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DXing 87 Mhz
- Thread starter JeeperOne
- Start date
Shouldn't be anyone on 87.1/87.3/87.5.
I've heard the channel 6 TV-audio "radio stations" from Memphis (tropo) and Miami. (E-skip) Never really bothered to DX that spectrum with a FM radio before analog shutdown. Probably should have.
Nothing (legal) on 87.9 east of Reno so I've never been able to DX anything there either.
I've heard the channel 6 TV-audio "radio stations" from Memphis (tropo) and Miami. (E-skip) Never really bothered to DX that spectrum with a FM radio before analog shutdown. Probably should have.
Nothing (legal) on 87.9 east of Reno so I've never been able to DX anything there either.
C
cd637299
Guest
In south Florida, I've heard a pirate in Ft. Lauderdale area broadcasting Howard Stern on 87.5.
We were driving thru NYC last fall, and there were LPFMs (legal or not) using 87.5, 87.7 & 87.9. 87.7 there was once home to the dance Pulse FM.
In Guatemala, sporadic-E distance from me, I've heard some low power Christian stations on 87.5 (two at one time, a while back!)....they are legal there. One is Radio Bendicion ( www.bendicionenlinea.com ). I believe they only run 100 watts, but when nothing else is there, it's up there with the big boys.
In 2009, just after the digital transition, the CBS station in Schenectady/Albany NY once on analog 6 (so used to audio on 87.7 until then) tried to pass themselves off on analog 87.9. I caught it once.....not long after, the FCC put a kibosh on that, IIRC.
When the DX comes in, 87.5 & 87.9 can be interesting. (Here, 87.7 is home to a Spanish Christian FM who has unrelated video on analog ch 6.)
cd
We were driving thru NYC last fall, and there were LPFMs (legal or not) using 87.5, 87.7 & 87.9. 87.7 there was once home to the dance Pulse FM.
In Guatemala, sporadic-E distance from me, I've heard some low power Christian stations on 87.5 (two at one time, a while back!)....they are legal there. One is Radio Bendicion ( www.bendicionenlinea.com ). I believe they only run 100 watts, but when nothing else is there, it's up there with the big boys.
In 2009, just after the digital transition, the CBS station in Schenectady/Albany NY once on analog 6 (so used to audio on 87.7 until then) tried to pass themselves off on analog 87.9. I caught it once.....not long after, the FCC put a kibosh on that, IIRC.
When the DX comes in, 87.5 & 87.9 can be interesting. (Here, 87.7 is home to a Spanish Christian FM who has unrelated video on analog ch 6.)
cd
JeeperOne
Banned
Then I suppose KXDP 87.7 (A Sports Station known as 87.7 The Ticket) here in Denver wouldn't be considered LEGAL??w9wi said:
Don't believe me? Here's DA PROOF!!!
I'm sure the any illegality of the station's licence would be news to the station's owners (Especially since they also own 102.3 & 105.5 as well)
Cheers
Pat Cook said:Then I suppose KXDP 87.7 (A Sports Station known as 87.7 The Ticket) here in Denver wouldn't be considered LEGAL??w9wi said:
Don't believe me? Here's DA PROOF!!!
I'm sure the any illegality of the station's licence would be news to the station's owners (Especially since they also own 102.3 & 105.5 as well)
Nothing legal on *87.9*. 87.7 is perfectly legal. (at least, KXDP and the Memphis & Miami stations I heard are perfectly legal. There are other legal operations on that channel.)
Calm down, Pat.
The "radio stations" on 87.7 are actually audio from channel 6 TV stations, all low-power TV stations now that full power analog TV is gone in the U.S.
So, KXDP-LP is actually a low-power TV station programmed as a radio station. If you tune an analog TV tuner to 6, you'll not only hear it, but you'll see SOMETHING (usually a slide or a camera into the studio).
Despite the best efforts of the Albany market TV station, the audio can't exist legally without the visual carrier.
It is the same reason that TV stations on 6 have promoted the ability to hear their newscasts on 87.7 FM...it's just an accident of where the audio side of the TV 6 spectrum lies. (CW affiliate XETV/6 still does this in the San Diego market, since their analog is still going due to the station being licensed in Mexico.)
This will all go away as soon as the FCC requires low-power TV stations to convert to digital, whenever that happens.
Mexico has its own digital transition, which is moving much more slowly, so even XETV will go all digital a few years from now.
The "radio stations" on 87.7 are actually audio from channel 6 TV stations, all low-power TV stations now that full power analog TV is gone in the U.S.
So, KXDP-LP is actually a low-power TV station programmed as a radio station. If you tune an analog TV tuner to 6, you'll not only hear it, but you'll see SOMETHING (usually a slide or a camera into the studio).
Despite the best efforts of the Albany market TV station, the audio can't exist legally without the visual carrier.
It is the same reason that TV stations on 6 have promoted the ability to hear their newscasts on 87.7 FM...it's just an accident of where the audio side of the TV 6 spectrum lies. (CW affiliate XETV/6 still does this in the San Diego market, since their analog is still going due to the station being licensed in Mexico.)
This will all go away as soon as the FCC requires low-power TV stations to convert to digital, whenever that happens.
Mexico has its own digital transition, which is moving much more slowly, so even XETV will go all digital a few years from now.
cd637299 said:
Most likely someone with one of those transmitters for Sirius Satellite Radio. Although I didn't know that those transmitters went down that far. My friend had one and ran his on 87.7 because he said that was the default when he plugged it in.
And as you mentioned 87.5 - is it only Sony radios that tune down that low? I have 2 - a Sony Walkman Style with AM/FM/TV/WEATHER and a Sony Boombox with CD and Cassette. Both go down to 87.5, but the stock radio in my Pontiac Sunfire only goes down to 87.7 FM.
A pirate major market commercial sports station, and a pirate rebroadcasting Howard Stern. R-I feels like Bizarro World sometimes.
Nope, I'd agree with MarcB...especially the early Sirius plug-and-play units had very powerful FM modulators. So much so, that the FCC went after the manufacturers and required modifications to the units.
I had one of these early Sirius radios, and the range on the FM modulator was incredible. I could hear it in the house when the car was parked some distance away and the radio was on.
Nope, I'd agree with MarcB...especially the early Sirius plug-and-play units had very powerful FM modulators. So much so, that the FCC went after the manufacturers and required modifications to the units.
I had one of these early Sirius radios, and the range on the FM modulator was incredible. I could hear it in the house when the car was parked some distance away and the radio was on.
C
cd637299
Guest
I once heard somebody carrying Sirius Left on 87.9 at home, so there is validity in that (as far as Stern).
Actually my Kia car radio goes down to 87.5. I caught one of those Guatemalans in December or early January on it, and rushed home to record from my Sony with antenna pointed to Guatemala, only to fine that everything petered out shortly after!
cd
Actually my Kia car radio goes down to 87.5. I caught one of those Guatemalans in December or early January on it, and rushed home to record from my Sony with antenna pointed to Guatemala, only to fine that everything petered out shortly after!
cd
@RadioDaze:
Around Sanford, there's a religious Spanish station booming on either 87.7 or 87.9. I heard it all over Lee County.
Seems like the last time we drove through there, there was something faint on the other channel too.
Around Sanford, there's a religious Spanish station booming on either 87.7 or 87.9. I heard it all over Lee County.
Seems like the last time we drove through there, there was something faint on the other channel too.
I have DXed 87.7 Chicago before. They are a legal station that use their TV transmitters audio carrier for a separate service to broadcast jazz. Problem is that the real frequency is 87.75MHz so on some radios that don't have PLL circuitry to pull over the signal to spot it causes audio distortion.
OTOH it came through the radio. Amazing to me. I was sitting out in a car in the outskirts of town of Monroe, Wisconsin. That's a bit of distance for picking up that station!
Came in clear one day.
I believe I have heard a pirate in the past on 87.9FM. It was a last moment kind of thing though where I couldn't find the time to actually listen but the fact it was on that frequency in the first place makes me wonder. I know it was no spur from a legal station. So either it was a part 15 transmitter or a real pirate.
It's interesting to monitor those bands that no one uses. 107.9 is another. In most places it's not used much. The Japanese FM band is another, at least the bottom of our regular FM dial.
Same with AM radio. 1610/1710/530 is usually used for TIS stations but once in a blue moon you will find interesting activity on them that doesn't belong to legal broadcasters.
OTOH it came through the radio. Amazing to me. I was sitting out in a car in the outskirts of town of Monroe, Wisconsin. That's a bit of distance for picking up that station!
Came in clear one day.
I believe I have heard a pirate in the past on 87.9FM. It was a last moment kind of thing though where I couldn't find the time to actually listen but the fact it was on that frequency in the first place makes me wonder. I know it was no spur from a legal station. So either it was a part 15 transmitter or a real pirate.
It's interesting to monitor those bands that no one uses. 107.9 is another. In most places it's not used much. The Japanese FM band is another, at least the bottom of our regular FM dial.
Same with AM radio. 1610/1710/530 is usually used for TIS stations but once in a blue moon you will find interesting activity on them that doesn't belong to legal broadcasters.
darklife said:
Nothing separate about it. If you pick up WLFM-LP on analog TV channel 6, you'll hear the smooth jazz format. They are running slides on the video, I believe.
D
Darth_vader
Guest
"Is it only Sony radios that tune down [to 87.5?] I have 2 - a Sony Walkman Style with AM/FM/TV/WEATHER and a Sony Boombox with CD and Cassette. Both go down to 87.5, but the stock radio in my Pontiac Sunfire only goes down to 87.7 FM."
The aftermarket Kenwood radio in my truck goes down to 87.5, as does my Rat Shack STA-3900 stereo receiver. In fact, the 3900's tuner defaults to 87.5 as the "vacant" preset channel frequency.
The aftermarket Kenwood radio in my truck goes down to 87.5, as does my Rat Shack STA-3900 stereo receiver. In fact, the 3900's tuner defaults to 87.5 as the "vacant" preset channel frequency.
OhioMediaWatch said:
I remember DXing WLFM back in the summer of 2009 via e-skip. I turned on my car and was wondering why Pulse 87.7 was playing jazz since they're a dance station. The signal was really strong. I heard an ID and realized it was e-skip. It was one of the best e-skips of 2009, it lasted several hours and I got 60+ logs. Needless to say, I didn't go to where I was going because of that e-skip opening.
C
cd637299
Guest
87.7 in Miami area is audio for Almavision, a Spanish Christian (mostly CCM?) station. The true URL for its Web feed is as follows:
http://www.almavision.tv/radio.php
There are other Almavision feeds, so only accept the one above. So if you hear Spanish on 87.7, don't assume it's a foreign country!
Edit----The feed is about 20-30 seconds behind 87.7....also, if your radio has a "ST(EREO)" pilot light on during the feed, you can *surely* rule out a foreign country here.
cd
http://www.almavision.tv/radio.php
There are other Almavision feeds, so only accept the one above. So if you hear Spanish on 87.7, don't assume it's a foreign country!
Edit----The feed is about 20-30 seconds behind 87.7....also, if your radio has a "ST(EREO)" pilot light on during the feed, you can *surely* rule out a foreign country here.
cd
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