FM Frequency of the Week for 11/19/21: 98.9

[ZantennaG1]

We are on a commercial week again, as we did non-com last week, and thank you all for your support the last two weeks! As always, feel free to post your farthest/most interesting catch, as well as any occasional visitors! Out of respect for Thanksgiving and family time, I'll wait to post FM FOTW until Saturday the 27th, in which case it will be non-com again. Perhaps I should even try to include WX band?

98.9 is a really fun frequency for me here in Cheyenne:
There is nothing local besides some IBOC hash from KUAD Windsor, but in the summer I will receive tropo from KKMG (Magic FM) Pueblo, CO at 165 miles, and even had some nice correspondence with their afternoon host once.
For E-skip: I got WBYR Woodburn, IN (1,034 mi) with some nice RDS on June 27th of this year, and during the July 24th opening to South Carolina, I had something. For now though, the frequency is empty and dry, so I'll have to keep trying next summer!

 

[gr8oldies]

I once worked at a 98.9, the aforementioned WBYR, then licensed to Van Wert, Ohio. We regularly got phone calls into Michigan.
Nonetheless, East Tennessee, blank most of the time, but if it's anything regular it's WSPA, Spartanburg SC, and sometimes WSIP, Paintsville KY. E-skip--CJYC, St. Johns NB in 2018. Some other UNIDs as well.

WSIP also made it into SW Ohio, as did WBYR. WSLM, Salem IN used to be on 98-9, and often making it into Lafayette IN.

 

[ZantennaG1]

I once worked at a 98.9, the aforementioned WBYR, then licensed to Van Wert, Ohio. We regularly got phone calls into Michigan.
Nonetheless, East Tennessee, blank most of the time, but if it's anything regular it's WSPA, Spartanburg SC, and sometimes WSIP, Paintsville KY. E-skip--CJYC, St. Johns NB in 2018. Some other UNIDs as well.

WSIP also made it into SW Ohio, as did WBYR. WSLM, Salem IN used to be on 98-9, and often making it into Lafayette IN.

I have to wonder if WBYR had a different tower at the time, and perhaps it was easier/harder to dx?

 

[ksradiogeek]

Central Kansas: Weak to semi-decent reception of KQRC/Leavenworth, depending on day/conditions. Otherwise, a static signal with no locals.

North Iowa: A moderate to weak KQCR/Parkersburg.

 

[WCJ]

Orange County, TX K255BB an EMF station

 

[gr8oldies]

I have to wonder if WBYR had a different tower at the time, and perhaps it was easier/harder to dx?

The station was originally WERT-FM, licensed to Van Wert, Ohio. Then it was WKSD, and before flipping to WBYR, The station moved to a tower in Arcola Indiana. There were restrictions on Tower Heights due to an airport. and built studios in Fort Wayne. Since the only city and license was moved to Woodburn Indiana and I assume the tower is somewhere around there.

 

[ente]

South Mississippi:

WUUU Franklinton, LA -Cat Country 98.9, haven't heard anything else on this frequency.

 

[ZantennaG1]

haven't heard anything else on this frequency.

Solar cycle 25 should peak around 2024, so if you are feeling left out right now, then your time is coming.

 

[192khz]

98.9 WMXY-FM

80s to now format.

I can receive them from Pittsburgh.

 

[Harvey_Dogg]

Central Indiana has tropo conditions more days than not. Some of the catches that were frequent on 98.9 in Indianapolis include Paintsville, KY, Petoskey, MI, Woodburn, IN., and Salem, IN I used a Yagi with many elements. It had 20 times gain.

High gain antennas put one in a different league. Instead of 100 miles being DX, you can hear more than 300 miles.

 

[schmave]

Here in Columbus, it's local conservative talker WTOH (98.9 The Answer). 2,600 watts transmitting from just west of downtown, I think on the same WBNS-TV stick as most of the other big FMs.
As its wattage might suggest, the signal is pretty unimpressive. In the analog days, it was completely possible to hear Dayton country giant WHKO on 99.1 in parts of southwest Franklin County.
As far as WBYR, that coverage map on Radio Locator underestimates their excellent signal in my experience. It's a blaster in St. Marys and Celina and I personally have heard it all the way past Bellefontaine and east of Findlay, a good 10-15 miles beyond the outer blue circle. gr8, how long ago did they move their tower?

 

[CalebC]

I completely misunderstood the post originally reading it. My apologies.

Back in Parsons, KS it was always KQQF 98.9 (Christian format) then KKRK when growing up.

Not uncommon to hear KYIS/OKC in Wichita, where I currently reside, despite being sandwiched right in-between two rimshots.

 

[gr8oldies]

Here in Columbus, it's local conservative talker WTOH (98.9 The Answer). 2,600 watts transmitting from just west of downtown, I think on the same WBNS-TV stick as most of the other big FMs.
As its wattage might suggest, the signal is pretty unimpressive. In the analog days, it was completely possible to hear Dayton country giant WHKO on 99.1 in parts of southwest Franklin County.
As far as WBYR, that coverage map on Radio Locator underestimates their excellent signal in my experience. It's a blaster in St. Marys and Celina and I personally have heard it all the way past Bellefontaine and east of Findlay, a good 10-15 miles beyond the outer blue circle. gr8, how long ago did they move their tower?

I'm not even sure they changed towers with the City of License change from Van Wert to Woodburn. I'm wondering if this change had to do with closing the main studio presence in Van Wert, as WHIO-FM did by changing COL from Piqua to Pleasant Hill. Of course the Main Studio rule went away. A tower was built for the former WERT-FM (then WKSD)in Arcola, IN. Because of the proximity of an airport, the tower wasn't maximum height for a Class B. Building penetration suffered but WBYR had a huge regional signal. I worked at WBYR 1989-1991, weekend warrioring.

 

[ZantennaG1]

I completely misunderstood the post originally reading it. My apologies.
.

It's all good