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How far does the WHOM FM signal go?
- Thread starter BMR
- Start date
This will give you an idea.
http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WHOM-FM
http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=WHOM-FM
That map understates WHOM's range. I've received it indoors, with a nondescript portable with a whip antenna, in Swampscott, MA, which is 12 miles north of Boston, far south of the deepest southern fringe shown on the map.
Coverage of stations on VHF frequencies (like FM) can be unpredictable. Atmospheric conditions can cause total chaos on the FM band.
The predicted coverage of FM stations is based upon line-of-sight with the receiving antenna 30' above local ground level.
The predicted coverage of FM stations is based upon line-of-sight with the receiving antenna 30' above local ground level.
When I lived in Schenectady NY, just outside Albany, I was able to listen to WHOM regularly. I had to switch to mono from stereo but because they played a blend of Soft AC at the time not available locally, I had WHOM on frequently. Today there is a station Sunderland, Vermont, at 95.1 that may block the signal on most radios in the Albany area, but I'm sure it can still be heard further north along the NY border, such as Lake George. I know I can hear it in Haverhill and Newburyport, MA on my car radio today.
WHOM hits five U.S. states (NH, ME, VT, MA, NY) and Canada. It comes in clearly in Southern Quebec. It could be heard in the Montreal area till a station went on the air at 95.1. That also blocks it from being heard in that part of Ontario close to the U.S. and Quebec border. So it can no longer claim it hits two Canadian provinces, only one now. But it still is very strong in Sherbrooke Quebec. At one time, its sister TV station also on Mount Washington, Channel 8, was the de facto ABC station for Montreal. People put up outdoor antennas so they could pick up NBC 5 from Plattsburgh NY, CBS 3 from Burlington VT and ABC 8 from Poland Spring ME. WMTW in the early 2000s relocated its tower nearer to Portland because with digital TV, a transmitter on Mt. Washington may not hit the communities south of Portland along the Atlantic coast.
WHOM still has advertisers in Southern Maine, Southern NH and Vermont who are far from the tower but get a great signal. Unfortunately, the station has stepped up the tempo of its AC music to the point that it isn't unique. I'm sure as time goes by, despite the great signal, it will likely lose some of those farther advertisers because there are plenty of other uptempo AC stations closer to their stores. When it was Easy Listening or Soft AC, people who didn't live nearby sought out the signal because they didn't have anything like that locally, as I did in the Albany area.
WHOM hits five U.S. states (NH, ME, VT, MA, NY) and Canada. It comes in clearly in Southern Quebec. It could be heard in the Montreal area till a station went on the air at 95.1. That also blocks it from being heard in that part of Ontario close to the U.S. and Quebec border. So it can no longer claim it hits two Canadian provinces, only one now. But it still is very strong in Sherbrooke Quebec. At one time, its sister TV station also on Mount Washington, Channel 8, was the de facto ABC station for Montreal. People put up outdoor antennas so they could pick up NBC 5 from Plattsburgh NY, CBS 3 from Burlington VT and ABC 8 from Poland Spring ME. WMTW in the early 2000s relocated its tower nearer to Portland because with digital TV, a transmitter on Mt. Washington may not hit the communities south of Portland along the Atlantic coast.
WHOM still has advertisers in Southern Maine, Southern NH and Vermont who are far from the tower but get a great signal. Unfortunately, the station has stepped up the tempo of its AC music to the point that it isn't unique. I'm sure as time goes by, despite the great signal, it will likely lose some of those farther advertisers because there are plenty of other uptempo AC stations closer to their stores. When it was Easy Listening or Soft AC, people who didn't live nearby sought out the signal because they didn't have anything like that locally, as I did in the Albany area.
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This reception is normal on Boston's North Shore, not the product of unusual atmospheric conditions. As Gregg posted, Schenectady, Haverhill and Newburyport are well within WHOM's normal range as a fringe signal.
In a different thread on this forum, I wrote:
The maps do not take into account the affect of the towers on side-mounted transmitting antennas.
For that reason alone, the coverage maps for non-directional FM stations are not at all accurate.
The circular coverage areas shown on the radio-locator maps indicate the predicted coverage from omni-directional transmitting antennas.
In reality, they do not exist in the real world.
The maps do not take into account the affect of the towers on side-mounted transmitting antennas.
For that reason alone, the coverage maps for non-directional FM stations are not at all accurate.
The circular coverage areas shown on the radio-locator maps indicate the predicted coverage from omni-directional transmitting antennas.
In reality, they do not exist in the real world.
According to W9WI's posted chart, WHOM's grandfathered 48KW would be 27,652 watts (2.4 db lower) at their height if they were licensed as a new station today. At one time, WMIT, Black Mountain, NC, might have made the number one spot on that list, but they were off the air for a few years and missed the proverbial boat, and considering their format, they might have offered a few quotes from the book of proverbs!
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Checking FM curves at the FCC website, a class C at 600 meters HAAT (the max. allowed before having power cutback from the 100 kW max.) would need 200 kW at 600 meters to match WHOM's coverage using 48 kW AT 1141 m. HAAT. Then, if we assume a 3 dB bump on the side of the tower where the antenna bays are mounted, that doubles the power in that direction.
Richard Fry has a great article on the side mounting subject: http://www.oldradio.com/current/sidemount.pdf
103.3 KVYB Santa Barbara (105 kW at nearly 3000 feet) has WHOM beat. But since Santa Barbara is right on the Pacific Coast, much of the signal falls on the ocean. So if we specify LAND coverage, then WHOM has the advantage.
Now if we add "height above sea level" to the equation, then maybe numerous stations in the Colorado Springs and Pueblo markets would win because, even though their antenna heights are nothing special above average terrain, they are 9000 feet above sea level, running 70-80,000 watts. OK, in the Rockies, no communities are at sea level. But if you live 100 miles away or more at, say, 6000 feet above sea level, you may be hearing those southern Colorado stations like a local. Denver stations are about 7000 feet above sea level, running 100,000 watts. So they also get heard more than 100 miles away, if you're at a lower elevation and not blocked from the signal.
Part of WHOM's ability to be heard along the Atlantic Coast from Newburyport MA to Bar Harbor ME, is that those communities are at sea level. WHOM's tower is 3743 feet above average terrain, as Mt. Washington is surrounded by lesser mountains. But it is also 6312 feet above sea level. So that line of sight, if no other mountain is blocking its path, hits listeners along the Atlantic Coast like gangbusters.
Now if we add "height above sea level" to the equation, then maybe numerous stations in the Colorado Springs and Pueblo markets would win because, even though their antenna heights are nothing special above average terrain, they are 9000 feet above sea level, running 70-80,000 watts. OK, in the Rockies, no communities are at sea level. But if you live 100 miles away or more at, say, 6000 feet above sea level, you may be hearing those southern Colorado stations like a local. Denver stations are about 7000 feet above sea level, running 100,000 watts. So they also get heard more than 100 miles away, if you're at a lower elevation and not blocked from the signal.
Part of WHOM's ability to be heard along the Atlantic Coast from Newburyport MA to Bar Harbor ME, is that those communities are at sea level. WHOM's tower is 3743 feet above average terrain, as Mt. Washington is surrounded by lesser mountains. But it is also 6312 feet above sea level. So that line of sight, if no other mountain is blocking its path, hits listeners along the Atlantic Coast like gangbusters.
If we are talking about height above Sea Level, then Albuquerque steals a march over Colorado. Most of the FM's (and there are a bundle - most radio stations per capita in the US) are on top of Sandia Crest which is 10,700 (more or less) above Sea Level. And to hijack the thread a little - KTAO in Taos is 10,837 above Sea Level which may make them the highest transmitter height in the US. BTW, speaking of Mt Washington, the height is at 6289'. My house is located at 6653'. I could look down on Mt Washington, but I can't receive a single ABQ FM indoors from 15 miles away thanksk to the terrain 
Stephen on our forums (pianoplayer88key) gets KVYB often in San Diego, even on portables.
Out here in WA, we have our own blaster - KPQ 102.1 Wenatchee. With a transmitter on Mission Ridge above Wenatchee, they can be heard (on a sensitive radio) all the way to Spokane and eastern Oregon, north into southern BC, and in small spurts around Seattle (and even on Hood Canal). They used to be a lot more power and was heard into western Montana.
WHOM is still a blaster - too bad they are not B/EZ or Soft AC anymore.
-crainbebo
Out here in WA, we have our own blaster - KPQ 102.1 Wenatchee. With a transmitter on Mission Ridge above Wenatchee, they can be heard (on a sensitive radio) all the way to Spokane and eastern Oregon, north into southern BC, and in small spurts around Seattle (and even on Hood Canal). They used to be a lot more power and was heard into western Montana.
WHOM is still a blaster - too bad they are not B/EZ or Soft AC anymore.
-crainbebo
I'm getting WHOM "best variety of the 80's, 0's and today") right now in Poughkeepsie, NY at 216 miles, with a "choppy" signal. However, WHOM is not 24/7 here. Also on 94.9 I have WJJF Montauk, NY, a translator in Middletown, NY, and K-Rock (WKLL) Frankfort, NY. All can be picked up by turning the antenna. WKLL is weaker than you would expect due to signal blockage by the Catskill Mountains.
I used to pick up various Vancouver B.C. FMs from Portland and it's a seven-hour drive, so that should give you some idea how far it is! For some reason, I only got them late at night but it was quite consistent.
No 90s?
In southeastern CT, we have 94.9 WJJF Montauk NY which comes in quite well but on the Hills near Mohegan Sun in the car, WHOM bleeds in and sometimes comes in well over WJJF. When I've been in Southern Maine, it comes in extremely strong like a local. I remember driving in the Lowell/Chelmsford area and it coming in very strong as I was switching back and forth because I was catching the NASCAR race on WHEB. WHOM is truly impressive.
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