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Superpower WOOD-FM , Grand Rapids

T

TXengineer

Guest
Why did super-power WOOD-FM apply to make their main stick 90kW? (Which is currently their newly licensed AUX, FWIW, a new 90kW Stick). The application was withdrawn but still it was odd to see it even appear.

Anyone know?

(Background, I call WOOD-FM super power because it is one of the grandfathered super-power FMs, operating at 265kW ERP from the WOOD-TV tower and a 10 bay? (maybe 12) Jampro side mount)
 
> Why did super-power WOOD-FM apply to make their main stick
> 90kW? (Which is currently their newly licensed AUX, FWIW, a
> new 90kW Stick). The application was withdrawn but still it
> was odd to see it even appear.
>
> Anyone know?
>
> (Background, I call WOOD-FM super power because it is one of
> the grandfathered super-power FMs, operating at 265kW ERP
> from the WOOD-TV tower and a 10 bay? (maybe 12) Jampro side
> mount)
>

This site makes it look like they've already stopped using the 265kW setup. Anyone know for sure?

http://www.broadcast.net/~sbe102/towers/woodfm.html
 
> > Why did super-power WOOD-FM apply to make their main stick
>
> > 90kW? (Which is currently their newly licensed AUX, FWIW,
> a
> > new 90kW Stick). The application was withdrawn but still
> it
> > was odd to see it even appear.
> >
> > Anyone know?
> >
> > (Background, I call WOOD-FM super power because it is one
> of
> > the grandfathered super-power FMs, operating at 265kW ERP
> > from the WOOD-TV tower and a 10 bay? (maybe 12) Jampro
> side
> > mount)
> >
>
> This site makes it look like they've already stopped using
> the 265kW setup. Anyone know for sure?
>
> http://www.broadcast.net/~sbe102/towers/woodfm.html
>

Jeff, they are still using 265kW, they withdrew the application for the main facility change to 90kW.
 
> > > Why did super-power WOOD-FM apply to make their main
> stick
> >
> > > 90kW? (Which is currently their newly licensed AUX,
> FWIW,
> > a
> > > new 90kW Stick). The application was withdrawn but still
>
> > it
> > > was odd to see it even appear.
> > >
> > > Anyone know?
> > >
> > > (Background, I call WOOD-FM super power because it is
> one
> > of
> > > the grandfathered super-power FMs, operating at 265kW
> ERP
> > > from the WOOD-TV tower and a 10 bay? (maybe 12) Jampro
> > side
> > > mount)
> > >
> >
> > This site makes it look like they've already stopped using
>
> > the 265kW setup. Anyone know for sure?
> >
> > http://www.broadcast.net/~sbe102/towers/woodfm.html
> >
>
> Jeff, they are still using 265kW, they withdrew the
> application for the main facility change to 90kW.

I was going to say! There damn sure would have been an uproar on the Michigan Buzzboard about this change if it'd happened, and I haven't seen a thing.

Post 1077 dedicated to one of the best rock stations of all time: WRKR The Rocker!<P ID="signature">______________
The Radio Blog: radio explained through uncommon sense.
http://theradioblog.blogspot.com</P>
 
Grand Rapids

And why on earth would they even consider giving up their current power? They also have WBCT, which is licensed at 500kw (no joke) but runs at 320kw. Goodness!


> >
> > Jeff, they are still using 265kW, they withdrew the
> > application for the main facility change to 90kW.
>
> I was going to say! There damn sure would have been an
> uproar on the Michigan Buzzboard about this change if it'd
> happened, and I haven't seen a thing.
>
> Post 1077 dedicated to one of the best rock stations of all
> time: WRKR The Rocker!
>
 
Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

> And why on earth would they even consider giving up their
> current power? They also have WBCT, which is licensed at
> 500kw (no joke) but runs at 320kw. Goodness!

Actually, WBCT is licensed at 320 kW. It's not clear to me that it ever operated at much higher power.

There's a good reason why stations like WOOD-FM and WBCT aren't terribly concerned about losing superpower status. The current FCC rules give grandfathered superpower stations NO protection beyond the maximum allowed for their class, and that's been very bad news for many of these signals.

WOOD-FM, for instance, was once listenable on good days all the way down in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a good 150 miles away. Then a new class A signal on 105.7 was licensed in Defiance, Ohio - and that was it for WOOD-FM in Fort Wayne. WOOD-FM and WBCT have been nibbled on the fringes in just about every direction except due west, where Lake Michigan prevents further incursion. So in the real world, neither station has anything like the kind of coverage you might think it would.

There's another problem looming, too - there's a push underway to restrict grandfathered superpower FM stations' IBOC power levels to the class maximum. It's being led by WHMI (93.5) in Howell, Michigan, which is concerned that WBCT's IBOC will cause interference to WHMI's analog signal within WHMI's protected contour.

Then you add in the power bill for running at these very high levels, and there's another reason to look at dropping down to something more reasonable, at or about the class maximum. Why waste power pumping out a signal to areas where it'll just be overrun by interference?

(There are still areas where superpower makes sense - it's a huge boon, for instance, to the FM stations on Mount Wilson above Los Angeles, where the geography makes it impossible to drop in any new interfering signals in the one direction - southeast, towards LA - that matters, and where the huge power of signals like KBIG helps cover the sprawl of the market.)<P ID="signature">______________
Tower Site Calendar 2006 ON SALE! - <a target="_blank" href=http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html#calendar>www.fybush.com</a></P>
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

> Then you add in the power bill for running at these very
> high levels, and there's another reason to look at dropping
> down to something more reasonable

What actual TPO's are these stations using to achieve those high ERP's?
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

I did the app. for WZOM Defiance--it was originally on 105.9, and normally WOOD-FM did not put enough signal into the area to be a problem as an adjacent channel station.

The station was sold a few years after it was built. The new owners moved it to 105.7 so that power could be increased to 6 kw.(short spacing as a 6 to Detroit). Didn't gain much, as it was interference limited in the direction of Toledo by WWWM Sylvania on 105.5
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

At one time 93.7 was using a modified Channel 6 transmitter (at 50 kw?) but believe they have a paralled pair of conventional FM transmitters now.
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

> WOOD-FM, for instance, was once listenable on good days all
> the way down in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a good 150 miles away.
> Then a new class A signal on 105.7 was licensed in Defiance,
> Ohio - and that was it for WOOD-FM in Fort Wayne. WOOD-FM
> and WBCT have been nibbled on the fringes in just about
> every direction except due west, where Lake Michigan
> prevents further incursion. So in the real world, neither
> station has anything like the kind of coverage you might
> think it would.

I didn't realize the power of WOOD-FM. WOOD was part of the Time-Life stations that were sold in the early 70s. WFBM-FM, now WFBQ in Indianapolis was
actually grandfathered in as a 52,000 watt radio station. (not as grand as
the wattage of WOOD, but still, a bit more powerful on the fringe than other Indiana 50Ks.)It, too was a Time-Life facillity. They had quite a station group when they sold. Mostly AM/FM/TV and maybe Muzak, too.
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

WHOM 94.9 is a 50000 watt station from the top of Mount Washington, and its signal goes over 100 miles normally. In the remote parts of Vermont and New Hampshire, it's the only listenable AC station. I even hear it over 300 miles away in New Jersey if there's strong tropo in that direction.<P ID="signature">______________
17-year-old radio geek
Location: Princeton Junction, NJ
AIM: KewlDude471
WWPH 107.9 FM: http://wwph1079fm.no-ip.org</P>
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

i remember another old "superpower" station..wtmb-fm in Tomah, WI was a 200,000watt FM. After their tower fell down, the went back to 100,000 and eventually were sold to VCY communications. Now just a religious station..too bad too as it still covers a large part of Wisconsin and Minnesota.
 
Grandfathered Superpower FMs

This would be a good place to add the link to Doug Smith (w9wi)'s excellent listing of all superpowered FMs:

<a target="_blank" href=http://w9wi.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/articles/grand_fm.htm>http://w9wi.com.hosting.domaindirect.com/articles/grand_fm.htm</a>

You're welcome, Doug.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

> > And why on earth would they even consider giving up their
> > current power? They also have WBCT, which is licensed at
> > 500kw (no joke) but runs at 320kw. Goodness!
>
> Actually, WBCT is licensed at 320 kW. It's not clear to me
> that it ever operated at much higher power.
>
> There's a good reason why stations like WOOD-FM and WBCT
> aren't terribly concerned about losing superpower status.
> The current FCC rules give grandfathered superpower stations
> NO protection beyond the maximum allowed for their class,
> and that's been very bad news for many of these signals.
>
> WOOD-FM, for instance, was once listenable on good days all
> the way down in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a good 150 miles away.
> Then a new class A signal on 105.7 was licensed in Defiance,
> Ohio - and that was it for WOOD-FM in Fort Wayne. WOOD-FM
> and WBCT have been nibbled on the fringes in just about
> every direction except due west, where Lake Michigan
> prevents further incursion. So in the real world, neither
> station has anything like the kind of coverage you might
> think it would.
>
> There's another problem looming, too - there's a push
> underway to restrict grandfathered superpower FM stations'
> IBOC power levels to the class maximum. It's being led by
> WHMI (93.5) in Howell, Michigan, which is concerned that
> WBCT's IBOC will cause interference to WHMI's analog signal
> within WHMI's protected contour.
>
> Then you add in the power bill for running at these very
> high levels, and there's another reason to look at dropping
> down to something more reasonable, at or about the class
> maximum. Why waste power pumping out a signal to areas where
> it'll just be overrun by interference?
>
> (There are still areas where superpower makes sense - it's a
> huge boon, for instance, to the FM stations on Mount Wilson
> above Los Angeles, where the geography makes it impossible
> to drop in any new interfering signals in the one direction
> - southeast, towards LA - that matters, and where the huge
> power of signals like KBIG helps cover the sprawl of the
> market.)
>


I was going throough some old paper work and found out that our WISN-FM (now WQBW) was licensed for 375 kW!!! As an engineer (read that as: "It is hard to be humble when you are loud") I sure wish we still had that. I do understand the power bill situation, but boy would it have been fun!
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

> At one time 93.7 was using a modified Channel 6 transmitter
> (at 50 kw?) but believe they have a paralled pair of
> conventional FM transmitters now.

Yup - it was a paralleled pair of Harris FM25s when I saw it a few years ago. I believe it was licensed with 12 bays, though its main antenna was down for replacement and it was running on the aux when I was there.

Didn't get in to 105.7 to see what they were using.<P ID="signature">______________
Tower Site Calendar 2006 ON SALE! - <a target="_blank" href=http://www.fybush.com/nerw.html#calendar>www.fybush.com</a></P>
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

> > And why on earth would they even consider giving up their
> > current power? They also have WBCT, which is licensed at
> > 500kw (no joke) but runs at 320kw. Goodness!
>
> Actually, WBCT is licensed at 320 kW. It's not clear to me
> that it ever operated at much higher power.

I have here an SRDS Spot Radio book dated March 1, 1975, that lists 93.7 in Grand Rapids--then WJFM--with 500,000 watts ERP at 895 feet HAAT. A display ad for the station claims "With 500,000 watts, WJFM covers 720,000 households and 2,400,000 people. And they are listening. Calls have come in from 100 miles away and mail from 41 counties...The nation's most powerful FM station."
 
Re: Tradition is nice. But reality's a bitch.

> WHOM 94.9 is a 50000 watt station from the top of Mount
> Washington, and its signal goes over 100 miles normally. In
> the remote parts of Vermont and New Hampshire, it's the only
> listenable AC station. I even hear it over 300 miles away
> in New Jersey if there's strong tropo in that direction.

When I was in Boston it was WMTW-FM, co-owned with WMTW-TV, Channel 8. If nothing else, the wind on Mt. Washington would blow the signal everywhere. The buildings on Mt. Washington are chained to the ground. In Winter it's not the place to be. There's also a weather station on the mountain. I have friends who nearly died hiking up the mountain when a storm blew in quickly.

It was once owned by Jack Paar in the 60s.

Rich
 
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