NH's Hit Music Station - 87.9 the beat

[rockcaptain]

I live a town under Nashua and didn't hear anything on 87.9 today

They were a weekend only operation. Then they were on full time for a couple weeks (even running Steve Harvey mornings). Then they went silent for a while (a few weeks maybe). Then I heard them back on over the New Year's weekend. From the way it sounds, a lot of work was put into imaging, etc. It is a pretty good sounding station. Why they would put in all that work and be so intermittent doesn't make a lot of sense to me (even for a pirate...maybe especially for a pirate).

 

[beantownradio25]

If they're trying to stay under the FCC's radar, why even invest in the broadcast equipment in the first place? You can't expect to have an audience from just firing up the transmitter at random times, and weekends if they feel like it. Broadcasting on each and every weekend is a good place to start from, and a good way to catch some audience, but from what I hear, they don't even do that sometimes. I'd understand if they're just doing it for fun, but you can tell they're trying to look professional online. I'm guessing they either don't know how to use their equipment right, or they don't know how to leave their automation on autopilot so they manually operate it when they find the time. If I took over this station, I would leave the internet stream on 24/7 and push most of the branding towards the website & stream, and the 87.9 signal could be an added luxury that is thrown on on weekends, etc. I doubt they have much of an audience right now, because people aren't gonna search out the station to try to catch them while they're on. Regarding the imaging, im sure alot of it is custom made, but a few of the drops I have heard them air are ripped from iHeartRadio's "The Beat", a national Hip-Hop format ran by CC.

 

[rockcaptain]

Regarding the imaging, im sure alot of it is custom made, but a few of the drops I have heard them air are ripped from iHeartRadio's "The Beat", a national Hip-Hop format ran by CC.

Whoever is running it has some level of editing skills (although almost anyone can do passable production these days with the many computer programs out there). The other night I heard an interview with a "jock" and a national hip hop artist (don't remember the artist). But it was a pretty good edit job making it sound customized/like an actual interview the local "jock" actually did. As someone who has spent a bunch of time in the studio I could tell it was an edit where the interviewer was dropping their voice in but to the average person I am sure it sounded legit. It really was done well.

 

[nhradiochild]

How sad. :'( Glad I'm in a position to interview stars up front and personal... just so long as they like soldiers! ;D

 

[beantownradio25]

What happened to this pirate? They used to be on the air 24-7, but I haven't gotten a trace of them in at least a month. Were they shut down?

 

[HD_Ready]

not sure, there is a really nice telescoping mast attached to the porch with no antenna on it.

 

[necrat123]

not sure, there is a really nice telescoping mast attached to the porch with no antenna on it.

They had moved from the porch to a building downtown last year.
See if there is still an antenna on the roof of a building in downtown.

(Unless they had moved again...)

 

[HD_Ready]

that's gone.. They moved it back to their spacious downtown duplex, but now its gone again.

 

[FTL_Ian]

These creeps who think they can hack the dial and outsmart the legitimate broadcasters annoy me, because the legitimate broadcasters pay big bucks for their licenses and have to do alot to avoid fines.

Can we pass that off to the FCC ?

You guys are sad. You're bothered by people who have the courage to defy a criminal gang and broadcast on available frequencies? No victim, no crime. This is like slave-on-slave violence. Master, (The FCC gang) has abused you so much that you think people who try to avoid their abuse are somehow bad!

???

 

[cooper]

Looks like most of their jocks are local DJs. Did they ever do actual mixshows?

 

[NHRadio]

Ian, you know I have serious respect for you and FK and agree with you most of the time. But not this time.
If the pirate causes interference to a legit broadcaster there IS a victim. Do you like your affiliate's coverage reduced?
I think we should repurpose the TV channel 6 frequency into new FM channels a la CB Radio. Let the pirates interfere with each other rather than a legit business.

No victim, no crime.

 

[FTL_Ian]

I believe in homesteading, so yeah, if there is interference, then there is a legal case that can be had. However, the FCC is not necessary to resolve these matters.

Is someone alleging 87.9 interfered with another station? I did not see such a claim on this thread.

 

[NHRadio]

I haven't seen such a claim either, nor do I state it has done so.
If I understand correctly the FCC has been tasked by Congress to handle these issues. Granted they do a really lousy job and should be abolished but that's another post.
Like it or not, they are the only folks with the proper authority as the law is currently written except in FL where it is illegal and the police can handle it. If I'm mistaken please correct me.

 

[HD_Ready]

Is someone alleging 87.9 interfered with another station? I did not see such a claim on this thread.

It interfered with my part 15 fm transmitter that I use to listen to my computer while in the garage!

 

[FTL_Ian]

If I understand correctly the FCC has been tasked by Congress to handle these issues. Granted they do a really lousy job and should be abolished but that's another post.

So, some criminals were hired by some other criminals to enforce a protection racket. Yes, they should go away. All that needs happen is they be ignored. Of course, people are too scared to do that for the most part, because the people you are talking about are intimidating and aggressive.

So, bravo to those who stand up and broadcast freely (like 87.9) and are good neighbors on the dial to the more obedient licensed stations.

 

[necrat123]

How are they being a good neighbor?

There are well established interference rules based on solid engineering regarding frequency coordination and interference levels.
87.9 is putting over 70dbu into the PROTECTED 3rd adjacent contour of WEVS on 88.3. WEVS has a right, to have no interference 600khz +/- their carrier. In fact if you measured it, the overlapping contours are both above 64dbu. They spent the time and money to do so. Just like every other broadcaster. If 87.9 wanted to be a "good neighbor" they would move to 87.7, OR instead of breaking the law, try to obtain a legal radio station and go on the air that route.

The FCC has also very strict rules regarding radio frequency radiation (RFR). The rules are established to keep people SAFE from harmful non ionizing radiation eminiating from a transmitter. You know how many "stand up" pirates I've seen who's antenna is radiating a mere 10 feet from the house at 100 watts? or in some cases even higher? That's not sticking it to anyone, that's causing health problems! Sometime look up RFR guidelines and studies.

I know where you're coming from not liking the political state we are in, the government growing exponetionally every day, it's quite sickening. However the broadcast spectrum (the entire RF spectrum) is not the "wild west", and is governed and protected under both national and international treaties. The "1st amendment" to free speech does not include RF spectrum use.
It does allow you to say whatever you want on the air (the only offset is to not be "vulgar") as long as you're on the air legally (by having a broadcast license). But you can't just grab any ol piece of RF spectrum you want to do whatever you want on it.
And it is the FCC's job to enforce that. (Although the enforcement bureau does very little anymore to enforce it.)

The analogy I like to use is akin to driving a car. Just because the road has a shoulder wide enough to drive down it, doesn't mean you can do so.

 

[HD_Ready]

It's back on tonight....minus the RDS encoder with "WWRK" call letters and PTY of "Country".... I wonder where they got that????

 

[FTL_Ian]

reply from an engineer friend:

Ever talked into a walkie-talkie? Hand held Ham radios can transmit as much as 5Watts an inch from your face.
Operators used to measure the base current of AM towers every shift, standing directly under the tower.
We tune AM towers (5kW) standing right at the feed point of the tower, at the base.
Yes, I've worked under TV towers with effective radiated power of a million watts. It is the antenna gain that makes it dangerous.
Yes, we have RFR studies to make sure we aren't spitting massive power into one spot on the ground near the tower. That said, RF power drops very quickly over distance. We can expect more than 30dB loss at 100meters. So, 100W= is less than .1W at 100 meters away.
Are we worried about every Ham running over 100W? Does their license keep their signal clean?
I'd be concerned with a fancy antenna or high power, like 1kW+

As to the technical:
I had to read the post over and over to get the point. I think he's saying that 87.9 is not 70dB lower than 88.3, within the contours of the license. He claims it is only 64dB less. OK, drop to 25W and your signal drops about 6dB, to -70dB under the other carrier.
I'm not sure where he got his numbers. Radios need 70dBV for usable performance but that's a very different topic.

 

[HD_Ready]

Nice pair of directional antennas in use now. Decent signal up my way but horrible audio processing.


I'd post a picture if I could...

 

[robotique]

It's back on tonight....minus the RDS encoder with "WWRK" call letters and PTY of "Country".... I wonder where they got that????

maybe here?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WLHR-FM


The station went on the air as WWRK-FM on June 15, 1979, licensed to Elberton, GA. On November 24, 1981, the station changed its call sign to WWRK. On November 1, 1988 the call sign was changed back to WWRK-FM. On February 2, 2004, the call sign was changed to WSGC-FM with a Country music format as "92.1 WSGC".