Signals of Southern NH stations in Massachusetts

[wpxt]

I've always wondered how far south the signals of the strong Southern NH stations go in Massachusetts? The stations I had in mind are WOKQ, WHEB, WSAK, WZID and WGIR. I know the northern end of the signals go quite far into Maine. WOKQ and WHEB are still strong in Portland, WSAK seems stronger in Sanford now then it used to be and WZID and WGIR are fairly listenable in Biddeford.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I've always wondered how far south the signals of the strong Southern NH stations go in Massachusetts?

Almost 40 years ago (1972-75), I worked for a company located on Route 1 in Sharon (near the Walpole line) a mile or so south of the interchange between US-1 and I-95. Along Route 1, south of the building in which I worked, was a restaurant where I would sometimes have lunch. They ALWAYS had 95.7 from Manchester on the speakers around the restaurant. I don't remember what the calls were in those days but I believe the format was beautiful music. It was clear as a bell with no trace of first-adjacent WBRU. I had a pretty inferior AM/FM radio in my 1972 Dodge Dart (it was an after-market radio; the stock radio was AM only). I got the same NH station (and I think others) on that car radio--also very well--as I drove along Route 1. The topography might have had something to do with it. Driving to work each morning I would take 95 south from 128 and exit onto Route 1. I remember that almost from 128 until I left 95, I was going uphill. Route 1 in Sharon near the Walpole line could easily be at an elevation of 500' or more with respect to the intersection of 128 and 95, which I think is in Westwood.

 

[carmen]

on this map sharon sits around 300 ft.
Moose Hill its about 550 maybe. ive done a lot of hiking here and up into Fowl emadow with WMLL often taking out Caribbean Fyah on 96.5 and WUNH duking it out with STonehill college's 91.3 and WCUW usually in there tooo

 

[WBIMDJ]

Pretty far. Before pirates interfered (101.3 comes to mind), 101.1 WGIR was receivable as far south as Weymouth/Hingham, 15 miles SE of Boston. 95.7 also puts a good signal into most the Boston area. Not sure about WHEB or WOKQ..

 

[carmen]

Pine Hill in Braintree, a 50/50 split WHEB and Latino 100.3 Providence. rotate your aerial.. havent heard pirates here in a couple months. a real graveyard of pirates with haitians, soca, gospel

 

[beantownradio25]

I used to work in Lincoln Mass and could easily receive WZID and WGIR in Stereo on the office radio.

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

in Salem, Ma where I live I pick up B 10 (well Frank 106.3), 95.7 WZID, I'm most familuare with those two stations from when I used to visit Haverhill, Ma back in 1992-1994.
Up in Haverhill, I used to also pick up WERZ 107.1, I mostly listenned to B 106 during my visit there. I also picked up 94.1 HJY in Haverhill, Ma
Anyways, Frank 106.3 reached as far as Revere (Beachmont) area, then I start losing it as I go south of there. I start losing WZID 95.7 around Lynn, Saugus area and as I go further south

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

Sharon, MA -- my original hometown! From the top of Moose Hill (the highest point
in town - fire tower on the top of it) you can see all the way to southern NH, on a clear
day. A ham VHF repeater, 146.23, has excellent coverage from there. I watched them
building the Prudential building from there, when I was a little kid...

 

[blackgold]

And by the way, there are times when I'm listening to WJFD-FM in New Bedford that I experience its signal being overpowered by WOKQ-FM 97.5 on Mount Washington in New Hampshire! I want to hear the Portuguese music and songs, but instead I end up with country from the White Mountains. It sucks!

 

[Uncle Kaimbridge]

And by the way, there are times when I'm listening to WJFD-FM in New Bedford that I experience its signal being overpowered by WOKQ-FM 97.5 on Mount Washington in New Hampshire! I want to hear the Portuguese music and songs, but instead I end up with country from the White Mountains. It sucks!

Nope.
WOKQ-97.5’s antenna is between Barrington and Dover——WPKQ-103.7’s antenna is on Mt. Washington.

 

[Jacko]

One morning last week, once I was past the Boston-area pirate hash, I was able to pick up 102.9 WBLM/Portland in the Rockland/Hanover, MA area. I know 'BLM blasts at 100kw, but it's still quite impressive. I wasn't sure if it was actually Pixy 103 on the Cape, but I heard WBLM liners between the songs. Also, I can usually get both 95.7 WZID and 101.1 WGIR-FM pretty reliably on I-95 between Rt. 128 and I-295 on the way to RI. When I used to commute on the MassPike in the Framingham/Natick area, 106.3 would swap between WWKX and WFNQ. Before the 94.9 translator went in in the Worcester area, I could also get WHOM/Mt. Washington decently along the pike as well.

Jacko

 

[SWClistener]

Here in Whitinsville (not far from the RI border), if I swing the FM6 around to the north, I can get a good signal from these:

92.1 WFEX
95.7 WZID (HD pilot lights up, but won't lock)
96.5 WMLL
97.5 WOKQ
100.3 WHEB
101.1 WGIR
102.9 WBLM

In the car around town only WZID and WGIR.

 

[jlehmann]

Sharon, MA -- my original hometown! From the top of Moose Hill (the highest point
in town - fire tower on the top of it) you can see all the way to southern NH, on a clear
day. A ham VHF repeater, 146.23, has excellent coverage from there. I watched them
building the Prudential building from there, when I was a little kid...

The repeater up there is actually 146.865.

 

[mdamico25]

Here in Leominster, MA (About 10 miles from the NH border, I get the following NH Commercial FM Stations).

92.1 WFEX Peterborough, NH ( //WFNX Lynn, MA)
93.3 WNHW, Belmont, NH (battles it out with WSNE Taunton, MA). WSNE usually wins, depending on the terrain and how I orient my antenna
94.1 WFTN, Franklin, NH (battles it out with WHJY). Same story as 93.3- although 94.1 is usually WFTN more often than WHJY
94.9 WHOM Mount Washington, NH (decent signal)
95.7 WZID Manchester, NH (very strong signal). Can pull in their HD channel as well- which last time I checked was Top 40 from Dial Global
96.5 WMLL Manchester, NH (weak to moderate signal). Better towards the border and in higher terrain (away from Leominster Center)
97.5 WOKQ, Dover, NH (weak signal- not that great)
98.3 WLNH Laconia, NH (weak to moderate signal)
99.1 WNNH Henniker, NH (weak signal- battles it out with WPLM Plymouth, MA). WPLM usually wins, plus WNNH hasn't been on the air much these days due to a stalled sale
100.3 WHEB Portsmouth, NH (weak signal)
101.1 WGIR, Manchester, NH (strong signal)
103.7 WKNE Keene, NH (weak to moderate to strong signal, depending on the terrain, the orientation of the antenna and the co-channel interference with WEEI-FM Westerly, RI and WPKQ, Mount Washington, NH)
105.5 WJYY Concord, NH (another one that really depends on the terrain and adjacent channel interference from WROR Framingham, MA)
106.3 WFNQ, Nashua, NH (strong signal)
106.9 WSCY Moultonborough, NH (weak signal, but other than 106.7 in Boston, no adjacent co-channels

-Mike

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

Sharon ham repeater - my bad. I must have been having a
senior moment. Yes, it is 146.865.
Call is now K1CNX - the call of the late local ham,
Bernie Rosenberg, who was very active with Sharon Civil Defense.