W221CH Testing (Maybe On-Air For Good)

[Laurence Glavin]

Right now (Friday afternoon) I'm receiving a signal on 92.1 FM that's rebroadcasting WXRV-FM 92.5. This is probably W221CH, the 'translator' with 250 watts h&v directional that is supposed to be used by Costa-Eagle to rebroadcast WNNW-AM 800. From my reception site several miles due north of the AM 800 tower on Chandler Road in Andover, the signal is only acceptable if I rotate my antenna to minimize reception of WPHX in Sanford, ME. (WFEX atop Pack Monadnock Mountain in NH didn't seem to be a factor.) If you look at the pattern data for W221CH, the full power is supposed to go due north (zero degress) but the pattern display when you click on the conour coverage shows a signal aimed southeast. I don't know if they're just testing right now, or if the signal will be permanent but the content won't.

 

[JoshuaC]

I was wondering how that Translator was going to work with the pair of 92.1 MHz Phoenix Media Stations (WPHX and WFEX). WFEX never had a particularly good signal much east of Nashua, but WPHX has surprising reach for a Class-A (I remember getting it a good ways into MA on I-95).

Anyone hear how much (if any) it's affecting the WFEX/WPHX in the Salem, NH area?

 

[raccoonradio]

I was actually just picking it up here in Beverly even though it's allegedly out of range
on the radio-locator map. Yeah, shaky in stereo, and still slightly shaky in mono, but on
my digital recvr it def. is re-broadcasting 92.5

 

[Laurence Glavin]

I was actually just picking it up here in Beverly even though it's allegedly out of range
on the radio-locator map. Yeah, shaky in stereo, and still slightly shaky in mono, but on
my digital recvr it def. is re-broadcasting 92.5

You may want to try it again...I believe that the testing on Friday the 27th was at reduced power; today, Saturday the 28th it appears they're running at full juice. It blasts into South Lawrence and neighboring Andover on my cah radio, and splatters all over WUMB-FM 91.9. It didn't do that yesterday. With its southeasterly DA, it's not so hot in Salem, NH. According to Scott Fybush, it will soon discard WXRV for co-owned WNNW-AM. (Remeber, WNNW is broadcasting in IBOC stereo already, so it's FM-ready.)

 

[Laurence Glavin]

The radio-locator map that appears right now is for the CP to operate from the WXRV tower in Haverhill, not the AM 800 tower in Andover.

 

[OlderRadioGuy]

This may have been a two-step, where the Haverhill WXRV site had to be built and placed on the air before the Lawrence CP was built. You may have heard Haverhill one day, and Lawrence the next!

 

[chrisradioanimal]

I heard w221ch Testing on a car radio in Billerica yesturday (Friday 2-27-09) it was faint but audible. It was still broadcasting a relay of WXRV. That makes me wonder if it was broadcasting from the WNNW tower because that tower is like 10 mins away from us. I would think it would come in like a local.

 

[mgpt6]

Was on Saturday nite with repeat of WXRV . Picked it up at 93/125 in Wilmington. In past could get FNX's station from Peterboro, NH 92.1 at that location. With current FCC on 60dbu contour is scared.

 

[mgpt6]

As of Thursday had Spanish programming of 800AM on it. In stereo. Clear to 128/93.

 

[Laurence Glavin]

As of Thursday had Spanish programming of 800AM on it. In stereo. Clear to 128/93.

The transmitter apparently has a stereo exciter, but the content seems to be in mono only. I checked it out southeast of the tower where the signal is trongest on my headset stereo receiver and all the content came from the "middle".