Tallest Tower ? ?

[pianoplayer88key]

So what other FM stations can consistently provide the signal KVYB does from 211 miles away?
That was received with a Tecsun PL-606 on a ~900-950 foot elevation hilltop about 3/4 mi NW of my location. I'm at about 500-550 feet or so, and KVYB's signal is weaker, but sometimes still readable on the roof of the house (that clip was using a Tecsun PL-380).

If the signal is that good at that distance, how far would the clear, noise-free signal be expected to go? And is it possible at all for someone to put a new station on the air (assuming a filing window was to open and someone had deep pockets) that would rival KVYB's geographical coverage radius?

 

[Bongwater]

On the KPQ-FM debate: I too once heard KPQ-FM broadcasted at 100,000 watts once. But of course, the "equivalent to" rebuttal makes sense.

All I knew is that KPQ-FM signal was PHENOMENAL. It could be heard in downtown Seattle hi-rises with just a mild distance hiss in stereo. Even parts of Bremerton, WA (further west) and even Victoria, B.C. could receive it fairly clear.

Like crainbebo said, it could also be heard well into Western Montana, southern BC, most of the Idaho panhandle and northern Oregon quite well. But that was the late '60s to late '80s. No stations operated on 102.1 MHz (or 101.9 MHz - save KINK or 102.3 MHz) for decades because it was a signal that also had quite a number of listeners from Spokane to Seattle.

Now, there's more stations, static and other crap in the air and while KPQ-FM still blankets Central Washington with automated classic rock, it has nowhere the reach of it's "clear-channel" heyday......

 

[kenrayc]

In the San Joaquin Valley in Central CA, Eshom Point N/E of Visalia is at 5200 FT Sea level with the HAAT at 800 Ft with 8 stations near 17,000 watts ERP, covers from Modesto to the top of the Grapevine near Valencia CA, thats big coverage.

Mt Wilson CA, with the Grandfathered factor, I can pick up 95.5 KLOS from time to time in Clovis/Fresno, That frequency has no Co-Channel stations in Central CA, a little adjacent interference from KJFX 95.7 but they are at a 90 degree angle to my directional antenna.

 

[radioman148]

In the San Joaquin Valley in Central CA, Eshom Point N/E of Visalia is at 5200 FT Sea level with the HAAT at 800 Ft with 8 stations near 17,000 watts ERP, covers from Modesto to the top of the Grapevine near Valencia CA, thats big coverage.

Mt Wilson CA, with the Grandfathered factor, I can pick up 95.5 KLOS from time to time in Clovis/Fresno, That frequency has no Co-Channel stations in Central CA, a little adjacent interference from KJFX 95.7 but they are at a 90 degree angle to my directional antenna.

Pretty impressive. How many air miles are you from Mt Wilson?

 

[romer979fm]

looks like about 170 air miles from Eshom to Wilson...

 

[radioman148]

looks like about 170 air miles from Eshom to Wilson...

That's a good shot.

 

[kenrayc]

In the San Joaquin Valley in Central CA, Eshom Point N/E of Visalia is at 5200 FT Sea level with the HAAT at 800 Ft with 8 stations near 17,000 watts ERP, covers from Modesto to the top of the Grapevine near Valencia CA, thats big coverage.

Mt Wilson CA, with the Grandfathered factor, I can pick up 95.5 KLOS from time to time in Clovis/Fresno, That frequency has no Co-Channel stations in Central CA, a little adjacent interference from KJFX 95.7 but they are at a 90 degree angle to my directional antenna.

Pretty impressive. How many air miles are you from Mt Wilson?

From Mt Wilson to my house in Clovis, it's about 220 miles.
Eshom Point is 52 miles away.

 

[radiorob2.0]

It's been years since being in that part of the country but Norton, Virginia had a solid signal from WOKI Oak Ridge (Knoxville). Even though it was 120 miles away most any radio would receive the station. The city was atop a high peak in Southwest Virginia as WOKI was atop a tall peak twenty miles north of Knoxville and little was in the way to block the signal. I'm not sure if that is the case today after the expansion of the band.

 

[radioman148]

In the San Joaquin Valley in Central CA, Eshom Point N/E of Visalia is at 5200 FT Sea level with the HAAT at 800 Ft with 8 stations near 17,000 watts ERP, covers from Modesto to the top of the Grapevine near Valencia CA, thats big coverage.

Mt Wilson CA, with the Grandfathered factor, I can pick up 95.5 KLOS from time to time in Clovis/Fresno, That frequency has no Co-Channel stations in Central CA, a little adjacent interference from KJFX 95.7 but they are at a 90 degree angle to my directional antenna.

Pretty impressive. How many air miles are you from Mt Wilson?

From Mt Wilson to my house in Clovis, it's about 220 miles.
Eshom Point is 52 miles away.

Now I'm really impressed. Do you ever get any of the other LA FMs from Mt Wilson? (tropo excluded of course)

 

[kenrayc]

In the San Joaquin Valley in Central CA, Eshom Point N/E of Visalia is at 5200 FT Sea level with the HAAT at 800 Ft with 8 stations near 17,000 watts ERP, covers from Modesto to the top of the Grapevine near Valencia CA, thats big coverage.

Mt Wilson CA, with the Grandfathered factor, I can pick up 95.5 KLOS from time to time in Clovis/Fresno, That frequency has no Co-Channel stations in Central CA, a little adjacent interference from KJFX 95.7 but they are at a 90 degree angle to my directional antenna.

Pretty impressive. How many air miles are you from Mt Wilson?

From Mt Wilson to my house in Clovis, it's about 220 miles.
Eshom Point is 52 miles away.

Now I'm really impressed. Do you ever get any of the other LA FMs from Mt Wilson? (tropo excluded of course)

No, all of the others are blocked by Co-channel interference, seems 95.5 is the only "open" frequency in the San Joaquin Valley that is at Mt. Wilson.
Back in the analog TV days I have received the VHF stations in Los Angeles, under tropo conditions.

 

[radioman148]

In the San Joaquin Valley in Central CA, Eshom Point N/E of Visalia is at 5200 FT Sea level with the HAAT at 800 Ft with 8 stations near 17,000 watts ERP, covers from Modesto to the top of the Grapevine near Valencia CA, thats big coverage.

Mt Wilson CA, with the Grandfathered factor, I can pick up 95.5 KLOS from time to time in Clovis/Fresno, That frequency has no Co-Channel stations in Central CA, a little adjacent interference from KJFX 95.7 but they are at a 90 degree angle to my directional antenna.

Pretty impressive. How many air miles are you from Mt Wilson?

From Mt Wilson to my house in Clovis, it's about 220 miles.
Eshom Point is 52 miles away.

Now I'm really impressed. Do you ever get any of the other LA FMs from Mt Wilson? (tropo excluded of course)

No, all of the others are blocked by Co-channel interference, seems 95.5 is the only "open" frequency in the San Joaquin Valley that is at Mt. Wilson.
Back in the analog TV days I have received the VHF stations in Los Angeles, under tropo conditions.

That's still a heck of a haul for an FM. Too bad there aren't more LA FMs with a clear shot to you.

 

[richllewis]

The tallest tower I know is the WLBT tower in Raymond, Mississippi

 

[tomservo]

The tallest tower I know is the WLBT tower in Raymond, Mississippi

Aww, that's not even 1,800 feet tall. That's what all the ones here in Mobile-Pensacola are, I think. Two of ours are pickle forks with the three prongs on top. They look downright sinister from the right angles!

Still, the WLBT tower has an incredible line of sight; I've spotted it at night from well north of Jackson on US-49. I bet it was a good 15 miles away.

After about 1,700 feet they all kind of blend together. I've been right up to the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota; it's 2,063 feet and considered the tallest in the US. From a distance it's hard to tell just how much taller it is than the other two nearby >2,000 footers in that part of North Dakota.