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WAVO 1150

Mike Sheridan

Mike Sheridan

Is it my car radio or does WAVO sound really awful? It sounds like it's being piped through a megaphone. I wonder how they get the audio from the studio (er computer) to the transmitter?

The also need to figure out how to time into the news. They played a song I really liked and chopped it off in the middle for the news. I turned off the radio totally disgusted. If you can't time into the news record it and play it back a few minutes later. It doesn't have to be at the top of the hour.

When I worked at WSOC we had NBC and they did a pre-feed at :54 We had the automation record it just in case we couldn't hit the network at the top of the hour. Running off automation tapes it wasn't always possible to find a song that was the correct length.
 
mp3RadioGuy said:
Technically it sounds like its always sounded, pretty good for AM. I just wish they had a little more variety.
Click to expand...

Must be my radio then, thanks. Guess I'll have to go back in time to find a radio with a decent AM section!
 
Mike Sheridan said:
mp3RadioGuy said:
Technically it sounds like its always sounded, pretty good for AM. I just wish they had a little more variety.
Click to expand...

Must be my radio then, thanks. Guess I'll have to go back in time to find a radio with a decent AM section!
Click to expand...


It sounds fine on my Car Radio when I'm down in Rock Hill. It still sounds fine until I=485, but heading West-Bound to Gastonia, the Signal Deteriorates quickly. By the I=85 Exchange, it's fading out. AM is definitely NOT the best choice for transmitting 50's Oldies...
 
This station should be cleaning up!

Actually, if the original Mix 106 were still around, it would be.

Even their chimpanzee version from October 1997 would be welcome.
 
vchimpanzee said:
This station should be cleaning up!

Actually, if the original Mix 106 were still around, it would be.

Even their chimpanzee version from October 1997 would be welcome.
Click to expand...


There is definitely still a market for the type of Music WAVO plays. The guy I went to see on Saturday looked really excited when I told him I was listening to ''Big Band'' and ''Oldies'' on the way in (I alternated between 90.3 and 1150 after 91.5 had faded out). I told him he'd have to put up outside antennas to get these stations better (he's in Indian Trail) but that he could listen to either (prior to 1150 turning its power down) in his car or his jeep. Steve.
 
Looks like the bad audio is definitely my car radio's fault. I tried to listen to WAGL on the way home yesterday and it sounded like Shortwave, not local broadcast AM. WBT does fine though. This does not bode well for AM stations.
 
Go pick yourself up a Crutchfield catalog and buy yourself an early Christmas present.

I personally like the new Kenwood’s and Alpines. The new in-dash receivers will do almost everything but drive the car for you. I currently have a Kenwood DDX 319 that has great sound quality on FM, DVD, CD, USB and decent AM. You have different EQ settings for each source which helps AM actually sound pretty good. Both sensitivity and selectivity are excellent even with the crappy window antenna.
 
Steve.Gates said:
AM is definitely NOT the best choice for transmitting 50's Oldies...
Click to expand...

I disagree. Properly processed AM stations on good AM receivers sound fine playing 50s oldies. Back in the day big smoke stations running Doherty modulated Western Electrics and later Continentals sounded very good.

One could argue new solid state transmitters are not as musical as the old rigs. When WBT put in the new Nautel a year or so ago I thought it sounded better than the Harris DX50. Come to find out they are using MDCL on the NX50. Here is a link...scroll to the bottom to read a quote from BT's Chief...

http://www.nautel.com/resources/articles/multiple-customers-mdcl-huge-success

t123
 
test123 said:
Steve.Gates said:
AM is definitely NOT the best choice for transmitting 50's Oldies...
Click to expand...

I disagree. Properly processed AM stations on good AM receivers sound fine playing 50s oldies. Back in the day big smoke stations running Doherty modulated Western Electrics and later Continentals sounded very good.

t123
Click to expand...


Other than the old GE Superadio and maybe a few of the CC Radios and Sangean…there aren’t any more good AM receivers. Back in the day, most receivers had 10kHz of bandwidth and didn’t have hundreds of electrical devices spewing trash all over the AM band.

“Supposedly, Ibiquity bought about 30 radios and tested them. Not a single one had a bandwidth over 3 kHz or so - leading to the conclusion that AM bandwidth can be limited to 5 kHz and nobody will care or be able to notice the difference.”
 
test123 said:
Steve.Gates said:
AM is

One could argue new solid state transmitters are not as musical as the old rigs. When WBT put in the new Nautel a year or so ago I thought it sounded better than the Harris DX50. Come to find out they are using MDCL on the NX50. Here is a link...scroll to the bottom to read a quote from BT's Chief...

http://www.nautel.com/resources/articles/multiple-customers-mdcl-huge-success

t123
Click to expand...

Wow, short life for the DX50. Is it that bad a box? I wonder if the got rid of it or the old MW-50.
Click to expand...
 
I had a scare yesterday. At noon, after hearing a good song from the big band era (an instrumental, so I couldn't say what it was, but I've heard it), I heard two men talking about financial topics and how the presidential race would affect our finances. I decided not to give up, though, and a few minutes later the music was back.
 
Mike...

The MW-50A is still there. It is on the right side of the transmitter room. The old MW-50 (which was upgraded to an A) was thrown away. In its place went the Destiny and a Gates Five. The Gates Five I believe was removed when the Nautel was installed. To put the MW-50A on the air I think they have to move a J plug.

Powell...

I believe the NX-50 came with the MDCL installed. To make they Destiny do it they would have to spend some money on it. I think it is relegated to backup duty now.

I think the reason they decided to purchase the Nautel was to have two solid state transmitters.

t123
 
test123 said:
Mike...

The MW-50A is still there. It is on the right side of the transmitter room. The old MW-50 (which was upgraded to an A) was thrown away. In its place went the Destiny and a Gates Five. The Gates Five I believe was removed when the Nautel was installed. To put the MW-50A on the air I think they have to move a J plug.

Powell...

I believe the NX-50 came with the MDCL installed. To make they Destiny do it they would have to spend some money on it. I think it is relegated to backup duty now.

I think the reason they decided to purchase the Nautel was to have two solid state transmitters.

t123
Click to expand...

Interesting, I would think having two identical transmitters would be best. I guess they don't worry about stocking spare parts as much as they used to. When I was there last it was during the NAB Radio show back when Lincoln still owned the place. They were running HD that week.
 
With Harris selling their broadcast devision, most engineers are now staying away from the company and going with a very reliable transmitter brand...Nautel.
 
mp3RadioGuy said:
With Harris selling their broadcast devision, most engineers are now staying away from the company and going with a very reliable transmitter brand...Nautel.
Click to expand...

I had not heard they were selling the broadcast division. Who are they selling to? I think most of the stations I worked for had a Harris transmitter. A couple of them had RCA, that dates me!
 
Mike Sheridan said:
mp3RadioGuy said:
With Harris selling their broadcast devision, most engineers are now staying away from the company and going with a very reliable transmitter brand...Nautel.
Click to expand...

I had not heard they were selling the broadcast division. Who are they selling to? I think most of the stations I worked for had a Harris transmitter. A couple of them had RCA, that dates me!
Click to expand...

Don't think they've found a buyer yet.

http://radiomagonline.com/currents/news/harris_looks_to_sell_broadcast_communications_division_0501/
 
Agreed about the songs not timing properly into the hourly newscast.

Even an instrumental would be better than what they're doing.

They must know that any Radio person who is listening to them must be saying that it doesn't sound right.

I can understand when a station first signs on with a format, but this has been going on for more than a year.

Their latest promo: "We at WAVO work hard EVERY day to bring you fresh songs. We write down what songs we play, so we don't repeat them."

I love your station, but, come on! Some more variety, please!
 
They bought the Nautel a good bit before the announcement that Harris was selling the broadcast division.

I can't speak for them but I don't believe they had the best experience with the 3DX. Good alternate main though.

t123
 
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