"Senior Radio" 1710 AM in Edison, NJ

[satech]

Today I was tuning around the top end of the AM band on my car radio when I came across a station on 1710 kHz playing Big Band music. Then at the top of the hour, they had IRN USA network news, followed by local news, a weather forecast, and a commercial for a pet grooming business in Edison, NJ. Then back to more Adult Standards-type music, with "Tony Dee" as the DJ. The signal was weak but listenable from around Exit 1 to Exit 5 on I-287, but quickly faded away as I headed North on Stelton Road.

The FCC has no record of any licensed stations on 1710 kHz in NJ. I found several web pages describing "Senior Radio" as a "Part 15" station, but 1710 kHz is not a legal frequency for Part 15 stations to use, and the signal is covering far too wide an area to be only 100 mW into a 10-foot antenna, anyway. Nonetheless, "Senior Radio" is putting on a pretty darn good show. But why go through all that effort to build a very professional-sounding station when it's (presumably) operating illegally and could be shut down and fined by the FCC?

 

[PhoenixPark]

Senior Radio is instructional radio - for broadcasters who have forgotten how to programme in the Public Interest, Convenience & Necessity. It is reportedly a "niche" operation, functioning within the confines of Part 15.

Whether or not you like the old tunes, it is a refreshing alternative to whatever else is up and down the band. Enjoy and qwitcherbellyachin'. They are "bothering" positively nobody on that frequency.

 

[satech]

It would be all well and good if the station was on a valid frequency, but the FCC Part 15 rules clearly only allow 100 mW unlicensed operation between 510 and 1705 kHz. 1710 kHz is not within this range (and that's a shame, because it's a wide open frequency, with no TISes or Expanded Band stations clogging it up).

 

[VeteranPD]

Having toured the "Senior Radio" site I can tell you that they are using an FCC type accepted Hamilton Rangemaster transmitter operating at 100 mW. Superior propagation is a matter of antenna tuning and ground conductivity with dense audio processing yeilding a good signal to noise ratio and maximizing average power. The only issue is the 1710 kHz frequency which is "out of bounds." Other than that, "Senior Radio" embodies the best of what Part 15 AM can be.

 

[MarcB]

1710 AM has the same problem as 87.7 FM (and 87.5 FM) - some radio get the frequency and others don't.

 

[nd2023]

Got a trace of it in New Brunswick

 

[DToTheJ]

The frequency, while usually reserved for "travelers information"-type stations, is not unheard of for Part 15 operations. For example, up in Minnesota, there is a "Liberty Broadcasting Network" that operates on that frequency; they stream online at libertybroadcastingnetwork.com.

 

[Tom Wells]

I was tempted to go on 1710 too, but there's just way too many radios that don't go there.
Getting some of my older radios re-tweaked to go up to 1700 was easy, some not so easy or not practical.
It's also out-of-band as SATECH points out.
But if 1700 is clear there, going on 1705 would make it comply.
Who lnows how to make a Hamilton tune on the 5s? I presume it's on 10s...
If there IS a 1700, youd get nice squealy het and it's not worth thinking about.

But an open frequency makes any weak signal that much more effective.

On 1620 in Chicago, within a few blocks of my house I can start hearing a town info loop , a TIS, South Bend, In, and/or Omaha Nebraska on 1620. At night I get beat up pretty bad.

I'd love to hear an aircheck of this.
I could look up to see if they stream, but I mean I'd love to hear what they sound like on the air on a radio.

 

[satech]

They now have a web site:
http://seniorradio1710.com/

The streaming audio doesn't seem to be working right now, but I tuned in to the 1710 AM signal while travelling again on I-287 yesterday. The signal was audible up to Exit 8 (Possumtown Road).

I heard an ad for long-time WCTC advertiser Derby Appliance, as well as an ad for some kind of snake-oil automotive "fuel saving" scam device. I wonder what kind of rates can a 100 mW station charge?

 

[WNTIRadio]

Someone want to tell me how a 100mW TPO into a 102" whip can get out that far? I've messed with the part 15 AMs, even on a good grounded pole high up, there's no way it can be in a 6 mile radius. Just not going to happen, the laws of physics are against it, even on a "clear" channel.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Ah, it is indeed that "Tony Dee" running it (long-time NYC radio engineer who used to co-own WODI/Brookneal VA, I met him there when Scott Fybush and I dropped in)!

If that's the case, he's probably engineered the thing to an inch of its life and it's probably quite legal.

 

[rfry]

Legal, unlicensed operation on 1710 kHz is authorized by FCC Rules in § 15.223, which state:

Operation in the band 1.705–10 MHz.

(a) The field strength of any emission within the band 1.705–10.0 MHz shall not exceed 100 microvolts/meter at a distance of 30 meters. However, if the bandwidth of the emission is less than 10% of the center frequency, the field strength shall not exceed 15 microvolts/meter or (the bandwidth of the device in kHz) divided by (the center frequency of the device in MHz) microvolts/meter at a distance of 30 meters, whichever is the higher level. For the purposes of this section, bandwidth is determined at the points 6 dB down from the modulated carrier. The emission limits in this paragraph are based on measurement instrumentation employing an average detector. The provisions in §15.35(b) for limiting peak emissions apply.

(b) The field strength of emissions outside of the band 1.705–10.0 MHz shall not exceed the general radiated emission limits in §15.209.

The legal field strengths permitted by this paragraph would not provide a coverage area useful for "broadcast" purposes, regardless of the transmitter and/or antenna system in use.
//

 

[MickeyD]

It would be all well and good if the station was on a valid frequency, but the FCC Part 15 rules clearly only allow 100 mW unlicensed operation between 510 and 1705 kHz. 1710 kHz is not within this range (and that's a shame, because it's a wide open frequency, with no TISes or Expanded Band stations clogging it up).

The FCC doesn't really care about AM & FM broadcasting anymore. They don't have the staff or funds to shut anyone down. Who is authorized on 1710 khz? There is never anything on it when I tune in.