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KWDB 101.1 Coupeville - Oak Harbor.

5/14 is "Make the Switch with Stitch Day" at KKXA 1520. Today, Stitch Mitchell will extend the morning broadcast another hour, commemorating Classic Country's FM translator shift from 101.1 to 96.9 at 10:00 PDT
 
Had an appointment down in Everett today and noticed that KWDB wasn't on the air. Or it was at such low power that it was not able at any point to overcome CFMI. Was like old times getting Rock 101 all the way down I-5, what with the KKXA translator no longer operating on that frequency.

Any word on what is going on with K-Whidbey?
 
I think I found the answer...

First clue: While looking around the Puget Sound for ham clubs doing Field Day I came across the Island County Amateur Radio Club website. They had a photos page - Surprise! A tower photo of KWDB.

www.w7avm.org

Island County ARC - Photos

Photos
www.w7avm.org www.w7avm.org

Second clue: Like many listeners in the North Puget Sound, I listen to Rock 101 (CFMI) over-the-air as they don't stream to the US. When KWDB was off the air then CFMI becomes an easy catch. Tonight at 19:00 KWDB came back on the air - the announcer mentioned something about an AT&T tower crew working next door and was going to still be there for the next few days.

So, taking both clues you can look at the KWDB tower site and see it's surrounded by cell towers. Whenever tower climbers go on those adjacent cell towers the station has to signoff. I guess the radio station owner must be overly-cautious or does not want to tempt fate.
 
RF101 said:
I think I found the answer...

First clue: While looking around the Puget Sound for ham clubs doing Field Day I came across the Island County Amateur Radio Club website. They had a photos page - Surprise! A tower photo of KWDB.

www.w7avm.org

Island County ARC - Photos

Photos
www.w7avm.org www.w7avm.org

Second clue: Like many listeners in the North Puget Sound, I listen to Rock 101 (CFMI) over-the-air as they don't stream to the US. When KWDB was off the air then CFMI becomes an easy catch. Tonight at 19:00 KWDB came back on the air - the announcer mentioned something about an AT&T tower crew working next door and was going to still be there for the next few days.

So, taking both clues you can look at the KWDB tower site and see it's surrounded by cell towers. Whenever tower climbers go on those adjacent cell towers the station has to signoff. I guess the radio station owner must be overly-cautious or does not want to tempt fate.
Click to expand...
First, I find it interesting that an Amateur Radio Club website would cite an incorrect frequency for a broadcast station. Yes, broadcast is not your focus but radio is radio. The frequency noted in the video isn't even a broadcast frequency in North America- 101.2! Doesn't anybody proofread any more?

Second, if there are climbers on that tower or even an adjacent tower, KWDB is likely required to shut down due to RF exposure concerns. It's probably in the lease for the tower space. Working in the aperture of a broadcast station, even one with the relatively low power of 6.2 kW, would likely trip the RF exposure meters that tower climbers wear.
 


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