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Towers in Northbrook

R

radioman148

Today I drove by the towers at Dundee & Sanders in Northbrook. Previously there were 4 towers at that location about equal height. Now I see that there are 6 and the 2 newer ones are shorter than the original 4. Anyone know why these were added and what they're being used for?
I know that AM 1330 was one of the stations transmitting from there. I'm not sure what other stations are.

Thanks.
 
As I understand it, the other two are for 1430.

Two nights ago, they left the station on the air all night long broadcasting nothing but horrendous noise bursts and static. No station ID's either. Did anyone else notice?

Now this is truly bottom feeder radio! Unfortunately, their towers are located in my town, so I get blasted with this junk.
 
Two nights ago, they left the station on the air all night long broadcasting nothing but horrendous noise bursts and static. No station ID's either. Did anyone else notice?
Click to expand...

No, I did not notice this. What I noticed is that 1430 is now signing off at 8:00 PM. This started about 10 days ago. Likely what you heard was static from other stations on the same frequency. It made no sense to keep 1430 on-the-air at night anyways because most of the time 1430 was a simulcast of the same same programming that is heard on 1330 (only with separate legal ID's and PSA's). The 17-watt 1330 and 29-watt 1430 nightime signals overlap, so why simulcast the same programming ('Echo of Moscow' overnight and Lithuanian from 9:00-10:00 PM)?

Around the same time when 1430 started to sign off at 8 is when 'Rebel Radio' AM 1500 WPJX was started to stay on all night, but now that has ended.

Anyone know why these were added and what they're being used for?
Click to expand...

The daytime signal of 1330 has greatly improved since the changes were made.

Now this is truly bottom feeder radio! Unfortunately, their towers are located in my town, so I get blasted with this junk.
Click to expand...

I consider the 'Echo of Moscow' (Ekha Moskvi) programing some of the most interesting radio on the dial in Chicago area.
 
Currently...1330 only uses (1) of the towers. Yep only one...this is temporary and will end when the additional towers are connected into the antenna phasing system. Which will likely be next summer.

The signal is omnidirectional right now, which explains why some are now hearing it better then before when it was directional.

The additional towers are necessary for nightime signal improvements to both WKTA and WEEF. The project is expensive...so it will take some time as the stations attempt to generate the extra capital.
 
[email protected] said:
Currently...1330 only uses (1) of the towers. Yep only one...this is temporary and will end when the additional towers are connected into the antenna phasing system. Which will likely be next summer.

The signal is omnidirectional right now, which explains why some are now hearing it better then before when it was directional.

The additional towers are necessary for nightime signal improvements to both WKTA and WEEF. The project is expensive...so it will take some time as the stations attempt to generate the extra capital.
Click to expand...

Is WEEF also using only 1 tower?
 
avtosalon said:
No, I did not notice this. What I noticed is that 1430 is now signing off at 8:00 PM. This started about 10 days ago. Likely what you heard was static from other stations on the same frequency.
Click to expand...

Uh... that would be a NO! The noise and static was on 1330 at the times I listened, at various times in the night and up until early morning. NO, it was not from other signals on the frequency. I know what their signal sounds like since I live within 4 miles of the transmitter. The noise and static sounded like a recorded loop; it had a repetitive pattern. The 1430 signal was off the air. When it is on, most of the time it just carries the same program as 1330.

This is not the first time I have heard the station left on "autopilot" with nobody paying attention to what is going over the air at night, although the other instances were not recent. I think if they can't bother to monitor their own signal, they should turn in the license and give it to someone who will.
 
audioguy said:
I think if they can't bother to monitor their own signal, they should turn in the license and give it to someone who will.
Click to expand...
Ever since the FCC deregulated commercial radio, it's been much easier for radio owners to operate un-attended and in some cases un-aware of what is actually on the air of their radio station. The WKTA / WEEF programming during the overnite operation is brokered out and provided by a source other than POLNET Communications. So the noise you heard was what the brokered show was feeding to the WKTA / WEEF studios. I believe the noise has been resolved.

Audioguy...have you got $8 Mil....maybe you could buy the station???
 
[email protected] said:
audioguy said:
I think if they can't bother to monitor their own signal, they should turn in the license and give it to someone who will.
Click to expand...
Ever since the FCC deregulated commercial radio, it's been much easier for radio owners to operate un-attended and in some cases un-aware of what is actually on the air of their radio station. The WKTA / WEEF programming during the overnite operation is brokered out and provided by a source other than POLNET Communications. So the noise you heard was what the brokered show was feeding to the WKTA / WEEF studios. I believe the noise has been resolved.

Audioguy...have you got $8 Mil....maybe you could buy the station???
Click to expand...

$8 million for those stations? Wow--the world is really messed up.
 
Last time I checked, licensees are still responsible for the proper operation of their facilities, regardless of who supplies the programming. It's up to the FCC to enforce the rules, but one would think that a responsible owner would strive to deliver a quality product, and would care enough to ensure that happens every minute the station is on the air. Even if it's Russian taxicab radio. At least we did when I was in the business.

I certainly don't have $8M to invest, but if I did, I would not put it into an AM signal on the high end of the dial. I believe that broadcast properties are generally overvalued; not just this particular one. I would not want to be caught "holding the bag" when wireless Internet service takes off, if I were an investor or owner. On the other hand, the land under most AM tower sites would be worth plenty, although I'm not sure it would bring $8M in this particular case.

We haven't even gotten through the DTV transition and engineers are already talking about signing off terrestrial TV in favor of satellite and cable distribution. Terrestrial radio may be around awhile longer due to the portability factor, but even that advantage may disappear if people start listening primarily on cell phones and Wi-Max.
 
While the FCC does regulate a rather limited amount of the technical operation of radio stations and to an even lesser degree the content, they leave the owners alone when it comes to program quality issues. In fact, the FCC totally eliminated the requirement for specific audio performance. A station is free to put on as much distortion as it wants, as long as it doesn't interfere with any adjacent frequencies. They called it de-regulation during the Regan era.

It's because of that de-regulation that some radio station owners/managers have chosen to eliminate the over nite staff and "trust" that their station will perform properly. Anything to save a buck.

I agree with you...it shouldn't be allowed...but as they say in Peoria, the cows out of the barn already
 
[email protected] said:
While the FCC does regulate a rather limited amount of the technical operation of radio stations and to an even lesser degree the content, they leave the owners alone when it comes to program quality issues. In fact, the FCC totally eliminated the requirement for specific audio performance. A station is free to put on as much distortion as it wants, as long as it doesn't interfere with any adjacent frequencies. They called it de-regulation during the Regan era.

It's because of that de-regulation that some radio station owners/managers have chosen to eliminate the over nite staff and "trust" that their station will perform properly. Anything to save a buck.

I agree with you...it shouldn't be allowed...but as they say in Peoria, the cows out of the barn already
Click to expand...

Some stations might be better off broadcasting distortion. ;D
 
stormy01 said:
radioman148 said:
Some stations might be better off broadcasting distortion. ;D
Click to expand...

Some are: WPJX 1500 Zion, IL; WEEF 1430 Highland Park/Northbrook, IL... ;)
Click to expand...

I don't think there's actually a problem with the physical plant. A few years ago, WEEF used to broadcast program segments from "Euroquest" at night that sounded terrific. They still broadcast a long-running oldies show on the weekend that sounds good. I have no idea how that has survived; the host must have some kind of agreement with the owner, because it has nothing in common with the rest of their schedule. As you might imagine, it is the only thing I ever listen to on that station.
 
stormy01 said:
radioman148 said:
Some stations might be better off broadcasting distortion. ;D
Click to expand...

Some are: WPJX 1500 Zion, IL; WEEF 1430 Highland Park/Northbrook, IL... ;)
Click to expand...

I gotta agree with you on WPJX...no matter what you do, Heavy Metal is more than my ears can handle. Every "singer" sounds like Cookie Monster during a shouting match.

WEEF...always sounded OK to me.
 
No, not every singer sounds like the Cookie Monster. Just the Death Metal / Black Metal bands that often get airplay on WPJX sound like this.

Progressive metal groups (Queensryche, Dream Theatre) and heritage metal groups (Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Kiss), which are also heard on WPJX do not sing like the cookie monster.

IMO it would be nice if they didn't play any Death Metal / Black Metal.
 
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