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Questions about WBNW

M

magpie

Guest
Is anyone out there a regular listener to WBNW?

Their stick is in Concord, but AFAIK, they're directional. Where is their signal strongest/reliable (Dan?)

Any insight into their listenership and range would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks, I've seen the maps; I just wondered if there was any real life experiences out there....
 
magpie said:
Is anyone out there a regular listener to WBNW?

Their stick is in Concord, but AFAIK, they're directional. Where is their signal strongest/reliable (Dan?)

Any insight into their listenership and range would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
The nominally 5-kW day pattern is very strongly nulled to protect the first-adjacent 1110 to the northeast in Salem NH. The pattern is basically an asymmetrical figure eight with maxima to the east-southeast and west-northwest. The eastern maximum is somehat stronger than the western one. The western lobe has a small notch to the west-southwest to protect the co-channel 1120 in Bristol CT. The 1-kW night pattern is a three-tower modified cardioid aimed due east.

The transmitter is actually in E Acton, very close to the Concord line. IIRC, it's a short ways off Route 62. The signal is quite strong on Route 62 (at least I think it's Route 62) between Route 2 and Maynard. IIRC, it is surprisingly weak in Concord center at night. It's better in W Concord. Farther away, the day signal is OK along 128 near the Reservoir in Waltham. At night I can recall a decent signal along 128 in Burlington. There are not too many places where I've found the signal to be good.

And it's always an open question (to me, anyhow) whether they are running the correct pattern/power for the time of day. WBNW is not only not supposed to run its day facilities at night, it is also not supposed to use its night facilities during the day, even though the night power is less than the day power. The reason is that the night pattern does not protect the Salem NH station. I think I've found WBNW running the wrong power/pattern on numerous occasions but I can't prove it. A year or so ago, WBNW was threatened with a fine for this as the result of a listener complaint (not from me). The FCC ultimately tossed the complaint when the station's contract engineer produced records that satisfied the FCC that the listener was wrong. I don't think he was wrong, but I can't prove that he was right.

Although I've heard several stations underneath WBNW at night here in Arlington Heights (KMOX, WPRX), I suspect that by far the largest contributor to WBNW's NIF is first-adjacent WBBR. It wouldn't suprise me if all of the co-channels dropped out of the NIF calculation because WBBR is so strong. I don't know what WBNW's NIF is, but I would not be surprised to learn that it's greater than 40 mV/m.
 
I listen to Talking with Chuck and Phil from 2 to 4 p.m. on an irregular basis. I've also been on the show before too.
 
MarcB said:
A couple times I picked up WBNW in the morning hours (before 8AM) in Southington, CT while WPRX 1120 in Bristol, CT was off the air.
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I have pulled them in numerous times near Albany, NY around sunset and sunrise too, although I had alot more interest in doing so when they were WADN....
 
Hey Guys

I work the morning show the sports blast on WBNW. I have noticed from 7am-7pm the signal comes in geat. If you are in Boston after 7pm it comes in with static.I have heard wbnw as far as past Worcester. I dont know if anyone can here it down the cape on 1390.
 
JoeyMurr said:
I work the morning show the sports blast on WBNW. I have noticed from 7am-7pm the signal comes in geat. If you are in Boston after 7pm it comes in with static.I have heard wbnw as far as past Worcester. I dont know if anyone can here it down the cape on 1390.
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Some years back, I tried to pick up the station while I was driving across the bridge that crosses Fort Point Channel near South Station. (I think it's called the Northern Ave Bridge.) This is the new bridge that has no superstructure that would tend to shield out AM signals. I couldn't pick up a thing. My conclusion was that the signal had to be completely worthless in downtown Boston because if the station is inauduble on that bridge, where there are no buildings to shield out signals, there wouldn't be a prayer of picking up a signal a little ways inland where there are buildings everwhere. Oh, and Fort Point Channel is salt water, which ought to be a plus for AM reception on the bridge. The V-Soft signal strength by Zip code Web site more or less confirms the unscientific listening test. Using 02101 as the Zip (I think that's the Zip in which South Postal Annex is located), the signal strength is reported as 2.11 mV/m by day and 0.91 mV/m by night. You shouldn't expect AM signals of that magnitude to be very listenable in the downtown areas of a major city.
 
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