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KXXO 96.1 Applies To Move To South Mountain
- Thread starter semoochie
- Start date
South Mountain is becoming quite the little Class C transmitter site. KFMY's new Oakville signal is slated to broadcast from there soon, as well. This is the classic rimshot situation where stations are trying to get a better signal into the Seattle-Tacoma Urbanized Area. Here's the 60 and 70 dbu contour from their app:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=465758
Do I like it? Not really. Is it legal? Yes. Will KXXO deliver a strong 100 dbu into the COL as most Class C's should if possible (70 dbu is minimum)? A big fat no.
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=465758
Do I like it? Not really. Is it legal? Yes. Will KXXO deliver a strong 100 dbu into the COL as most Class C's should if possible (70 dbu is minimum)? A big fat no.
FMSteve said:
Hope you'll pardon the naive nature of the question...but what is threshhold where people in COL would notice a "bad" signal? KXXO may WANT the fringe of S/T metro, but I think their absolute core advertising and on-air product is South Sound and so doesn't make sense that they would sacrifice that signal JUST to get into the metro. Their core advertisers are likely ambivlent about whether University Place hears about CD specials on Washington Street in downtown Olympia; but would, I suspect, raise holy heck [SEE, MR. MODERATOR ... I'm learning!!!] if they couldn't cover Division St in West Oly.
I also suspect terrain around that whole South Sound is no picnic given all the shorelines and hills/mini-mountains, etc.
M
mammaknowsbest
Guest
Get real. The move is to allow a new signal into Portland. KXXO was paid millions to move north. There are several stations involved in the move in. Come on folks, get a clue. In PDX, this move at 96.1 has been expected for some time.
I only knew of the 2 stations. Are there more? Incidentally, this is the second station in the last week to apply to move to the Portland area. A few days ago, KNRQ Eugene requested a move to Tualatin. It looks like Seattle is fresh out of space for this sort of thing without a major reshuffle.
FMSteve said:
I was curious about what the strength would be that would deliver "decent" signal to a market. You said 70 is minimum ... but I was assuming that might be a tech standard; and that maybe a "practical" standard might be lower. Do you have any estimate/example of something that's kind of an existing Seattle rimshot and what it may be pulling ... like what KNBQ would register in South Seattle, or KJR/KPLZ/KISW, etc. in Bellingham or Blaine?
Always been curious to learn more about the tech's & under-the-hood of engineering stuff!! Thanks!
K
Kelly
Guest
I'll try to explain it briefly..
Field strength is broken down into three catagories for FM signals: 70dBu, (City Grade), 60dbU, (usually a good signal and protected contour), and 40dBu, (protected zone depending on class of station and can be considered "fringe" coverage). FM, (VHF) frequencies are received line-of-site. So, as with KXXO's existing facility, just because North Seattle is in the 40dBu or less field of KXXO, you can still hear it quite well in a car on I-5 due to the terrain "slot" along I-5 in relation to Rooster Rock. However, because the field strength is so low due to distance, the signal can't penetrate buildings, so in-home or office listening is very limited.
The interesting thing about the stations who have located to the South West Olympic foothills, is the challenges with terrain blockage to the North East to such key diary return areas such as Kent, Auburn, Maple Valley, Bellevue, etc. Essentially everything East of I-5 is toast due to the hills and valleys, no matter what the calculated field strength is. KXXO's move must be for something other than improved coverage toward Seattle, because based on measurements and observations of the stations who have built on the SW hills, those stations don't have very good coverage into the Seattle Metro as a whole. Chances are however, KXXO will still play fine into Olympia, so if that continues to be their main focus, then it should be fine.
Field strength is broken down into three catagories for FM signals: 70dBu, (City Grade), 60dbU, (usually a good signal and protected contour), and 40dBu, (protected zone depending on class of station and can be considered "fringe" coverage). FM, (VHF) frequencies are received line-of-site. So, as with KXXO's existing facility, just because North Seattle is in the 40dBu or less field of KXXO, you can still hear it quite well in a car on I-5 due to the terrain "slot" along I-5 in relation to Rooster Rock. However, because the field strength is so low due to distance, the signal can't penetrate buildings, so in-home or office listening is very limited.
The interesting thing about the stations who have located to the South West Olympic foothills, is the challenges with terrain blockage to the North East to such key diary return areas such as Kent, Auburn, Maple Valley, Bellevue, etc. Essentially everything East of I-5 is toast due to the hills and valleys, no matter what the calculated field strength is. KXXO's move must be for something other than improved coverage toward Seattle, because based on measurements and observations of the stations who have built on the SW hills, those stations don't have very good coverage into the Seattle Metro as a whole. Chances are however, KXXO will still play fine into Olympia, so if that continues to be their main focus, then it should be fine.
Excellent primer, Kelly. For those curious about they're favorite station's field strength, simply go to Doug Vernier's V-soft site and type in either the station or zip code:
http://www.v-soft.com/ZipSignal/default.htm
http://www.v-soft.com/ZipSignal/default.htm
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