• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

South Georgia Waycross

R

Radio-Bored-Op

A quick inquiry about vacant stations...

I have utilized Radio-Locator and noticed the abundance of "available " frequencies

I would appreciate education on this -
thank you ☆

ps:
South Georgia was the prefix selected, and i may be inaccurate
 
First of all don't use Radio-Locator as a relevant source... You would have to do an engineering study for available channels. Then file a petition for rulemaking with the FCC to amend the table of allotments with a guarantee to bid on the allocation in the next auction of commercial licenses. For a non-com, translator, or LPFM you'd need to wait for the next filing windows.
 
radiofan2023 said:
Radio-Locator is notoriously inaccurate about station formats and signal coverage maps, not sure how accurate they are when it comes to vacant frequencies.
Click to expand...
As they used to have in their footer, it is "For Entertainment Purposes Only". Any silent station or CP will not appear in their searches.

Radio-Locator exits for people to find stations in their listening area.
 
lanceventa said:
As they used to have in their footer, it is "For Entertainment Purposes Only". Any silent station or CP will not appear in their searches.

Radio-Locator exits for people to find stations in their listening area.
Click to expand...
There are some CPs listed and searching for CPs is possible on Radio-Locator, but I still wouldn't trust that it's current info.
 
If this gets serious, a "real" engineer will end up using the FCC web site which has good days and bad days. An "easy" way to start is use the Radio-Locator "find unused frequencies" for Waycross (or where ever) then at the bottom of the city page use # 3 set for 150 miles and the frequency. See if anyone is on that channel. I am assuming you want a class A FM. The commission has spacing requirements and A to C is 226 KM on channel.Then go to FCC.gov and use the FM query for that channel for any state with in 150 miles to make sure there isn't a licensed but silent station that RL never shows. Then go up and down one channel on RL set for 100 miles and see who is close and what class they are. Again you have to go to the FCC site for stations licenced but not on air. Then go 2 and 3 channels out set for 50 miles and check for offending stations then check with the FCC site again. In FM the class A spacing for on channel A to C is 226 KM, A to C1 is 200Km, A to C2 is 166 KM ect. There is a chart on the FCC site that lists the different class combinations. I assume the folks that do this for a living have a computer program that does this.

If you can get a FM translator, basically just stay out of the 40 db of existing stations and you might make it work. Assuming there aren't any IF issues.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom