MMR AND RNB HAVE TO MOVE XMTRS

[RunWithScissors]

I was just at the new Comcast site, you know the one Fast Eddie promised his lansman Mr. Comcast Cohen for favors rendered. Its too close to L1, it would block the signal of both stations, plus Channel 7. If you recall, when L1 was completed, MMR had to move off of the PSFS, due to the fact L1 was blocking their signal going west, the PSFS site is about a mile east of L1, the Comcast site is much closer, so I would guarantee a move is in the works for all interests on L1. Note the 97.1 is not distored on the PSFS with L1, also when MMR uses the PSFS as a backup its fine, so why the move in the first place. I was told the PSFS site gave MMR a better coverage pattern.

 

[kms575]

...actually, PSFS and Liberty One are less than 1/2 mile apart. Nitpicking, I know.
But Comcast is much closer for sure.

 

[JerseyShor]

MMR definately has a signal advantage here in South-East NJ compared to the other Philly FMs.

On the other hand, going west I lose MMR way before the other Philly FMs.

 

[Jul]

Should those 2 stations move the sticks to Roxborough?

 

[RunWithScissors]

I dunno about WRNB, but I would imagine that it would effect their COL, with significant signal reduction, they are fairly new. With WMMR, I was told years back, it has something to do with the 103.9 signal, in the farm. WMMR cannot move their, with 103.9 on the air, something to do with the clash, in fact, WRNB has to watch their P's and Q's, if they interfere with MMR in any way, they would be forced to power down. I always wondered why the owners of MMR throughout the years did not buy WIBF, WDRE or WPPZ and shut it down, thus moving MMR's Xmtr to the farm, it would make perfect sense. I do notice MMR, has no signal going northwest, at the KofP Mall all the Philly signals are receivable inside the mall on my Grundig, with MMR being the worst and dead in some spots. East, NE, South, SE and SW, MMR has the killer signal. If anyone here can shed some light on the MMR/WPPZ technical situation please enlighen me on this.

 

[radioskeptic]

The difference between 103.9 and 93.3 is 10.6. That's very close to 10.7, which is the standard intermediate frequency, (or "IF") for FM receivers.

If the signals of two stations at frequencies 10.6 or 10.8 apart are both strong enough, they can get into the "front end" of a radio and "beat" together, causing a a blend of both (highly distorted) to overpower what ever station the radio is tuned to.

To understand how this happens, I suggest you read the "superheterodyne" article in Wikipedia.

 

[RunWithScissors]

Thanks for the info, so this means MMR cannot locate on any tower in the farm, even though some are blocks apart.

 

[radioskeptic]

There is one way WMMR could locate on the antenna farm. If Greater Media could get Radio One to agree to move WPPZ to center city, with WRNB, then WMMR would be free to re-locate its antenna to Roxborough.

First, they'd have to persuade Radio One to do that, and then they'd have to do engineering studies to prove that Jenkintown would lie entirely within the 70 dBu contour (the "principal community" contour in FCC-speak, or the "city grade" more colloquially) of the new signal, since Jenkintown is the city of license for 103.9, and commercial stations (unlike NCE's) are required to have the entire city of license within the "city grade."

Incidentally, 103.9 is one of several frequencies that used to be reserved for Class A stations -- the lowest class of FM stations -- some years ago. Class A stations, with a maximum ERP of 6 kw -- it was 3 until about 15 years ago -- and a reference height of 328 ft, or 100 meters --as opposed to 50 kw @ 492 ft for Class B's -- are only assigned to smaller communities, not major cities, though lots of them function as "move-ins" that can cover at least a good part of a metro.

But with the minimum distance between a Class A and a Class B stations at the IF interval being 9 miles, they can't get any closer than that. (To see the FCC mileage chart, go to http://frwebgate5.access.gpo.gov/cg...SdocID=630879184159+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve and then scroll down to Section 73.207. If you want to go to the library and look it up, the full citation is 47 CFR 73.207.)

 

[radiostar2010]

i used to host callin talk on channel 7 in 1993

 

[eatspaste]

First, they'd have to persuade Radio One to do that, and then they'd have to do engineering studies to prove that Jenkintown would lie entirely within the 70 dBu contour (the "principal community" contour in FCC-speak, or the "city grade" more colloquially) of the new signal, since Jenkintown is the city of license for 103.9, and commercial stations (unlike NCE's) are required to have the entire city of license within the "city grade."

The only downside to 103.9 moving into Center City somewhere is the crappy coverage they'll have up the Schuylkill Expy, if it would be anything like WRNB's. One Liberty apparently ain't that good of a spot for a class-A.

Here's a question: what if Comcast doesn't want a tower on its roof for WMMR or WRNB? (this is a hypothetical - there's a ton of money to be made here) I don't think the FCC would allow WMMR or WRNB to pump out 17kw of RF to people working at eye-level with their antennas only a couple blocks away.

 

[RunWithScissors]

Here is another point, what if the new Comcast structure does not have a mast or spiral tower and has a finished off roof, same as L2, there would be no-where for the bays to go.

 

[kms575]

I don't know of any plans to put an antenna on top of the Comcast Tower.

 

[eatspaste]

I don't know of any plans to put an antenna on top of the Comcast Tower.

WKDN is below 600 feet (shorter than several skyscrapers) over in Camden, yet they make it into Berks County with no problem. Do the buildings really block a signal that much?

 

[radioskeptic]

Yes and no. Nearby, a building can block a signal. But as the transmitter and receiver get farther away from the station, this becomes much less of a problem. Why?

An antenna, any antenna, picks up signals over a wide angle – virtually an entire circle in the case of a vertical whip (as on a car, or on portable radio antenna in the upright position). But even the most directional roof-top yagi is only about 3-dB down at 30 degrees or so off-axis. Your antenna will get signal coming from both sides of an obstacle like a building if the distances between the transmitter and the obstacle are great enough.

Of course wider obstacles. topographical features such as mountains, are another matter.

 

[RunWithScissors]

Good point with KDN, but if you look at their location, you can see there is nothing significant blocking them. The only close structure is that steam plant stack which is narrow and about a half mile away. They have a clear path in all directions and the closest building over their height is 2.5 miles away, if you look at their antenna, you can see there is nothing blocking it, a clear flat landscape 360 degrees. That is why they can be considered a true flamethrower for their power and height.