Quadraphonic FM?

[wbz1030]

Does anyone remember back to broadcasting in the area in the 1970s when I think it was WVIA FM (89.9) experimented with Quadraphonic FM? Or was it the old WYZZ FM (92.9)? Can anybody confirm this?

 

[berniek]

I seem to recall that it was WYZZ and WNAK was one of the first AM Stereo stations in the area.

 

[kfitz]

It was definitely WYZZ...they used to identify themselves as such. By the way...WNAK was AM stereo using the Kahn system. that system actually sounded very good...hard to tell it wasn't FM stereo.

KF

 

[MrRF]

Yes...it was WYZZ. Each pot was a double pot on the board.It was very unique.I think the top of the hour ID went something like this: " Quad Stereo 93, WYZZ , Wilkes-barre.Serving parts of 6 states from high atop Penobscot Knob.Home of the copyrighted WYZZ Hitparade Format." I once was offered a job there when I was a teenager working at what Dick Evans viewed as a competitor in the winter of 1978. The interview was for 3 hours, sitting in the studio with him and his cat.It sure sounded good on my Marantz stereo at home.
I didn't take the job.

 

[Vince Sweeney]

It sure sounded good on my Marantz stereo at home.

BINGO! You just hit a really big bell with me - Marantz. The question is, was Quadraphonic legit, or was it simply a Marantz marketing gimmick? I'm guessing the latter.

 

[Radiodeity]

I don't believe it was a Marketing Gimmick... the technology outpaced the technology. Sort of like FMX that was supposed to 'increase' the stereo signal on FM - nice idea but by the time the equipment began trickling into mainstream, technology changed and pushed that idea to the background. Remember Audio Cassettes? That technology had staying power then was 'replaced' by DAT then mini-disc then CDs. Another example of just too much technology telescoping upon itself. And CDs won. No, Quad was viable but the 'masses' didn't seem to care enough and quite frankly in order to appreciate the 'coolness' of the presentation, where would you set up the listening area? Your car? We all know just how conducive that is to critical listening. Your office? Yeh, right. Home? Well, okay - but which room and just how many people could enjoy the program at the same time? Very cool for one person but a little skewed for anyone off center.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=104870 is a web site dealing with a number of different Quad Receivers - a Quad Walk Down Memory Lane...

RD

Oh... Happy Holiday to You...

And a sidebar: If memory serves me correctly, the FM Transmitter (Standard Electric I believe) that vibrated the air in Quad was the very same one that first put WDLS-FM on the air when Ron was able to pick it up for a song [and dance] - still sounded good after all those years...

 

[rchesnav]

Vince jogged my memory with the name "Marantz". I was stationed in Germany in the early 70's, and started buying stereo equipment at the stores on the military bases. I started out with a beautiful Pioneer 100w 2-channel receiver, "wonderbar" FM tuning w/an extension cord volume/tuner(Before RF remotes). FM sensitivity was 8.9 or some unbelieveable number. I was happy as a clam, then "Quadraphonic" came out, & I bit. Hard. Sold the Pioneer & bought a Marantz Quad 4-channel receiver. There wasn't much FM at that time except for AFN and some German stations- Hell, at that time BBC & Radio Luxumburg on AM were the big thing- so I never did get to hear Quad radio, but I bought a bunch of albums in quad. I thought there were 3 different formats, but a quick look through my albums only comes up with SQ & CD-4. SQ was the version Marantz pushed, needing a add-on module plugged in underneath the receiver, but National Panasonic pushed the CD-4 version, that required a special needle & translater/converter box that sat between the turntable & receiver/amp. SQ sounded kind of cheesy, but CD-4 was true seperated 4-channel sound. You could really tell the difference. The highlight of my Quad experence was going to an Emerson, Lake & Palmer concert in true Quad. Impressive, but a ton of equipment. Back to my Marantz- A piece of $hit.

 

[Vince Sweeney]

I started out with a beautiful Pioneer 100w 2-channel receiver,

Wow! You are now really shaking loose some memories. In the mid '70s I went into debt for a Pioneer amp/tuner that I came across at The Stereo House, a business long gone, one which had stores across north central and northeast PA. (Anyone remember The Stereo House?) That unit had four channels, and each and everyone of those channels had its own 100w amp.

While we're at it, anyone recall what "sound" retailers used to operate in NE PA?

Marantz was once a huge name, HUGE. How about McIntosh stereo gear? Their big draw, way back when, was that they were about the only USA stereo manufacturer. Am I nuts, or did McIntosh have a plant in the Binghamton area? Seems true audiophiles (circa '70s/80s) adored McIntosh, and pretty much thought everything else was junk. In fact, Pioneer was kind of way down on the list. How about Radio Shack's Lafayette line?

A friend of mine had a small Lafayette amp, no tuner, just an amp - on/off/gain, bass, treble - that was it. Off of this box he was driving a pair of Lafayette three-way speakers (floor models) through which he was pushing vinyl on a Lafayette turntable. I think the whole rig cost him a whopping $180 or so. It sounded like a million bucks.

While I'm stumbling down memory lane, I just recalled having an FM antenna (an omni type?) from Radio Shack that I installed on the porch of an apartment I had in Scranton's Hill Section. I pretty much mounted it on the nearest piece of wood, then ran some old TV antenna wire I had beneath a closed window and into the back of my amp/tuner. Remarkable the reception that thing gave me. I swear I was grabbing NYC stations like their horns were five blocks away in Nay Aug Park. Could be it was more a matter of elevation than the antenna. The apartment was a block from what used to be called Chapel Hill, the highest point within the city's limits.

Memories. Ain't that what Christmas does to you?

 

[wirelessinnepa]

A little bit off topic, but Vince's recollections of a great tuner made me want to add my two cents about a great tuner I own.

It's the Tivoli Audio Henry Kloss Model One. Great radio! It has an internal FM antenna which rivals the external option you can use with an outside (or inside) antenna, fed coaxially.

They are a bit on the salty side price wise, but the sound is incredible...probably using the same technology as BOSE does, with a little tiny base cabinet inside, and the reception is great too....the AM section is probably tantamount with any high quality AM tuner, but the FM section is really really great.

For you radio enthusiasts out there.

Ben
WGMF

 

[kfitz]

That WYZZ Standard Elec transmitter indeed started WDLS. The 2 of them (the other the original WAAL-WKOPFM transmitter in Binghamton) were the first "grounded grid triod" transmitters made by Bernie Wise. He moved to CCA after they were made...the rest is history. "grounded grid triods" dominated 3 to 15 kw FM transmitter design for nearly 40 years. They still are the one of the main choices for 6 to 20 kw although solid states are catching up in price very rapidly. In the end the DLS Standard Elec. was falling into disrepair. Bob Lenio really was tired of it and he actually cut the transmitter up into pieces and junked it so it would never come back to life again! Also of note....In high school I worked at a stereo shop that was a Marantz dealer....they were incredible...that Gyro tuning....the Scope built right into the top of the line unit...and quad sounded great....it actually worker best from 8 tracks! I still have a couple left in the collection somewhere....I actually have an 8 track recorder!!! Where can I get blank tapes!

 

[waunderlust]

Wow! You guys and your fancy equipment! I was lucky to have a 1 piece Craig turntable/am-fm/8 track recorder. However, my brother had Panasonic "Thruster" speaker. Remember them? Bass reflex speakers with an extra cone that wasn't wired. It worked off the reflected bass. They THUMPED!

As per the WDLS transmitter, we got hit by lightening once and it smoked, but never turned off. Ronnie had to call Bob to have him come up to find out what was melting based on the smell.