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Interference on 90.9 WBDG and others

C

ChiefEngineer

Anyone noting interference on 90.9 to WBDG? There is a station in Bloomington (Licensed to Morgantown) that is supposedly directional South.

I'm hearing it in Greenfield on my clock radio. I shouldn't hear it anywhere in the metro area. New CP is supposed to go on in Fairland. In Fairland the Morgantown station has a 66 dbu signal.

Drove South the other day and I'm hearing it over WBDG in places that I shouldn't.

When I got to the site and looked there was no tower on the East side of Indiana 37. I drove about a half mile west up a huge hill and it's on a cell tower at another location. HAAT must be about 150 feet higher than the licensed location.

Station has been Licensed since 2006 (right after the cp expired) and has been off since 2007 until two weeks ago. (Off air well over a year.)

I've already talked to a few people because they noticed it. Any other reports appreciated. Reports of hearing the Calvary Chapel station or interference to WBDG. Pm or post here, thanks.
 
must be talking about WCJL and figures its a "religious" station

at my location in north anderson on 90.9 i can tell something is there can't pull it out of the noise
 
I will sometimes get interference on 90.9 when I get to the northside of Indy (never really travel south of downtown or the airport). I do know that 91.7 licensed north of Kokomo interferes on 91.7 Pendleton as close as SR 238 & I-69 sometimes...but not as much recently.

Another possiblity, with the ice recently, could it have been a cut-back on power from WBDG to protect the transmitter? I know that happened 3x with us this icy winter.

I don't think it has anything to do with "religious" broadcasters, just the ones that have tons of translator stations that have transmitters that get out of control. However, if Chief is right and the HAAT is 150 higher on a differnet tower and getting 66dbu in Fairland...its intentional. There are several of these companies that believe "its just a high school station."
 
ChiefEngineer said:
When I got to the site and looked there was no tower on the East side of Indiana 37.
Click to expand...
www.fccinfo.gov shows the licensed location west of 37 on Burma Road.
 
Tiger Direct does now show it there. Com Study has the old location West of. The actual coordinates and the FCC coordinaes don't match. One set is valley the real set hilltop.

The strangest thing is to look at their application showing the antenna low on the tower and look at the antenna at the top of the tower/monopole. The note in the app that shows they "made antenna changes and didn't need to have the surveyor re check the antenna."

Ideally their signal shouldn't be heard North Of Martinsville. Can't understand why it would be heard here except that the change in location/height move it way up the hill.
 
I checked it in the Edinburgh valley on the car radio last night & it's there, but barely. If it's got a 66dbu in Fairland & barely audible in Edinburgh, the directional pattern is very sharp & very mis-aligned.
 
All our equipment says we are operating normally. As soon as you leave the coverage area, we get swishy and fade out...especially going down SR 67.

I believe a station out that way (southwest) had been silent. That could be part of the issue. They went back on around Christmastime. I noticed that we lost any residual reception towards Mooresville at that time. This is the first I've heard of the issue...we have had not received any listener complaints. I will make our Chief Engineer aware of the situation.

Jon Easter
WBDG-FM
General Manager
 
Sounds good Jon. Good to know things are going well there. I guess I should clarify to say when we cut back it was an automatic transmitter adjustment to help our heaters work out that thick ice (high reflective numbers)...nothing we just "did".
 
I have tried calling the station several times. They have a studio in Northern Indiana. They said they weren't doing anything they shouldn't be.

I had a surveyor go to their site and survey the azimuth of the DA. Same surveyor who did the FCC certification. It's changed. It's higher than it should be also. Sent a copy to their lawyer and to the Media Bureau.

Their lawyer called me this week. He indicated they might move to the correct location (there isn't a tower there) and height.
 
Takes a lot of gonads to knowingly build out a facility not in compliance with a license or CP...these things are a bit tough to hide ya know!
 
Well Jon at the Giant WBDG,,, your station is the only station I listen to, and I live near Martinsville and I thought you guys were off the air,,, I cant even hear you in Greenwood now... I listen to the Giant for the Techno-dance mixes you guys air at night, and now I dont have access to any of that music on the airwaves now... I still think that WBDG,, 91.5 The Flash, and 89.3 WJEL are the best stations,, especially school stations ive ever heard.... I rate WBDG NIGHTS right up there with WNOU, WJJK, and Q-95,, the only stations I listen to,, except rarely the track or KLU.....and THE X....
 
Mid West Clubber said:
Well Jon at the Giant WBDG,,, your station is the only station I listen to, and I live near Martinsville and I thought you guys were off the air,,, I cant even hear you in Greenwood now... I listen to the Giant for the Techno-dance mixes you guys air at night, and now I dont have access to any of that music on the airwaves now... I still think that WBDG,, 91.5 The Flash, and 89.3 WJEL are the best stations,, especially school stations ive ever heard.... I rate WBDG NIGHTS right up there with WNOU, WJJK, and Q-95,, the only stations I listen to,, except rarely the track or KLU.....and THE X....
Click to expand...

I appreciate that you are a loyal listener and that you enjoy our programming.

Thanks again!
Jon Easter
WBDG-FM
General Manager
 
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