Philly radio reception in Schuylkill County

[TheTiger]

I'm possibly on planning to go to Hershey for my brother's operation and I am curious what their radio reception was like on I-81 in Schuylkill County en route to the Harrisburg/Hershey area. If I am traveling 81 southbound near the Pottsville area, is it possible to pick up certain Philly stations with a very good, sensitive car radio. The stations I really wanted to listen are 101.1 and 105.3, and both Travis and the guy who loves elevated music can pick up certain Philly stations at their locations.

So, how well could I pick up Philly stations on I-81 in Schuylkill County?

 

[travis]

> I'm possibly on planning to go to Hershey for my brother's
> operation and I am curious what their radio reception was
> like on I-81 in Schuylkill County en route to the
> Harrisburg/Hershey area. If I am traveling 81 southbound
> near the Pottsville area, is it possible to pick up certain
> Philly stations with a very good, sensitive car radio. The
> stations I really wanted to listen are 101.1 and 105.3, and
> both Travis and the guy who loves elevated music can pick up
> certain Philly stations at their locations.
>
> So, how well could I pick up Philly stations on I-81 in
> Schuylkill County?
>
105.3 may be a possibility... B101 is too, as long as Froggy 101, 101 The Rose, and 100.9 The Valley don't interfere too much. Your best areas for reception of Philly stations starts when you pass through the rock cut just before exit 138... and all the way to about exit 90.

If you want to take an alternate route (and avoid the 10-mile construction zone between exits 90 & 100), get off at Saint Clair, go south on route 61 thru Pottsville, then south on 183... go through Cressona and about 15 miles south to I-78 west... you'll hit the top of the mountain about 3 miles before 78. Then just follow 78 west to 81. (I've gotten some Baltimore stations on the south side of that mtn.)

 

[TheTiger]

> 105.3 may be a possibility... B101 is too, as long as Froggy
> 101, 101 The Rose, and 100.9 The Valley don't interfere too
> much. Your best areas for reception of Philly stations
> starts when you pass through the rock cut just before exit
> 138... and all the way to about exit 90.
>
> If you want to take an alternate route (and avoid the
> 10-mile construction zone between exits 90 & 100), get off
> at Saint Clair, go south on route 61 thru Pottsville, then
> south on 183... go through Cressona and about 15 miles south
> to I-78 west... you'll hit the top of the mountain about 3
> miles before 78. Then just follow 78 west to 81. (I've
> gotten some Baltimore stations on the south side of that
> mtn.)
>

How about 94.1 WYSP?

Allentown?

 

[travis]

> How about 94.1 WYSP?
>
> Allentown?
>
You can pick up WYSP as soon as you go through the rock cut near McAdoo... WQKX and YSP go back and forth from that point south.

B104 battles with Wink 104, and Cat Country battles with WSOX... The Hawk comes in pretty well.

 

[elevator_opratr]

105.3 is kind of a longshot in Schuylkill County. 101.1 ain't too bad, at least on the southern half. The clearest Philly stations I can pick up near where I live (southern Schuylkill County ... Route 895 corridor) seem to be WBEN, WSNI, and WJJZ. I've never really tried WYSP.

Allentown stations are actually more of a pain in the butt to get along 895 than Philly. WLEV is spotty. The Hawk is worse. B-104 gets overwhelmed by Wink. Cat gets overwhelmed by WSOX.

And Travis is right ... the south side of that mountain on 183 is a cool spot for Philly stations. Know another sweet spot? The Schuylkill Mall parking lot at the Frackville exit of 81. That mall is like on the side of a large hill, and I can get Scranton, Allentown, Philly, Harrisburg, and even my favorite WSJW from Starview up there.