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New AM on air in Ottawa

M

mimo

CIRA-5 1350 went on air in official testing phase on Friday. The station has 1000 watts day and a whopping 135 watts night (supposedly). Their transmitter is in North Gatineau, the same site as CJEU 1670. The station will be a repeater of CIRA FM 91.3 in Montreal, airing French language Catholic programming (and some classical music from time to time). For now they are simulcasting CJEU. They are somewhat off frequency to0 from some reports I've read.
 
I have to correct the night power I listed, it's 180 watts, not 135. I wondered if it would even make it into downtown Ottawa at night with such low power and interference issues. Surprisingly, even at 180 watts, the signal is very go0d. There's a little bit of mud eating at the signal from time to time but it's barely noticeable. I've heard CIRA in Montreal and have heard some classical on there. I've always enjoyed having it as an option for listening, even as a teen. I used to listen to Jurgen Gothe's "disc drive" on what was then CBC Stereo on the way home from scho0l at 17 years of age. The one kid on the scho0l bus with a punk haircut listening to classical had to be a bit mind blowing for some :)
 
Tincap said:
Another source of classical music for Ottawa, even if on AM, would be welcome. :)

~BG
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The Rogers digital cable box should offer to carry this station in their radio station line up. That would be a nice alternative to the AM sound.
 
The sound quality has been pretty go0d actually. Even CJEU when broadcasting their alternative rock format at night has sounded great. I heard CJEU play "No One Knows" by Queens Of The Stone Age a few months ago and it sounded MUCH better on AM. CIRA-5 will have a lot of spoken word programming and the classical is very minimal over all but there is a little bit on there, at least last time I heard them in Montreal I heard some.
 
I was reading on the radio in Montreal board that one poster really liked the classical programming they aired and tuned in only for that. Either way I'm happy to see the dial begining to fill up here, even if it's a station I will only listen to on occassion. There's also an application for a new ethnic station at 1630 which I hope becomes reality. I'm not happy with the one we have on FM, especially after cutting the Spanish programme down to half an hour on weekdays and only 4 out of 5 of them instead of the hour 5 days a week.
 
I've yet to hear the new signal, even when in Ottawa. With my new Luxman/FM6 set-up at home however, I've been able to lock in on Radio Ville-Marie's Montreal signal (91.3). I'd call some the music they play, a little more on the 'new age' side of the format spectrum, but it's a welcome addition amongst the other 'cookie cutter' formats here!

~BG
 
They spent most if not all of December off air after the testing phase. I did hear a very weak open carrier today on 1350. Seemed like it was night power. I expect it will be on full time very so0n.
 
As of this morning they're back to testing again. Running an announcement after a mix of French and English songs of different genres. The station has decent sound quality, even after the switch to 180 watts, with some nice bass. I guess the official launch is just weeks away.
 
mimo said:
As of this morning they're back to testing again. Running an announcement after a mix of French and English songs of different genres. The station has decent sound quality, even after the switch to 180 watts, with some nice bass. I guess the official launch is just weeks away.
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You guess? So they're not announcing a set date on air yet? How about a website that might mention a launch date...? (or something...)
 
I went lo0king for a launch date but couldn't find one. On air the announcement says the official programming will begin so0n (or something like that, my French is horrible so I barely understand much of what it says). I guess they managed to sneak up the launch a few months.
 
mimo said:
As of this morning they're back to testing again. Running an announcement after a mix of French and English songs of different genres. The station has decent sound quality, even after the switch to 180 watts, with some nice bass. I guess the official launch is just weeks away.
Click to expand...

Heard them testing today, for the first time. 180 watts, eh? While my wife was doing some banking in Kemptville, on our way home, I tuned in, but could barely hear them. That's pretty sad...almost TIS territory. Why are they not running the planned 1000 watts daytime???

~BG
 
I think they are running the 1000 watts daytime. Here in Centretown, the 180 watt nighttime signal is surprisingly decent. I can hear other stuff underneath, but it's nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't think I'd hear it at all. The daytime signal is fine here, but for some reason, I can't bo0st it by much with the Terk advantage. It's better than CJEU who's sight they are sharing and behind CFRA who is only the 3rd strongest of the local AM'S going by signal strength on the G8.
 
mimo said:
I think they are running the 1000 watts daytime. Here in Centretown, the 180 watt nighttime signal is surprisingly decent. I can hear other stuff underneath, but it's nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. I didn't think I'd hear it at all. The daytime signal is fine here, but for some reason, I can't bo0st it by much with the Terk advantage. It's better than CJEU who's sight they are sharing and behind CFRA who is only the 3rd strongest of the local AM'S going by signal strength on the G8.
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I think you're correct about the 1000 watts daytime, as I'm picking them up here at home, on both Sangeans (83 km from the transmitter site). As well, in the car, along the water front in Prescott. I didn't hear it down here last night, with the the frequency being a real mash of things, with only one the Virginians (757 area code) making their presence known.

~BG
 
On again, still in testing phase. Programming still differs from Montreal's FM signal (which I was picking up here today).

~BG
 
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