Gainesville/Ocala ESPN WRUF Gainesville FM Translator

[Ryan Williams]

I came across WRUF's W251CG translator in Gainesville the other day and an engineering STA to increase their HD power to -10 dB.

I can't think of any other FM translators anywhere that even have HD at all. Has anyone heard this or experienced the signal first hand. How well does it work at such a low power level?

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[SomeRadioGuy]

I came across WRUF's W251CG translator in Gainesville the other day and an engineering STA to increase their HD power to -10 dB.

I can't think of any other FM translators anywhere that even have HD at all. Has anyone heard this or experienced the signal first hand. How well does it work at such a low power level?

Draft Copy « Licensing and Management System « FCC

Licensing and Management System

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allegedly the 102.9 translator in lawrence, ma has/had hd, but im not clear if anyones ever heard it.... it was even supposedly, allgedely originating programming on the hd 2 3 and 4

 

[Kmagrill]

As of right now (March 22), W251CG does not have HD on it. That could change, of course.

As for translators with HD, I can name at least two:
W225CQ and W271DL, both in the Tampa market. W225CQ had an HD-2 channel for a while (rebroadcasting WGES), but that is currently turned off.

It is not legal for a translator to originate programming on HD2, HD3 or HD4 channels. The origination rules for HD sub channels are the same as for primary channels. If a translator carries additional programming on secondary HD channels, that programming must originate from another radio station. There is no requirement for the additional HD channels of a translator to be locked into anything like carrying HD subchannels of a primary station. For example, if m a translator carries WXYZ on the primary channel, they don't have to carry WXYZ HD2 on the translator's HD2 channel, unless they choose to do that. Instead, the translator can carry WXYZ on HD1, WXXX on HD2 and WYYY on HD3, if they want to.

Note that all of the primary stations must conform to the same coverage rules for fill-in or non-fill-in translators. In other words, you can't operate a translator at 250W and 600 feet as a fill-in for WXYZ, while simultaneously extending the coverage for WXXX, if the WXXX coverage is smaller than the translator's coverage (non-fill-in type). In the case of WXXX, the translator's coverage must be reduced to become a non-fill-in (Equivalent to 250W at no more than 30 meters on the radial with the greatest coverage), thus limiting the coverage for all stations, even the fill-ins. The translator could still seek to lease the signal to WXYZ, the fill-in primary, but it could not seek any money or financial support from non-fill-in station WXXX.

 

[dxsphere]

allegedly the 102.9 translator in lawrence, ma has/had hd, but im not clear if anyones ever heard it.... it was even supposedly, allgedely originating programming on the hd 2 3 and 4

I can confirm that it does have HD with HD2 and HD3 subchannels.

 

[dxsphere]

I came across WRUF's W251CG translator in Gainesville the other day and an engineering STA to increase their HD power to -10 dB.

I can't think of any other FM translators anywhere that even have HD at all. Has anyone heard this or experienced the signal first hand. How well does it work at such a low power level?

Draft Copy « Licensing and Management System « FCC

Licensing and Management System

enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov

HD translators do exist, but are rare.

I've received a few myself:
96.3 K242AX The Dalles, OR //KSLC (HD1+2, 2023)
91.9 K220DV Grand Coulee, WA //KPBX (HD1+2+3, 2021)
90.1 K211BP Florence, OR //KRVM-AM (2018)

The following other translators have been reported to be transmitting HD:
89.7 K209ED Breckenridge, CO //KUVO (HD1+2+3)
92.7 K224DB Willmar, MN (HD1+2+3+4, 2020)
92.9 W225CQ Tampa, FL //WTMP-AM (HD1+2)
93.5 K228DT Happy Hollow, OR //KOPB-FM
95.7 K239BP Corvallis, OR //KOPB-FM (2018)
102.9 W275BH Lawrence, MA //WNNW-AM (HD1+2+3)
106.3 W293DW West Yarmouth, MA //WGTX-FM (newly reported - HD1+2+3)
106.9 K295AC Iowa City, IA //KCCK-FM (HD1+2+3)

For transmitters with HD subchannels, only W275BH has been reported to be originating its own programming. The others are essentially carbon copies of their parent stations' HD set-up or the subchannels simulcast another FM/AM station.