FOX FM Gets 4th Atlanta Signal

[secondchoice]

Sometimes it is difficult to engineer translators. In addition to preventing co-channel, adjacent and second channel interference, the signal must remain within the protected contour of the originating station.

If someone will post the actual callsigns of the translators so I can pull up their maps, I can try to make educated guesses as to what the issues are. I do not have the empirical knowledge of the geography that you are presuming in your discussion.

100.1 is W261DL . There is WNSY to the north that would limit them on the Northside

102.1 is W271CV. There are a few on channel translators and LP stations close. Also there are 2 class A's north on 102.3 in Buford and Rome.

100.9 might be limited by 101.1 Elljay

The average elevation increases the farther north you go. With the general racial make up of the market the farther they go north the better.

 

[RadioDoogie]

100.1 is W261DL . There is WNSY to the north that would limit them on the Northside

102.1 is W271CV. There are a few on channel translators and LP stations close. Also there are 2 class A's north on 102.3 in Buford and Rome.

100.9 might be limited by 101.1 Elljay

The average elevation increases the farther north you go. With the general racial make up of the market the farther they go north the better.

WGMG in Athens limits W271CV to go any further east.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Okay, although you didn't post all four callsigns, those two do have some overlap in Atlanta itself.

From the second post, I presume it is the Athens station which keeps the 102.1 translator at a meager eight watts. The 100.1 has the full 250 watts allowed for that class.

It does appear that trying to cover the entire metro is a herculean task. Is this a format unique enough to the market to make this kludge worth it?

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Okay, although you didn't post all four callsigns, those two do have some overlap in Atlanta itself.

From the second post, I presume it is the Athens station which keeps the 102.1 translator at a meager eight watts. The 100.1 has the full 250 watts allowed for that class.

It does appear that trying to cover the entire metro is a herculean task. Is this a format unique enough to the market to make this kludge worth it?

80, not 8, watts. And the height above ground level is 801 feet, giving them a nice signal.

And there's 99.3 W257DF on the south side with 250 watts.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Thanks for the clarification, but I'm inclined to agree that this has been cobbled together across frequencies that are not terribly close to each other.

Is it worth it?

 

[secondchoice]

Is it worth it?

Maybe. There is no true "Adult Hits" (or whatever WCBS is classified now) in the market.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

If they regularly or semi-regularly commute more than, say, 15 miles - chances are pretty high reception will be lost.

If AF is enabled, as they drive, it'[ll switch to the next available frequency automatically without the driver having to do anything

 

[K.M. Richards]

If AF is enabled, as they drive, it'[ll switch to the next available frequency automatically without the driver having to do anything

Paul, does that work when the frequencies are not conveniently close together? (I admit to knowing less than nothing about AF.)

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Paul, does that work when the frequencies are not conveniently close together? (I admit to knowing less than nothing about AF.)

i dont think it matters where the frequencies are in the band..... what little i know about AF which is slightly mroe than you)

 

[Ryan Williams]

This may be true for some of these Fox translators, but Atlanta has a number of translators that do very well for in-car listening. I was there a little over a month ago and you can pretty cleanly listen to the The Fan's 93.7 signal (W229AG) for many more than 15 miles. It is solid from Union City to Alpharetta (approximately 40 miles) and there are a handful of others that are roughly equivalent... 94.5, 97.9, 102.5, etc.

Now, I doubt the is any real at-work or in-home listening to these weak signals outside of central Fulton or western DeKalb counties though.

 

[MarkW]

The ones you named certainly have decent coverage, at least on paper. Didn't 94.5 upgrade from a severely directional signal to a nice, omni signal fairly recently?

 

[davideduardo]

Maybe. There is no true "Adult Hits" (or whatever WCBS is classified now) in the market.

CBS-FM is "classic hits". "Adult Hits" is Jack and other stations named after guys who "play what they want".

 

[Miss Tuned]

Paul, does that work when the frequencies are not conveniently close together? (I admit to knowing less than nothing about AF.)

It doesn't matter how close the frequencies are. The RDS broadcast contains a list of alternate frequencies (hence AF) alongside the visible RDS data like station name and scrolling text. If you're driving along and listening to, say, 92.9 and it fades out, the radio will automatically try the frequencies in that station's AF list in turn and switch to the strongest one, even if those frequencies are at the far end of the dial, 104.3 and 106.9.

 

[secondchoice]

It doesn't matter how close the frequencies are. The RDS broadcast contains a list of alternate frequencies (hence AF) alongside the visible RDS data like station name and scrolling text. If you're driving along and listening to, say, 92.9 and it fades out, the radio will automatically try the frequencies in that station's AF list in turn and switch to the strongest one, even if those frequencies are at the far end of the dial, 104.3 and 106.9.

I never used that feature. I will check it out next time I go to the airport.