FM Frequency of the Week - 103.5 MHz

[crainbebo]

Caleb, that's KWXD Joplin, MO.

-crainbebo

Rocker '103.5 The X' Serving Pittsburg/Joplin.

 

[ftballfan]

From Coldwater, MI

Usually nothing but I-BLOC hash from WKFR (103.3) in Battle Creek, MI. Sometimes I can get a sniff of WMUZ Detroit, MI, WAWC Syracuse, IN or WKSC Chicago, IL.

From Bowling Green, KY- (10/2011)

A very weak urban gospel station. I think it may have been Memphis.

Does WTCM come in often?

 

[Lawppy]

Before WKFR turned on their I-BLOC jammer, yes, every day. Not so much anymore.

 

[ftballfan]

Before WKFR turned on their I-BLOC jammer, yes, every day. Not so much anymore.

I think WKFR may turn their I-BLOC off at night on occasion as this weekend, WTCM was stronger than WKFR in Allendale late Friday night/early Saturday morning. In fact, WTCM has occasionally made the ratings books in Muskegon and Grand Rapids despite being 90-100 miles away from both cities. That's what 100kW from a high plateau will do (302m HAAT, 291m AGL, 614m ASL, which means that the base of TCM's tower is 323m above sea level, and TC and Manistee are both less than 200m above sea level). I bet it gets a ways into Wisconsin since there are zero full-power 103.5s there.

 

[Lawppy]

Wow. Other than a translator in Green Bay (I wonder how well that goes during lake enhancement), the next 103.5's going west are located in Waukon, IA, (37kw) Mankato, MN (100kw) and Brainerd, MN (20kw). I don't doubt for a minute that WTCM blasts deep into Wisconsin. I wonder if you can eventually get so far away that a very weak WTCM fights with a very weak Waukon, Mankato or Brainerd? Or maybe you get into an area with a very weak WKSC Chicago before you get close enough to receive the IA/MN stations?

 

[KYradioJake]

From Lexington, KY it is usually WAKY out of Louisville. Sometimes it is WGRR Cincinnati, depending on the conditions.

 

[schmave]

Thornville, Ohio ...
All WNND (Rewind 103.5/104.3) all the time. Tower is about 17 miles west, right along I-70 around mile marker 116, and the signal's pretty strong here. Much farther east, adjacent-channel 103.7 (country format) out of Zanesville clobbers it around mile market 150, hemming it in big-time along with Zanesville's 103.3, a low-power repeater of Columbus' Radio U.

 

[Buckeyes2001]

Wow. Other than a translator in Green Bay (I wonder how well that goes during lake enhancement), the next 103.5's going west are located in Waukon, IA, (37kw) Mankato, MN (100kw) and Brainerd, MN (20kw). I don't doubt for a minute that WTCM blasts deep into Wisconsin. I wonder if you can eventually get so far away that a very weak WTCM fights with a very weak Waukon, Mankato or Brainerd? Or maybe you get into an area with a very weak WKSC Chicago before you get close enough to receive the IA/MN stations?

I think the only thing that would get in the way would be WLLR/Davenport, IA on 103.7. Their IBOC would wipe out 103.5 probably a good 40 miles from the QC area. Get too close to Des Moines and KAZR 103.3 would cause problems with 103.5. The only thing in WI to get in the way of WTCM might be WXSS 103.7/Milwaukee. Get far enough away and WTCM should pop back up. I wonder how many people have gotten WTCM via E-skip? 100kW @ 1,486 feet makes for a monster signal and coverage.

 

[ftballfan]

Wow. Other than a translator in Green Bay (I wonder how well that goes during lake enhancement), the next 103.5's going west are located in Waukon, IA, (37kw) Mankato, MN (100kw) and Brainerd, MN (20kw). I don't doubt for a minute that WTCM blasts deep into Wisconsin. I wonder if you can eventually get so far away that a very weak WTCM fights with a very weak Waukon, Mankato or Brainerd? Or maybe you get into an area with a very weak WKSC Chicago before you get close enough to receive the IA/MN stations?

I think the only thing that would get in the way would be WLLR/Davenport, IA on 103.7. Their IBOC would wipe out 103.5 probably a good 40 miles from the QC area. Get too close to Des Moines and KAZR 103.3 would cause problems with 103.5. The only thing in WI to get in the way of WTCM might be WXSS 103.7/Milwaukee. Get far enough away and WTCM should pop back up. I wonder how many people have gotten WTCM via E-skip? 100kW @ 1,486 feet makes for a monster signal and coverage.

During a good tropo opening, I bet WTCM easily makes Wausau if not farther west. I've occasionally picked up WAXX (104.5) out of Eau Claire (100kW at a very high elevation) and that frequency has three other closer stations (WSNX, WZTC, and WXER).