• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

KGOW Signal Issues

G

gbranch

Does anyone know if KGOW is having signal problems or if they have changed their daytime pattern? They have been consistently very strong post sunrise and pre-sunset up here in NE Texas, but the last couple of weeks their signal up here has been for the most part non-existent.
 
I haven't noticed any change in the daytime power but they have obviously got the 19k nighttime power going now. I'm about 50 miles NW of Houston, and their daytime power has not noticeably decreased at my location.
 
The coverage map still shows a large NE lobe on their daytime pattern, so maybe they are having some technical difficulties. It is almost like they are forgetting to switch to their daytime pattern on certain days.

It has not been uncommon for their signal to reach places like Indiana and Ohio during critical hours. 1560 in Daingerfield, TX had to apply for an FM translator because they were getting wiped out by KGOW within their city limits.
 
You're right, Greg, and that points out a fallacy in the system. Standard daytime measurements for new stations or changes in existing ones are taken outside of critical hour times, the two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset. The only consideration during critical hours in this case was toward the dominant (Class A) stations on 1560, WQEW New York and KNZR Bakersfield. It was shown that no objectionable interference would be caused to either of them. As a result KGOW's 50kW signal wreaks havoc on KNGR and some adjacent channel stations as well for a good portion of the day.
 
Update - Tuesday (2/23) afternoon about 4:30 PM, booming in like a local into Kilgore-Longview. At about 5:05 PM went to dead air during segment on Astros spring training by Richard Justice, carrier present, no audio. This went on for about 10 minutes. At about 5:15 PM carrier signal disappeared.

Wednesday (2/24) morning, no signal as late as 7:30 AM. Only discernable signal seems to be gospel from KNGR Daingerfield. Local Houston sunrise is at 6:52.
 
This Wednesday morning as of 7:30 they still have not made the switch over to the daytime/Angelton site. They had done so later. I wonder if they could
do a little re-configuring, and also use the nighttime/Hockley site at full power during the day.

Old Chicago
 
I'm just a listener with no radio experience and/or knowledge, but whatever has happened to their signal needs to be fixed. 1560 went from being loud and clear in my windowed office downtown to nothing but static for most of the last couple of weeks.
 
Wednesday (2/24) afternoon at 4:30 PM, booming in again as normal into Kilgore-Longview. At 4:48 PM, in the middle of a traffic report, went to dead air again, just carrier, no audio. By 4:58 carrier was gone.

Thursday (2/25) morning no signal in NE Texas as of 7:30 AM.

Is it possible that they are "experimenting" with their nightime pattern during the day to see what kind of coverage they can get with it over greater Houston? If so, what does the FCC say about this? They may be wanting to get rid of their Angleton daytime site if they can get sufficient coverage 24/7 from Hockley. Or, are they are having problems with the Angleton site and are having to use either the Hockley site or their 1 kW backup site during daylight hours?
 
It looks like Friday night 2/26 they never switched to the "westside" night time xmte site. They stayed full power from Angelton.


Old Chicago
 
I've had no problem receiving KGOW in Orange County both day and at night since the 15kw site went on line.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom