FM station with largest coverage map?

[eyg2181]

does anybody know of any FM stations with oversized coverage maps?

i found 102.9 WMGK (Philadelphia) 107.7 THE END (Seattle) 102.5 KZOK (Seattle) 102.9 WBLM (Portland, ME)

so what do you guys think, can you think of any biger than those?

 

[Lawppy]

102.9 WMGK really is not that big.

102.9 WBLM Portland, ME is a pretty impressive signal.

But the two winners here are KNDD and KZOK from Seattle. According to Radio-Locator, both stations can be heard in Aberdeen. Almost 100 miles away!

Here's a few more to try on for size..

90.7 KPFK- Los Angeles, CA
94.9 WHOM- Mt. Washington, NH
107.9 WVPS- Burlington, VT

 

[radiofriend1]

102.9 WMGK really is not that big.

102.9 WBLM Portland, ME is a pretty impressive signal.

But the two winners here are KNDD and KZOK from Seattle. According to Radio-Locator, both stations can be heard in Aberdeen. Almost 100 miles away!

Here's a few more to try on for size..

90.7 KPFK- Los Angeles, CA
94.9 WHOM- Mt. Washington, NH
107.9 WVPS- Burlington, VT

memphis wmc-fm 290kw @ 909' major fm
grand rapids wbct 320kw @ 785'
also in grand rapids wood-fm 265kw @ 820'
wnci in columbus also huge 175kw @ 561' pretty flat terrain

 

[DJboutit3]

93.3 Austin has a 3000ft tower it is a blow torch to the north & south east
97.1 houston has great range in all directions

 

[fortmill]

WSLQ-FM, Roanoke VA, greatly surpasses all mentioned so far. They broadcast from a 4000 ft mountain with 200kw. I have picked them up many times in central SC, even though the band around 99.1 has become much more congested. WVTF-FM, 89.1 in Roanoke also does very well, even though they're only 100k, the band is much less congested for some reason. But, I think the two most powerful FMs are in CA---one in Santa Barbara and the other in LA---I think WSLQ comes in third. BTW---there is no such thing as a 3000 ft tower and I don't think there are any mountains like that around Austin TX.

 

[foreverchanges75]

Here's what radio-locator.com says about 93.3 in Austin, TX.

KDHT-FM Technical Info:
Station Status Licensed Class C FM Station
Area of Coverage View Coverage Map
Effective Radiated Power 100,000 Watts
Height above Avg. Terrain 587 meters (1927 feet)
Height above Ground Level 582 meters (1911 feet)
Height above Sea Level 928 meters (3047 feet)
Antenna Pattern Non-Directional
Transmitter Location 30° 43' 34" N, 97° 59' 23" W
License Granted June 27 2002
License Expires August 01 2013
Last FCC Update November 23 2005

 

[w9wi]

In terms of raw coverage, I'd give the nod to KVYB 103.3 Santa Barbara, Cal. 105 kilowatts at 903m AAT; this station is grandfathered WAY beyond the current 100kw/600m limit. (indeed, Santa Barbara is in Zone I, so it should really be limited to 50kw/150m. If KVYB were built today at the same antenna height, its power would be limited to only 1.38kw)

The aforementioned KPFK Los Angeles is a close second. 110 kilowatts at "only" 863 meters above average terrain.

OTOH, much of both of these stations' coverage areas are over water.

I would suggest (without having hard evidence to back it up) the station with the largest coverage over land is WTSS 102.5 in Buffalo, in pretty much a dead heat with WBCT Grand Rapids.

http://www.w9wi.com/articles/grand_fm.htm

 

[DJboutit3]

93.3 old 3000ft tower use to be near Temple & Killeen

 

[TheDingo]

does anybody know of any FM stations with oversized coverage maps?

i found 102.9 WMGK (Philadelphia) 107.7 THE END (Seattle) 102.5 KZOK (Seattle) 102.9 WBLM (Portland, ME)

so what do you guys think, can you think of any biger than those?

WUHT (formerly WRAX / WENN) in Birmingham AL had a huge coverage area on the radio-locator map (not the CP) reaching to the MS line, the GA line and almost to the TN line, actual coverage went beyond that, with a listenable signal well in to Tennessee on some radios until nashvile's 107.5 drowned it out. WBPT has a similar signal

 

[vibe]

WHOM is a very reliable station here in Central Mass- strongest station by far round here- I'm at least 140 mi from the transmitter. They (HOM) brag it is heard in 5 states and in Quebec.

 

[Lawppy]

I would suggest (without having hard evidence to back it up) the station with the largest coverage over land is WTSS 102.5 in Buffalo, in pretty much a dead heat with WBCT Grand Rapids.

For some reason, WBCT does not boom into Southern Michigan like I would expect a 320kw station to. They are prone to interference here during tropo events and especially summer e-skip season. The signal does not make it much beyond the Indiana state line driving south on I-69.

 

[KE4KLS_Radio]

Re: FM station with largest coverage map?

One that comes to mind is WMIT, 106.9 in Black Mountain, NC. Located on Clingman's Peak near Mount Mitchell in western North Carolina, I have picked them up from Irmo, SC to Pinnacle Rock State Park in so. WV. Radio-Locator shows they serve 5 states: http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WMIT&service=FM&status=L&hours=U

 

[radiofriend1]

I would suggest (without having hard evidence to back it up) the station with the largest coverage over land is WTSS 102.5 in Buffalo, in pretty much a dead heat with WBCT Grand Rapids.

For some reason, WBCT does not boom into Southern Michigan like I would expect a 320kw station to. They are prone to interference here during tropo events and especially summer e-skip season. The signal does not make it much beyond the Indiana state line driving south on I-69.

it's called curvature of the earth. the earth is round, FM waves aren't necessarly bound by the ionosphere like AM, so it just keeps going on a straight line into space

physics, man

 

[Lawppy]

it's called curvature of the earth. the earth is round, FM waves aren't necessarly bound by the ionosphere like AM, so it just keeps going on a straight line into space

physics, man

I understand that.. I wasn't saying that they should be able to cover 38 states and parts of Canada and Mexico like say, WLW. I was just saying that for a 320kw station, WBCT does not carry as far as one would expect. I get a more reliable long-distance signal from WOMC (180kw) and WKQI (100kw) from Detroit.

 

[radiofriend1]

terrain in a specific area also has a major effect

and truthfully coverage maps aren't always necessarily the most real world indicators

dxers report getting WBCT in parts of ill. and wisc. the det. signals can occasionally be picked up in a car in ohio but their towers are farther south

then U have pretty sizable signals in the bay area (sf) but fm sucks in these parts. the am signals get out much better

 

[mobley]

Some years back a fellow named Jim Duncan had a quarterly publication called 'American Radio" that had lArbirton ratings and various other radio lists. At one point he had a list of FM stations with the best coverage in America. Seems like a station in New Mexico may have had the best overall FM coverage. WHOM on Mt. Washington and WMIT up near Mt Mitchell NC, were defintely on the list.

 

[romer979fm]

In terms of raw coverage, I'd give the nod to KVYB 103.3 Santa Barbara, Cal. 105 kilowatts at 903m AAT; this station is grandfathered WAY beyond the current 100kw/600m limit.

the 103.3 Santa Barbara signal is impressive: carries well into north San Luis Obispo County...
and can be heard (marginally) into northwest Los Angeles County...into the west San Fernando Valley. When is was still A/C KRUZ...sales brochures touted "The biggest station in the nation"
Of course...the word "sales" is there...so...grain of salt. Or more.

 

[CW]

93.3 Austin has a 3000ft tower it is a blow torch to the north & south east
97.1 houston has great range in all directions

93.3 is right under TWO thousand...not 3000ft!
A lot of the Houston FMs are also at 2000ft/100KW Class Cs which can be heard up to or more than 100miles from their towers

 

[CW]

93.3 old 3000ft tower use to be near Temple & Killeen

Never was a 3000ft tower...ever!!! The highest tower ever built has only been 2000ft high (AGL)....
Sorry, but you are incorrect

 

[w9wi]

93.3 old 3000ft tower use to be near Temple & Killeen

Never was a 3000ft tower...ever!!! The highest tower ever built has only been 2000ft high (AGL)....

Actually just a *bit* higher - 2,063'? Something like that - more than 2,000, less than 2,100.

There was once a taller tower in Poland. It collapsed & they didn't rebuild it. I want to say 2,200' but could be wrong.

Neither tower houses(housed) FM stations though. The 2,063-footer in North Dakota belongs to KVLY-TV; the one in Poland was for a longwave (AM) station.

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I doubt terrain is much of an issue in the Grand Rapids market, it's pretty flat.

It's my understanding the FCC only protects these "superpower" stations from interference to the distance they'd reach if they were running the normal limit. In WBCT's case, while they're running 320,000 watts, the nearest other stations on 93.7 are authorized as if WBCT was only 20,000. So interference may limit them to no more coverage than a "normal" station.

They did have one heck of a signal across the lake in Wisconsin when I lived there. Essentially a local in Milwaukee. I have to bet WBFM in Sheboygan regrets moving from (I forget their old frequency, 97.7?) to 93.7!