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Radio tropo?

WAMU 90.9 Washington DC did the same thing to WHYY-FM for me here in Wilmington, also with 90.1 WRTI, thankfully Wilmington's translator 107.7 for WRTI was still coming in loud and clear.
 
I was getting Hot 100.5 from Virginia Beach like a local on Friday morning. I also got 95.5 WPGC in Camden, just 2 miles from Philly and its 95.7 BEN-FM+IBUZ.
Needless to say, hearing tropo on the radio as soon as I got in my car really put me in a great mood Friday.
 
On my way to work between 6:30 and 7:00 this morning, I heard “Classical 90.9” WETA-FM (not WAMU, which is 88.5) instead of WHYY. Here in the middle of Gloucester County it was booming in like a local station, and it was the same in the parking lot at work (about 12 miles ENE of here), though there were places along the way where it got very noisy and suffered some picket-fencing, mainly in low areas. But at no time did I hear anything I could identify as WHYY.

Was WHYY off the air?

I normally listen to Morning Edition on NJN’s 89.3 signal out of Bridgeton, but I guess I must have left it on 90.9. (I was listening to Fresh Air on the way home yesterday, and didn’t use the car again until this morning.)

Now here’s another thing: I kept switching back and forth between 89.3 and 90.9 today -- mainly because I was curious to see how long it would last -- and I was getting better than average reception from NJN over most of the trip (I often start to lose it about halfway to work, and have to switch to 90.9).


Did anybody else have tropo like that today?
 
Thanks radioskeptic, I couldn't remember which NPR station was at 90.9 in Washington, and guessed wrongly WAMU, which sometimes has a really strong signal up here too, but I didn't check out 88.5 that morning. Yes, it was WETA-FM that did cover WHYY-FM for the most part. WETA was the stronger signal with WHYY popping in and out as I drove, every once in awhile, so yes, they were on the air, but over powered by WETA. I'd sure like to see WHYY put a translator in Wilmington, as WRTI at 107.7 did so that wouldn't be a problem for us here (WETA cuts in surprisingly often in the Wilmington metro area). In these days of tight budgets, it probably wouldn't happen, if ever, for quite some time.
 
MikefromDelaware said:
(WETA cuts in surprisingly often in the Wilmington metro area).
Click to expand...

Keep in mind, WETA is a grandfathered "super power" FM. It's 75,000 watts at over 600 feet.
 
I don't get why WRTI 90.1 has a translator in Wilmington when 90.1 (and all the other Philly stations) come in perfectly there.
 
Because WRTI doesn't come in well in many parts of the Suburban Wilmington metro area, where most of their Delaware listeners are located. WRTI's signal at 90.1 is far weaker than WHYY's signal at 90.9. WHYY has some weak spots too, but not to the extent that WRTI has on 90.1, so 107.7 makes all the difference in the world.
 
Nick said:
I don't get why WRTI 90.1 has a translator in Wilmington when 90.1 (and all the other Philly stations) come in perfectly there.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that WRTI's service to northern Delaware is subject to adjacent-channel interference from WOEL on 89.9 in Elkton. WRTI must reduce power in the SW direction by 8 dB to protect WOEL, so the translator provides an effective replacement signal. See the predicted 60 dBu contour here:

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/FMTV-service-area?x=FM122082.html

Expect an overall improvement in WRTI's coverage later this year when the station moves to the new DTV tower on Domino Lane. The present side-mounted antenna (which never worked as well as the manufacturer claimed) will be replaced with a panel antenna atop the "candelabra", gaining over 200 feet in elevation. I've seen the measured pattern; it should do much better, especially towards the Main Line and Chester County.
 
Bill_W said:
WFLS in Fredericksburg, VA is knocking the mighty 'MMR off the radio in my kitchen this morning in Paoli.
Click to expand...

Happened again this morning. I guess due to Earl? Could barely lock on to analog 'MMR. Could not get WMMR-HD1. Driving to work, P&S cutting in and out all the way from Paoli to West Chester.
 
Early this morning around 12-1 am i was surfing the dial and i dxed these following stations: 95.3 WHAM, 96.7 WCEI, 95.9 WFOX, 100.5 WZEZ ( Best catch of the night at 219.65 miles via google earth), 104.1 WPRS and a few others i couldn't id. I was using a sony clock radio with hd radio. Btw i live in Pennsauken, NJ
 
Here in wonderful cross-market Cecil county,MD its now a crap shoot between the 50 thousand watt flame thrower and the 50 thousand gallon manure spreader on any given day. I've come to expect Philly and Baltimore stations to walk all over each other but Fredericksburg VA?!?!? I've mentioned before the strength allowed Country stations as opposed to Rock stations. I have been told there is no correlation between format and signal strength/reach but reality says otherwise! You can hear WXCY Havre de Grace through an electric guitar or a toaster!!
 
evolve991 said:
Here in wonderful cross-market Cecil county,MD its now a crap shoot between the 50 thousand watt flame thrower and the 50 thousand gallon manure spreader on any given day. I've come to expect Philly and Baltimore stations to walk all over each other but Fredericksburg VA?!?!? I've mentioned before the strength allowed Country stations as opposed to Rock stations. I have been told there is no correlation between format and signal strength/reach but reality says otherwise! You can hear WXCY Havre de Grace through an electric guitar or a toaster!!
Click to expand...

I once had someone who lived in an apartment near the PSFS bldg. in Philly that she could hear WMMR coming out of her microwave. This was back when the 29 thousand watt flame thrower was coming off the top of the PSFS bldg.
 
LOL I'm glad I could amuse someone. Let me say I'm not FROM Cecil county I just live here now(that may not be signifigant to Philly residents but it is here :) ) When I lived in Perryville across from the XCY stick I could hear it on the strings of my brothers electric guitar and on the amp if it was powered up.
Did the old MMR imaging say 29 thousand watt or 50? I'm surprised I don't remember...I always liked wierd station IDs.

I'm posting at this crazy hour because I was just treated to a WIBG TOH from 1975.....thanks to "Rocky" ;D What a thing to grab my attention and compel me to post about it....yeah I lead a real interesting life....sigh
 
Can't hate country stations just because they're on clear frequencies that boom in on tropo.

I noticed that every time there's an e-skip opening, country stations appear on a lot of the frequencies. Then again, most of the e-skip here is to the midwest and south.
 
Thanks Sam!! I was an MMR fan when that was a current liner. Nick I don't hate them because of tropo I hate them because WXCY and WPOC walk all OVER signals around here! In Havre de Grace 103.7 turns every station into a hash of country and whatever frequency you have on....when it was WHDG it played Rock and was not nearly as strong.93.1 WPOC used to knock out 92 WLPL before digital recievers. It won't let me listen to MMR in Harford county even when the Frederickburg signal doesn't block it.
 
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