I have a couple of questions. For stations that broadcast on the CN, how far do their coverage areas go? I would have to think they're strong enough to reach out towards Kitchener and Brampton. Also, how receivable are they in Buffalo?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
FM reception
- Thread starter ksradiogeek
- Start date
From my experience driving along Highway 401, some of the stations broadcasting from the CN Tower can be received from Belleville to almost London, although in recent years there has been more and more co-channel and adjacent channel interference on the fringes of the coverage areas as new stations have signed on. For example, CHFI used to reach to just short of London along the 401, but another station on 98.1 signed on from London in 2011. Belleville-Trenton also no longer can get Q107, since Trenton's CJTN moved from AM to 107.1 a few years ago.
In general, most FM stations on the CN Tower and First Canadian Place are readily available in areas such as Guelph, Port Hope, Cobourg, Barrie, and Kitchener, though typically an outdoor antenna (i.e. car radio) is needed.
I can't speak for Buffalo and area.
In general, most FM stations on the CN Tower and First Canadian Place are readily available in areas such as Guelph, Port Hope, Cobourg, Barrie, and Kitchener, though typically an outdoor antenna (i.e. car radio) is needed.
I can't speak for Buffalo and area.
This was the case 20 years ago, yes. Not so much anymore, what with the explosion of translators and drop-in FM signals. There's a Buffalo translator on 104.7, for instance, that wipes out CHUM-FM in a big part of the city. I grew up listening to CHUM-FM and Q107 here in Rochester, but even with a good rooftop antenna they're all but impossible now. There are two Rochester-area translators on 104.5 (though one is moving) and another short-spaced Canadian on 107.1 that take them out here. IBOC on 106.7 less than a mile away doesn't help, either.
CBC on 94.1 and 99.1 does OK in most of Buffalo, even now, and CJRT on 91.1 is probably the cleanest of the Toronto FMs there, but it's not like it used to be.
CBC on 94.1 and 99.1 does OK in most of Buffalo, even now, and CJRT on 91.1 is probably the cleanest of the Toronto FMs there, but it's not like it used to be.
The new deal these days is, as long as the station does not touch the soil of the other Country...
(not the case 20 years ago...)
(not the case 20 years ago...)
Brampton! Ha! I meant Brantford. Should've looked while I was typing. 
I use Recnet's maps pretty frequently to get a good idea of a coverage area, though they may not be entirely accurate. Sometimes, they are. For example, I was in Oakville at my aunt's listening to an old school radio with a 45 player attached and tried pulling in CKFG. Virtually non existent. I tried to see if I could get any from Buffalo, and was surprised to get 93.7, yet 93.5 is next door and didn't bleed over.
I use Recnet's maps pretty frequently to get a good idea of a coverage area, though they may not be entirely accurate. Sometimes, they are. For example, I was in Oakville at my aunt's listening to an old school radio with a 45 player attached and tried pulling in CKFG. Virtually non existent. I tried to see if I could get any from Buffalo, and was surprised to get 93.7, yet 93.5 is next door and didn't bleed over.
I'm assuming you're towards Kingston or near Oswego or Watertown, NY?Tincap said:
I have another question: How well can you receive Buffalo stations? Like I mentioned earlier, I got WBLK clear in Oakville. What about downtown or uptown?
Were there a lot of concrete buildings around?mimo said:
ksradiogeek said:
It's all low and high rise apartment buildings and old houses. Mere minutes from the lake shore. However, even driving on lakeshore or on the Gardiner, it was hard to hear Buffalo FM back then because you would pass the CN tower and your radio would get overloaded. Even in the neighbourho0d, radios got overloaded because you were so close to the tower.
To answer the first question. I did try to listen to Toronto radio stations in Buffalo, but some of the stations was hard to catch. If you around Niagara Falls area, it's easily to pick up both Toronto radio stations and Buffalo radio stations except for Z103.5, 93.5 THE FLOW, CIRR 101.3, and AVR 106.5. Also 96.3 and 96.1 can be heard in Niagara Falls. When I was in downtown Buffalo, majority of the Toronto radio stations are nearly wipe out or hard to catch. I remember trying to listen to CHUM 104.5, 97.3 EZ ROCK, and 98.1 CHFI but it was very static almost non existent. Some of Niagara Falls/St. Catherine radio stations are static in Buffalo because I think they don't radiate their signal towards Buffalo for some political reasons and try to discourage US advertisers on Canadian radio.
If you'd looked up in downtown Buffalo, you'd have seen the FM antennas atop the Rand Building, which is a fairly low skyscraper by modern standards and is right in the heart of downtown. There are three full class B FMs up there - 93.7, 96.1, 106.5 - which put a huge amount of RF all over downtown. On all but the very best receivers, the front-end overload and receiver-induced intermod wipe out not only Toronto and St. Catharines stations but even some of the Buffalo FM signals that come from sites more distant from downtown. (94.5, 99.5 and 102.5 come from the Colden/Boston area in the hills south of town; 92.9 and 96.9 used to be down there but eventually moved into the city to try to overcome some of the overload from the Rand FMs. They now share the old channel 17 tower behind the channel 4 studios on Elmwood Ave. in North Buffalo.)
The big St. Catharines FMs (97.7 and 105.7) are non-directional, and their signals are just fine in western NY when you get out of the "RF haze" that surrounds downtown Buffalo. To the extent US advertisers are discouraged from advertising on Canadian radio, it's because of tax issues, which I guess is a form of "political reasons." (There are much stronger tax incentives for Canadian advertisers not to advertise on US radio.)
The big St. Catharines FMs (97.7 and 105.7) are non-directional, and their signals are just fine in western NY when you get out of the "RF haze" that surrounds downtown Buffalo. To the extent US advertisers are discouraged from advertising on Canadian radio, it's because of tax issues, which I guess is a form of "political reasons." (There are much stronger tax incentives for Canadian advertisers not to advertise on US radio.)
ksradiogeek said:
Back in the period from the mid '90s to the mid 2000s, I would be in Toronto and vacinity (GTA) on business trips every 2-3 months. I remember the Buffalo FMs being easy...and reliable...on a good car radio on the 407 freeway which runs through the northern and western reaches of the metro. Not sure if that's still the case. I don't get into Toronto as often as I used to....and when I do, the 407 is no longer a part of my route.
- Status