous. The main news station in RI should cover the whole state with a decent signal(the state is small enough) when they are at full power, not just the metro Providence area. Are they broadcasting at only 5,000 watts during the day to protect another station or is it that a 5,000 watt tower is all they can afford? They really need to increase power if possible. They sound awful in western RI near the CT border on a good car radio. Too much static. Same goes for Washington County (southwest RI and the central part of southern RI.)
During the day (before they power down in evening) I am noticing this static, only 10 miles away in Johnston, RI just driving aorund. I just think that is rediculous. The main news station in RI should cover the whole state with a decent signal(the state is small enough) when they are at full power, not just the metro Providence area. Are they broadcasting at only 5,000 watts during the day to protect another station or is it that a 5,000 watt tower is all they can afford? They really need to increase power if possible. They sound awful in western RI near the CT border on a good car radio. Too much static. Same goes for Washington County (southwest RI and the central part of southern RI.)
Jay:
WPRO runs 5000 watts day and night. I bey ou're going through the nulls in the pattern when it starts sounding crappy. This happens with stations having tight patterns. As you go thru ther nulll the carrier will drop off, and the audio will sound very distorted.
Dave Gardiner
WVCH 740/WNWR 1540
WPRO runs 5000 watts day and night. I bey ou're going through the nulls in the pattern when it starts sounding crappy. This happens with stations having tight patterns. As you go thru ther nulll the carrier will drop off, and the audio will sound very distorted.
Dave Gardiner
WVCH 740/WNWR 1540
are u sure u are hearing a weak signal and not a noisy one? i thought that they went iboc, which would mean their carrier is only 5k wide, and on some radios, even good ones, the signal may sound weak or staticy when it is really just narrow bw.
A
AKLes
Guest
Re: Could 630 WPRO increase daytime power?
If wishes were horses.....
Yes, they ARE protecting other stations.
No, they could afford more power IF it were allowed (FCC).
The "power boat" sailed better much longer than half a century ago when circumstances might have allowed a change to a different frequency with more power. About the only way I could see WPRO being allowed more power and less directional limitations would be for them to buy the several stations which they protect and take them silent.
Not a popular move with the communities that would lose primary service (such as it might be).
Not cheap though it might be within the budget; probably insufficient payback.
More than one Rhode Island station (AM) lives within a power/directional prison because of inaction 'way back when. At that time, with fewer adjacent-channel stations and less electrical noise, 5,000 Watts seemed like all they'd ever need.
Even sadder, what is now WDDZ. Being down on 550 it covers a big area with 1-kW non-directional days. At one time it would have been possible to go moderately directional days and move up to 5-kW (approximately) but the chance was missed and now environmental constraints (site on a marsh of The Blackstone River) make it virtually impossible.
WALE (originally WLKW) remains, technically, Rhode Island's "flamethrower" with 50-kW but so focused into The Atlantic Ocean that seagulls with false teeth hear it clearly as they pass the mid-way point to Europe. The real solution for WALE to build an audience is for them to convince people to live on floating islands off the coast.
radiojay1 said:The main news station in RI should cover the whole state with a decent signal(the state is small enough) when they are at full power, not just the metro Providence area. Are they broadcasting at only 5,000 watts during the day to protect another station or is it that a 5,000 watt tower is all they can afford? They really need to increase power if possible.
If wishes were horses.....
Yes, they ARE protecting other stations.
No, they could afford more power IF it were allowed (FCC).
The "power boat" sailed better much longer than half a century ago when circumstances might have allowed a change to a different frequency with more power. About the only way I could see WPRO being allowed more power and less directional limitations would be for them to buy the several stations which they protect and take them silent.
Not a popular move with the communities that would lose primary service (such as it might be).
Not cheap though it might be within the budget; probably insufficient payback.
More than one Rhode Island station (AM) lives within a power/directional prison because of inaction 'way back when. At that time, with fewer adjacent-channel stations and less electrical noise, 5,000 Watts seemed like all they'd ever need.
Even sadder, what is now WDDZ. Being down on 550 it covers a big area with 1-kW non-directional days. At one time it would have been possible to go moderately directional days and move up to 5-kW (approximately) but the chance was missed and now environmental constraints (site on a marsh of The Blackstone River) make it virtually impossible.
WALE (originally WLKW) remains, technically, Rhode Island's "flamethrower" with 50-kW but so focused into The Atlantic Ocean that seagulls with false teeth hear it clearly as they pass the mid-way point to Europe. The real solution for WALE to build an audience is for them to convince people to live on floating islands off the coast.
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