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New translator? 88.9

C

crainbebo

Heard an 88.9 today that was so strong it was taking over both CBUX-FM1, and KPLK, with a relay of KVAN 1560 Burbank, WA (SS Christian). Is this a new translator from the Everett area or what? If it is, this is getting RIDUCLOUS - 88.9 is WAY too full to put another xlator on, just 35 miles from Mt. Vernon?!? And 60 from Victoria.

-crainbebo
 
Yes. That is the 38-watt translator CP from S. Everett (K205FO). It is owned by a Hispanic church in White Center and is tied to KEJI, in Darrington, which is itself in transition from 91.5 to 91.7. The station imports programming from several church-owned studios, including Seattle, Darrington and Everett, several in Eastern WA, and one in Portland (Gresham).

From what I can hear from my drive up North last week, it shouldn't cause KPLI any problems. There were a number of stations in Everett that filled various fringe holes before the translator came on. KPLI should be clear in its area. KPLI also has a CP to turn up the power, which might create more of a problem for the Everett translator. Time will tell there.

Whether this represents "too much" is a matter of opinion. The rules allow the placement, and the church made use of them. From the excitement they showed when it came on, I doubt they share the same view. The church has a branch in Everett, and they've been waiting for this for quite awhile.

I wonder what the dial will look like when we get a crop-full of new LPs?
 
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Before any of this translator crap happened, 88.9 used to be CBUX-FM1. And that was (mainly) all. Bongwater's adventures of hearing French jazz like a local through Skagit County on 88.9 have been long over because of the satellite of KPLU. And now this is messing up KPLK in Marysville where it and CBUX-FM1 both boom in here on the hill where I live (near Allen Creek Elementary and the opening-soon Wal*Mart at SR-9 and SR-528).

This Hispanic church (La Familla I think it's called) is the one that owns 1400 KRSC Othello, 1560 KVAN Burbank and 1230 KRYN Gresham OR, correct?

-crainbebo
 
I really respect the church for running their own community station. That being said, all of these LP radio stations are really getting to be overkill! I really do not think that low power community radio is used by THAT many listeners.

At this rate, the FM band will be like the upper AM band, where radio stations on the same frequency mix together at night to create one blast of electrical noise. [I cannot seem to remember, what class are those radio stations on the upper AM band which are not allowed more then 1,000 watts day/night that create that mess on the dial?]
 
crainbebo said:
This Hispanic church (La Familla I think it's called) is the one that owns 1400 KRSC Othello, 1560 KVAN Burbank and 1230 KRYN Gresham OR, correct?

-crainbebo
Click to expand...

That's them. Officially, "Centro Familiar Cristiano". "La Estacion de La Familia" is a slogan.

They also own channel 24 TV in Seattle, and are in various stages of turning on a small boatload of LPTVs in Eastern Washington.
 
fordranger797 said:
[I cannot seem to remember, what class are those radio stations on the upper AM band which are not allowed more then 1,000 watts day/night that create that mess on the dial?]
Click to expand...

Used to be "Class IV". Started with 250 watts, then later, 1,000 day and 250 night. Then someone decided leaving it at 1kW full-time was a great idea... so now all of them yell at each other with the same power, and don't get any farther out then they did before, if at all. The power company was about the only winner, as far as I can tell.

If any of you know of George Frese... that's when, I think, loudness wars took on a new meaning. George is (was) a very prominent consulting engineer out of Wenatchee. He invented an early processor, called the "Audio Pilot". Fully loaded, the thing took up a half-rack. That box could take a properly reinforced transmitter well beyond 200% positive modulation. If you had one of those processors, you were the loudest spot on the dial, hands down. Legend has it, the box contributed to the 125% positive limit, if it didn't cause it altogether. It pretty much disappeared when the Commish put the positive ceiling in place and the box couldn't be reined in enough to be compliant, so George says. Very cool piece of gear. I saw it at KRKO and KGY and a number of Eastern Washington stations, including KWSU, KREW and KULE. In Seattle, Bill W. says it was at KOL.
 
Graveyards. 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, 1490. Like Grounded Grid says, they used to be 250W at night back in the 1960s and 70s, but now, almost all GYs are 1KW 24/7. So you hear nine different 1340s (and maybe two more) at the same time at night. The old days come back when aurora is high - either I get groundwave or rare California graveyard stations. One of the most common is 1240 KNRY Monterrey, CA, at 760 miles - they are a regular in high aurora conditions with Immaculate Heart Radio.

-crainbebo
 
Thanks for explaining that! I would love to dx some of those stations, however i'm definitely not "in the know" enough to know when the aurora conditions would allow me to accomplish this. :D

I think FM would greatly improved if there would be a buffer zone in between stations. For example, if you were driving, you would be able to hear a station completely fade out before a new station tries to take over. That low FM band is just chock full of stations.
 
crainbebo said:
Graveyards. 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450, 1490. Like Grounded Grid says, they used to be 250W at night back in the 1960s and 70s, but now, almost all GYs are 1KW 24/7. So you hear nine different 1340s (and maybe two more) at the same time at night.
Click to expand...

Nine? I'd venture something like 20-40 screaming at each other. The louder the roar, the more stations booming in. Case in point, on some winter nights I could be LOOKING at KWLE's tower and not even hear them in the mush.

Same with KWYZ, KITZ and KBRO.
 
Best I've pulled out of the graveyards (non-aurora) was 1340 KACH Preston, ID. About 640 miles away with Hits and Favorites AC format. Best I've heard on the graveyards, ever, was 1240 KSMX Santa Maria, CA, 878 miles away with news/talk on a super-aurora night where the entire AM band turned into almost nothing but weak California stations.

-crainbebo
 
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