Sounds like KKDZ is transmitting from their new site Just off Hwy 18 near Auburn. The definitely don't have the signal over Seattle or even West Seattle. The site they moved to is known to have poor ground conductivity. On paper it looks like they put a stronger signal into Tacoma, Enumclaw, Orting and Puyallup. I know on my drive across the West Seattle high rise bridge to the Fauntleroy dock the signal is almost un listenable, even on the ferry dock. On Vashon day or night the signal is worse than I would expect. I hope they have the signal they wanted in the south sound. Would be interested in observations South as to how the signal is performing.
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KKDZ 1250 at new transmitter site
- Thread starter xmtrland
- Start date
I suppose they’ve moved their transmitter closer to where most of their listeners likely are, but I agree, I don’t think the auburn site has ever been the best location for an AM signal.
Yeah that site is horrible. Has been that way since Clay and Nick built it years ago. Poor ground conductivity, combined with being in a valley surrounded by hills made out of rock.
What? KTW is no longer? I must have slept too long last night!
What was the original purpose for building that site in the first place? It seems that any station that broadcasts from that area has mediocre coverage at best. With that being said, it does look like their night pattern will be a big upgrade and will provide a 24 hour signal for municipalities that matter. From the old site, they had good daytime coverage, but virtually no nighttime coverage at all.
While Kent and Auburn have a sizeable Punjabi speaking population, the new pattern for 1250 will be problematic for listeners in other parts of the market who would want to hear it.
While Kent and Auburn have a sizeable Punjabi speaking population, the new pattern for 1250 will be problematic for listeners in other parts of the market who would want to hear it.
The problem is; it's not like there are lots of affordable pieces of property around that can well support any AM station, let alone a directional. Either the property value would exceed the station value, (or revenue the station would ever likely bring in) or what's left is essentially trash, but theoretically allows for city-grade coverage for licensing (5mV/m).
Looking at the CP I see conductivity as low as 1 until it hits water.
I've heard this one up here in Alaska a few times
I find that interesting as well, as there’s quite a bit of wetland and farmland around the site. But then again, it’s much further east than any other AM.
As Puget Sound retreated, all of those valleys were filled with volcanic silt, finely ground basalt. Not much in the way of iron in any of that stuff whatsoever.
Much of that soil makeup amounts to what's called 'glacial till'. That's typically several layers of loose sand, some clay, and peat. It started as melting glaciers thousands of years ago that after running into what's now Puget Sound, left soil that isn't very conductive and turns structurally into soup when an earthquake shakes it.
Being wet helps a little for an AM ground plane, but nothing like good conductive soil that's wet too.
And a few thousand feet of volcanic fluff.
The real question here: does the station sound better in Kent (both in the day and night)? I’m assuming that they wanted to target the Kent valley from the beginning, and if you can at least hear the station at night in Kent, it’s probably an upgrade.
The expert who convinced management to spend millions putting 950 AM on the air from Tacoma chimes in. Hahaha! Woosh woosh woosh woosh. “McMillan lines up for the shot, stops he shoots, shihh woosh woosh woosh”.
Sorry Bobcat, the company consulting engineers convinced the company to move the KJR TX site. I just carried out orders. The President of the company wanted to move KJR to owned property, so he bought the KTAC/KHHO site.
Bobcat shoots and misses the basket.
And everyone knows, Kent/Auburn is an untapped advertising mecca.
Just trying to figure out where their listeners are located. If their listeners aren’t in Kent and Auburn, this new site probably the end of KKDZ.
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