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Is there a plan to fix KYOK?

P

purpledevil

Guest
Just wondering if there might be an engineer roaming the boards that could tell me what exactly is wrong with KYOK's audio, and why it has remained like it is for the better part of 6 months. Isn't KYOK one of dragrage's stations? Totally unlistenable, and it's getting worse and worse every time I pass by 1140. Do the Martin folks just not care? I've read here where KZZB/Beaumont has had this type of audio problem as well. I have never heard any problems with KWWJ, but of course that is the flagship.
 
If KZZB is any example then then Kyok should be off the air. KZZB has been off the air for some time now.
 
With the audio the way it is, stan, they might as well turn it off too. I've never heard KYOK sound so bad, and especially for this long.
 
What is it that you are hearing that is so bad? Can you give me some specifics? times of day anything? There is nothing different going on that's not been going on for at least the last year.
 
Thanks dragrage. Good to see you again. The audio on KYOK is distorted. The signal is on par with what is typical from KYOK in North Houston, but whatever is feeding the audio to the station sounds horrible. I wish I knew how to technically explain it. To me, it sounds like what your land line telephone sounds like when water has gotten into the line. It sounds like a bad feed. It is definitely not the signal itself. The sound problem is all day, every day for the last 6 months.

I took a trip up to my buddy's land in Onalaska this weekend. Checked KYOK from 190 on the ride up, and down 59 on the way into Houston. Signal is clean, no break ups, and little static that close to the transmitter. However, the audio itself is still garbled. Hope I have helped some. Man, where's jd? I need his technical vocabulary and expertise.
 
We did turn the gain up a bit on the input to the omnia a while back and also the modulation because the sales people complain about how it's not loud enuff. As you may know, the modulation has to be low because of the combo hd signal. I will try turning things back down a little to see if we can lower the over saturation problem. Thanks guys.
 
You guys haven't mentioned whether it sounds better to you or not, We do loose a bit of sound quality because of the HD but it is a trade off.
 
dragrage, can I ask you where you are located. Generally speaking if you were to turn a radio on and tune it to 1140 would you be able to pick up KYOK? I wonder because I am obviously not able to explain what I'm hearing the right way. It is still not right. If you can pick it up, compare it to it's next door neighbors KZNE or KGOL. It sounds lower now in overall volume, but it still sounds like one of those old office phones that had the muzak on them, but someone turned the volume up too loud and now it just sounds distorted. That's the best way I know to explain it. I believe it's coming from whatever you're using to feed audio into KYOK.

I'm actually kind of sorry I brought it up now. I remember when YOK was one of the best radio stations in Houston. Today, it has become a hollow shell of it's once soulful self, and certainly no offense intended to you dragrage or anyone else affiliated with the station, but it's a sad reality. A sign of things to come, I'm afraid. I'm waiting to see who KTRH puts to retirement when it makes the jump from AM to FM.

I'm not saying KTRH IS moving to FM so don't quote me on that. But I believe it will happen, eventually and I think most of us see it coming.
 
Now i see the problem, you are really talking about KYOK, in Conroe. My mistake. I thought you guys actually meant KMIC (formally KYOK 1590 am) in Houston. I don't have any affiliation with the station in Conroe. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
 
Ah...well in that case, KMIC is a-ok. You said sales had mentioned that the volume was too low on 1590, that was never the case until HD was installed on the station. I suspect you would have a happier sales force with the volume if you turned the HD off for a couple of days and let them see the difference in what KMIC sounds like. 1590 has always blanketed Houston very nicely, and still does, but something was lost with the overall balance of KMIC since the HD conversion. Too much low range, not enough highs.

Other than that, carry on with the good work. Thanks for taking the time to check it out on your end. Hopefully someone that does have a connection with the Martin family will see this and alert them of KYOK's problem.
 
purpledevil said:
Ah...well in that case, KMIC is a-ok. You said sales had mentioned that the volume was too low on 1590, that was never the case until HD was installed on the station. I suspect you would have a happier sales force with the volume if you turned the HD off for a couple of days and let them see the difference in what KMIC sounds like. 1590 has always blanketed Houston very nicely, and still does, but something was lost with the overall balance of KMIC since the HD conversion. Too much low range, not enough highs.

Other than that, carry on with the good work. Thanks for taking the time to check it out on your end. Hopefully someone that does have a connection with the Martin family will see this and alert them of KYOK's problem.
Click to expand...

I remember when KYOK was Yo 1590 Raps. The sound was superb in Southwest Houston. Even when they were the Y98.5 triplecast.
 
I don't know about all of this. What I do know is this: I wish KYOK would return to its original hip format that I grew up listening to in the '50s and '60s.

It was charming and classic.
 
Looks like KMIC has turned their HD off. It was about time. It sounded like crap anyway. Splattered all over the upper part of the band.
 
mrbeasley said:
Looks like KMIC has turned their HD off. It was about time. It sounded like crap anyway. Splattered all over the upper part of the band.
Click to expand...

It didn't sound like crap, but i do agree that it did interfere to varying degress with several stations from 1520 on up. We are trying to tighten it up more now.
 
I agree with dragrage, it didn't sound like "crap" but it is definitely louder than before and sounds MUCH improved without the HD turned on. Dragrage, you had mentioned that your sales staff at KMIC were complaining about the sound being too low on 1590, well my friend, that is fixed. It sounds like 1590 used to. Very clear, very crisp with a good audio level. Kudos to you and the staff for eliminating this "technology".
 
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I agree. The analog sounds much better today. What I should have said was the 1590 analog sounded bad, as the HD had it splattering all over the upper part of the band with noise in the main channel signal. That seems to have gone away with the HD off. You did good DR.

I'm in the camp that HD for AM is a bad idea, for these very reasons. Leave AM alone with it's signature sound. Quit trying to improve on it. Even with HD, it will never be CD quality. But, people will still listen, if they are provided with something worth listening to. Even music! And, they don't have to buy a different radio to listen to us.

So, I say leave it alone. It's only making the situation worse for the AM band as a whole.

Off my soapbox now. We now return you to your regularly scheduled flap.
 
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