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Wasted bandwidth in Seattle + out of market reception troubbles

F

fordranger797

Hey guys! I was scanning through my radio dial the other day, and made a few observations I thought I would share/ask you about.

First and foremost, KGHP in Gig Harbour is taking up way too much space. While I think that it is fantastic that the school district has their own community station, I don't think three different frequencies (89.3, 89.9, and 93.7) are necessary. Wouldn't just one be plenty sufficient?

Next, KGHO. From what I have heard, KGHO is a neat station which is limited poor coverage through translators. Would it be possible get KGHO on some sort of Class B1 licence? I assume the red tape involved with a licence change of that sort would make it hopeless, but it would defiantly allow KGHO to be heard, while giving back bandwidth we loose on 101.1 and 92.9.

Lastly, I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on a more 'personal' problem. I've been trying to pick up signals from Mount Seymour recently, and have had moderate success. I seem to be able to pick up CKZZ and CJJR (if im far enough out of Gig Harbour to loose that 50 watt KGHP repeater). Unfortunately I have had no luck with CFMI. Every time I have turned in, 101.1 is always DOMINATED by KXL (which seems way too overpowered). Do you guys have any tips on nulling out that KXL signal?
 
I can get 3 different stations on 101.1 here in Olympia, but then I think i would rather have just one choice. I like KGHO, but why should established signals from Vancouver or Portland be nulled out by translators, which is bureaucratic engineering on the part of the commission to 'improve' or enhance the spectrum in the name of commerce or what most bible stations being 'community'.

It was manageable below 92.3, but does flooding everything established for years with new adjacent freqs make any sense? I may want to listen to KXL if I lived in Centralia as I consider than kind of programming 'regional' as they have a better news and traffic dept.

It hasn't improved adding more of the same, just like eating burnt cookies, they don't improve by burning more of them. I lose 102.5 KZOK and KINK 101.9 around Centralia thanks to a religious Class A that already has a transmitter in the same town and one of the many "K Love's" nulling out KINK. There was a reason for high powered signals, but why bother to upgrade when your signal may be blocked because the fundies want a station in every zip code or someone thinks adding more of the same on the dial is better?
 
KACS 90.5 does not need a translator in the SAME city of license. Waste of bandwidth on 102.3.
KGHP only needs 89.9 - they do not need the other two. And then all those CSN and K-LOVE translators are popping up like flies. What a mess! 107.3, 105.7, 89.1.

-crainbebo
 
and speaking of KGHO from NW Broadcasters site

10/21/13 - The FCC has granted a change of frequency for KGHO-LP 98.5 Grays Harbor to 99.9 MHz. ERP remains at 100 watts and there is no change to transmitter location.
 
Thanks for the info, Curtis and Crainbebo!

I can hounestly say, these Christian radio networks are ruining radio. I cannot complain too much if a repeater is messing up my ability to pick up a radio station one hundred miles away, but a CSN repeater ruining the signal of KZOK should NOT be tolerated. Centrailia may be out of the 60dbu broadcast range, but that does not mean repeaters should be allowed to degrade the signal even further. I personally feel the best solution is to mandate these non com translators to move below 92mhz if they wish to continue broadcasting. Contrary to popular belief , there is PLENTY of space. We just need to force stations such as KGHP to pick a frequency, and vacate the others (like crainbebo stated).

KACS has already ruined my chances to pick up CBU-FM and CHBE with a regular radio antenna. I am thinking about getting some sort of yagi antenna to get a directional signal (any recommendations, folks?)
 
Curtis - I saw that on the site as well.. 98.5 was a good choice to broadcast on. It didn't even affect my ability to pick up CIOC :D Let me guess.. another CSN translator is in the works in to prevent me from picking that up too!
 
I use a Grundig yb400 that does the mhz offset option. Not sure if that will help, sometimes directional antennas are ok, if your device has antenna jacks then start small with a T antenna mounted inside and move it around to see what kind of null you can get. Outside is better but it takes more work. For some reason my Uniden 396xt has great FM sens, I can receive KISM from B Ham
 
I think what I need is some sort of directional yagi antenna. Have you perhaps heard of something like that?

And im glad you are getting KISM down there in Olmypia. I am too close to the KGHO repeater to pick them up right now unfortunately.
 
I have a feeling those CSN translators are going to start disappearing in the next few years as local LPFMs and AM translators are given priority over the Jesuscaster translators.
 
"Would it be possible get KGHO on some sort of Class B1 licence?" Where there are Class Bs, there are no Cs and vice-versa. The relative equivalent of a B1 is a C3, the difference being that it's protected to the 60dbu instead of 57.
 
I think KGY should move to capitol peak. I mean, think of all the people out in southwest Washington that are no longer being served by country music since KNBQ flipped? 102.9 had that entire area covered.

Then again, they would have to protect the mount seymour signal on 96.9, which I have been trying to pick up with no luck
 
S Mtn or Maxwell Hill is a good location for KGY. 104.3 covers south of Olympia to Longview? From there lots of country choices exist from Bongview to Portland. The Wolf and 94.1 cover everything north. Hopefully country won't expand :p
 
Olyradio said:
S Mtn or Maxwell Hill is a good location for KGY. 104.3 covers south of Olympia to Longview? From there lots of country choices exist from Bongview to Portland. The Wolf and 94.1 cover everything north. Hopefully country won't expand :p
Click to expand...

Curtis - Where is Maxwell hill located?

I too hope country music radio does not expand further! I'm glad there are choices, but there will be no market for there get to be many more then we have already
 
There's KMPS, KKWF, CJJR, KGY, KMNT, KUPL, KWJJ and KANY all down the I-5 corridor between Vancouver BC and Portland. Loads of stations...

-crainbebo
 
Bongwater said:
I have a feeling those CSN translators are going to start disappearing in the next few years as local LPFMs and AM translators are given priority over the Jesuscaster translators.
Click to expand...

I think you're misreading the FCC's intentions..

They plan to accept LPFM applications before they accept any *new* applications for FM translators. (and it looks likely they will accept applications for translators to relay AM stations before they accept any new applications for FM translators as well, although that's not yet a done deal.)

They do *NOT* plan to allow either of these classes of station to bump *existing* translators off their channels. Any CSN translators that are already authorized are not going to be going away any time soon.
 
The problem is out here, we're up to here in stations. And LPFMs and AM translators are going to want their space. What it boils down to is what provides local service on an FM dial as congested as Puget Sound's. And translators (especially the CSN/EMF type) are not a protected class, if local is the operative word of the day (they actually are not a protected class regardless.) So something's got to give eventually.
 
I think they purposely move next to the higher powered 'devil stations' to block anyone in small town America from having a choice, like KZOK and KINK being blocked in Centralia. Are these stations 501c3'? If they are, they should be down below 92.3

Well I checked,
"K-LOVE is governed by the Educational Media Foundation, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry. No individual owns any stock in the corporation, which is held for charitable purposes. The Board of Directors at large serve without compensation for rotating four-year terms, and a person with supervisory accounting experience holds one of the board positions.
 
If you can listen to station "KZZZ" no matter if your in the 60 dBu or not, if a translator comes on the air and interferes with your ability to listen, then the translator must fix the problem, even if it means it goes off the air.

Translators (commercial or non-commercial) are secondary service. If they are interfering with station you could listen to before, complain
 
Olyradio said:
I think they purposely move next to the higher powered 'devil stations' to block anyone in small town America from having a choice, like KZOK and KINK being blocked in Centralia. Are these stations 501c3'? If they are, they should be down below 92.3

Well I checked,
"K-LOVE is governed by the Educational Media Foundation, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry. No individual owns any stock in the corporation, which is held for charitable purposes. The Board of Directors at large serve without compensation for rotating four-year terms, and a person with supervisory accounting experience holds one of the board positions.
Click to expand...

I bet there is something to that theory! I mean, there must be PLENTY of space below 92.3 in Lewis County to put a "non profit" translator on, there really is no excuse for placing it in a space where commercial C0 or C FM stations can be interfered with.
 
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