Synchronized Stations on the Same Frequency?

[mbatchelor]

Are there any stations currently in the US synchronizing stations on the same frequency? Does anyone have any info aboutBig City Radio's New York & Chicago experiments a few years back?- How did the signals work together? Did the signals cancel each other out in places? Are there any stations in the US currently using this technology on the air?

 

[ontheair247]

There where 4 FM stations in the NY/NJ area that where all on 107.1 MHz. I saw some of the gear after the splitup, as I work for a company that bought one of the stations. Its getting late after a long day here, but I remember something about using GPS satellite synchronization to keep all 4 stations on the same freq and in phase. I'm thinking there was an IntraPlex card that did that but would have to check old files and stored equipment to refersh my memory.

 

[CW]

Are there any stations currently in the US synchronizing stations on the same frequency? Does anyone have any info aboutBig City Radio's New York & Chicago experiments a few years back?- How did the signals work together? Did the signals cancel each other out in places? Are there any stations in the US currently using this technology on the air?

Liberman had such in Los Angeles area with two FMs on the same channel 60 miles apart....not sure if they are still doing it..

 

[jd]

Are there any stations currently in the US synchronizing stations on the same frequency?

Looks like everybody so far has assumed you were talking about FM only, but there have been numerous synchronized AM operations over the years. In Texas, for instance, KRVA 1600 Cockrell Hill/Dallas had a synchronous transmitter in Fort Worth, and just west of Dallas KKDA 730 Grand Prairie had one southeast of Fort Worth, licensed to suburban Forest Hill. The old KNUZ 1230 (now KQUE) in Houston operated a synchronized transmitter on the northwest side of the city for a number of years to supplement the anemic coverage from their downtown. It never worked that well, though. North of Houston, KMVL 1220 Madisonville set up such a station in the nearby town of Huntsville back in the late '90's; I heard it a few years ago but I'm not sure if it's still on.

 

[necrat123]

WLLH 1400 in Lowell/Lawernce MA, was or might still be operating synchronus.

 

[karasak]

In Italy there is "RTL 102.5" radio in whole country on 102. 5Mhz.

 

[pqgeorge]

Are there any stations currently in the US synchronizing stations on the same frequency? Does anyone have any info aboutBig City Radio's New York & Chicago experiments a few years back?- How did the signals work together? Did the signals cancel each other out in places? Are there any stations in the US currently using this technology on the air?

I'm not sure of the current status, but recently, KKOB/770 Albuquerque was operating a 230 watt synchronous transmitter on 770 in Santa Fe at night-only, when KKOB's main signal (days. non DA) goes directional away from WABC (also on 770). Originally, KKOB (formerly KOB) was non-directional day and night. But, WABC in New York , after a long protracted fight, got the FCC to agree with them that WABC should be protected and required co-channel KOB to go directional at night. One good thing for KKOB is that even-though they have a suppressed signal to the east, their directional signal, at night, covers nearly the entire Intermountain western United States. Santa Fe is in their null, so the FCC authorized KKOB to put an experimental 230 watt repeater to cover Santa Fe at night when KKOB's non-DA signal changes to DA. A kind of nifty idea, but not new.

WBZ/1030, in Boston up until 1960 had their own 1000 watt (on-channel) booster station WBZA in Springfield (100 miles to the west of Boston). However, at the time when Westinghouse wanted to buy WINS/1010 in New York, they had to get rid of one of their existing stations in order to keep Westinghouse below the 5 market limit (ah, how times have changed). In the eyes of the FCC, WBZA was considered a full-fledged operation, as well it should have been. As a result, WBZA (1030) and WBZA-FM (102.1) were the odd-men out. They shut them down and returned their licenses to the FCC. WBZA-FM's 102.1 MHz frequency was reactivated in 1966 when WCRX (now WAQY) took to the air with Classical Music, under the ownership of Charles River Broadcasting (former owner of Boston's WCRB).

 

[qtpieislit]

What year did KKOB go directional?

 

[CW]

Are there any stations currently in the US synchronizing stations on the same frequency?

Looks like everybody so far has assumed you were talking about FM only, but there have been numerous synchronized AM operations over the years. In Texas, for instance, KRVA 1600 Cockrell Hill/Dallas had a synchronous transmitter in Fort Worth, and just west of Dallas KKDA 730 Grand Prairie had one southeast of Fort Worth, licensed to suburban Forest Hill. The old KNUZ 1230 (now KQUE) in Houston operated a synchronized transmitter on the northwest side of the city for a number of years to supplement the anemic coverage from their downtown. It never worked that well, though. North of Houston, KMVL 1220 Madisonville set up such a station in the nearby town of Huntsville back in the late '90's; I heard it a few years ago but I'm not sure if it's still on.

The 1230 Houston sync xmtr for KQUE died as quck as it came on....the tower is still there and grass growing up around the fence, etc....probably a better site than the main AM site...
1220's I think is off...I'll check next time I am in Huntsville (or may call Leon Hunt who owns KMVL and see if he is still running it..been a while since we talked).

 

[Hunter]

Liberman had such in Los Angeles area with two FMs on the same channel 60 miles apart....not sure if they are still doing it..

Not sure if Liberman is still doing it, but 93.5 KDAY/Redondo Beach and KWIE/Ontario definately are and they are very happy with the results. I also believe that 103.1 KDLD/Santa Monica and KDLE/Newport Beach may be as well.

 

[Turntable]

AFAIK, WRKI-FM in Brookfield, Ct. had or still has a syncronous repeater in Norwalk, Ct.

-A