-
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
WDRC-FM signal Question
- Thread starter MarcB
- Start date
Whale said:
I hate to beat a dead horse, but DRC-FM's audio quality has been sub-par for a long time in spite of Buckley having one of the best engineers available in the group - and I'm referring to Tom Ray who built WOR's digital plant from studio to transmission facility. Sadly it looks like the chance of him cleaning up the mess that the GM and company have made of the station will happen as soon as the first frost in Hell! It appears the tin ears in Bloomfield can't clean up the audio from their Smartcast nor can they process it to sound any better than a baby monitor. Their HD & HD2 audio is far from impressive.
C
chuckydoll
Guest
The DRC-FM signal
The general manager of WDRC used to be the station's chief engineer.
DRC-FM had a perfectly good signal when I was driving to and from New Hampshire back in the spring. I was able to hear it south to Fairfield and north to Holyoke.
Bill DeFelice said:
The general manager of WDRC used to be the station's chief engineer.
DRC-FM had a perfectly good signal when I was driving to and from New Hampshire back in the spring. I was able to hear it south to Fairfield and north to Holyoke.
Agreed with chuckydoll - DRC-FM's signal seems fine. I periodically drive between NH and PA and DRC-FM is a treat to listen to - so much so that I tune it in as soon as possible and keep it on until it's absolutely gone.
Although it varies from car to car (sometimes I am in a rental car), their signal is still one of the very best in Connecticut. It generally comes in strongly from around Fairfield/Westport all the way up to around Union. And, with fading, it comes in between approximately Stamford and Auburn, MA. In fact, I have even held the signal as far southwest as Greenwich - though that was in one car that had a particularly good stereo system. Most seem lose the station (on the Merritt Pkwy) somewhere around Long Ridge Road in Stamford.
All in all, it's good for at least 2 hours of listening time. I have not noticed any difference in signal strength over the past 1-2 years.
The music is great, but the audio IS muddy. I know, because it starts to sound crappy when you crank it wayyyy up!
Although it varies from car to car (sometimes I am in a rental car), their signal is still one of the very best in Connecticut. It generally comes in strongly from around Fairfield/Westport all the way up to around Union. And, with fading, it comes in between approximately Stamford and Auburn, MA. In fact, I have even held the signal as far southwest as Greenwich - though that was in one car that had a particularly good stereo system. Most seem lose the station (on the Merritt Pkwy) somewhere around Long Ridge Road in Stamford.
All in all, it's good for at least 2 hours of listening time. I have not noticed any difference in signal strength over the past 1-2 years.
The music is great, but the audio IS muddy. I know, because it starts to sound crappy when you crank it wayyyy up!
How far west do you get WDRC-FM? I used to have my Walkman on 104.1 FM during their Radio 104 days while heading west down I-84. I used to have it fade some in the Housatonic Valley then have it come back a bit to about the I-684 exit in New York. Once south of that exit, their weak signal would be history. As for 102.9 FM, I used to leave the car radio on that when leaving Maine, since that's a 100,000 watt signal. Back in 1987, Portland's 102.9 was "FM-103", WGAN-FM, later WTHT-FM. We used to get them somewhat until a few miles into Massachusetts on I-495 around Amesbury or so. A couple of miles down the road is where we would get our first hint of WDRC-FM. Portland for about another minute and then WDRC-FM took over. Something like that. 
KML-224 said:How far west do you get WDRC-FM? I used to have my Walkman on 104.1 FM during their Radio 104 days while heading west down I-84. I used to have it fade some in the Housatonic Valley then have it come back a bit to about the I-684 exit in New York. Once south of that exit, their weak signal would be history. As for 102.9 FM, I used to leave the car radio on that when leaving Maine, since that's a 100,000 watt signal. Back in 1987, Portland's 102.9 was "FM-103", WGAN-FM, later WTHT-FM. We used to get them somewhat until a few miles into Massachusetts on I-495 around Amesbury or so. A couple of miles down the road is where we would get our first hint of WDRC-FM. Portland for about another minute and then WDRC-FM took over. Something like that.
Just as you found, DRC-FM's signal gets pretty choppy once you head down I-684. If you can muddle through the dead spots (which most people would not do
), you can still get it down into northern Westchester County (Bedford?). Westward toward Newburgh, it dies as you head into the Hudson Valley - though you can pick it up here and there on the east-facing slopes of the Catskills. So, my experience is pretty similar to yours.With respect to I-495, I would beg to differ. WBLM from Portland is dominant pretty much from the Mass Pike northward. Yes, you may get a hint of WDRC here and there around Westborough - but its all BLM north of there. In fact, WDRC is even pretty unreliable on I-290 through downtown Worcester - where you have terrain on your side. Once you go over the hill into Shrewsbury, its all over and you get WBLM. South of the Mass Pike, you start to get the 102.9 from Hyannis.
I have picked up WDRC in the Monadnocks of SW NH, but you need to be in the right place at the right time to pull that off. Namely, fairly high up on a southwestward facing slope. Tropospheric enhancement doesn't hurt either. All in all, WDRC is not dependable anywhere north of Amherst or Hadley, MA.
Interesting subject though, because WDRC has about the best FM signal of any of the Hartford stations. It can really get out there, to places where others from the same tower do not.
WRCH signal you can get going into Vermont. Not sure how far into that station as I have only been in the northern part. How about Hot 93.7 isn't their signal strong to get in north MA maybe Vermont?
Having once lived in CT, I play around w/ the dial in southern NH and VT. It's nearly all terrain based, the Hartford locals come in reasonably well to VG on south facing hills or hilltops but weaker than convienence store coffee in FLA (that's weak).
I remember getting the Hartford locals 3/4 of the way up Statton Mtn (stratton village.
Getting back to DRC, the signal wss Ok on the Pike from Lee to Springfield last week. Sound was so so.
I remember getting the Hartford locals 3/4 of the way up Statton Mtn (stratton village.
Getting back to DRC, the signal wss Ok on the Pike from Lee to Springfield last week. Sound was so so.
There's a translator in Greenfield, MA on 102.9 for country WYRY (104.9) licensed to Hinsdale, NH. This effectively blocks out 102.9 WDRC-FM from around Deerfield, MA to up near the VT line on I-91. It used to come in reasonably well on a good car radio, with a fade at the Route 2 exit. DRC could even be heard into southeastern NH and some high spots in southern VT. On a climb up the south side of NH's Mount Monadnock, DRC-FM held its own at the base station parking lot. On the other side of the mountain, I'm sure it was all WBLM on 102.9 out of Portland.
There are plenty of places where Hartford FMs can be heard in this area. Keene and Brattleboro are tough, since the towns are in low lying areas surrounded by mountains. Hogback Mountain on Route 9 in VT is another good DX stop after a visit to the souvenir shop and a beautiful view to down past Mount Tom!
There are plenty of places where Hartford FMs can be heard in this area. Keene and Brattleboro are tough, since the towns are in low lying areas surrounded by mountains. Hogback Mountain on Route 9 in VT is another good DX stop after a visit to the souvenir shop and a beautiful view to down past Mount Tom!
KML-224 said:
Those stations do better than WDRC-FM to the north (i.e. Springfield, Northampton), because their tx sites are further north. Yes, they are really strong in Hartford and Tolland Counties. However, the signal holes that you get to the south and west of Hartford (as close as Waterbury - or even near downtown Bristol) tend to disqualify these stations from having the "best" overall signal in the market. Frankly, none seem to get any further to the northeast than WDRC-FM does.
To the poster who asked about WZMX, it starts to get clobbered by WMKK on I-84 before you even get to the Mass. border. Same happens to Power 104 (thanks to co-channel WBCN), but even closer to Hartford. Others suffer from co-channel interference as you get into central MA (or even southern VT): WWYZ gets interference from WXRV Haverhill, WKSS gets clobbered by WZID Manchester. Actually, WTIC-FM even gets some co-channel interference from WMLL Manchester as you get into central MA and southern VT. WCCC starts to get some interference from Magic 106.7 once you pass Auburn/Worcester (depending on the radio, of course) and WRCH gets it from adjacent WZLX. None of those stations come in very well in southern CT, which is why none do very well in the New Haven ratings book.
No, WDRC-FM is the only big signal from West Peak that doesn't get interference from a station on the same or an adjacent frequency from the Boston or Manchester markets. So, it does pretty well to the east and northeast - while getting out pretty well to the west and south too.
Too bad about that translator in Greenfield. I recall DRC-FM coming in reasonably well in that area several years ago. It seems that many new stations have popped up in that area and almost all are at the expense of Hartford market signals (which are not protected).
What about WDRC-FM to the southwest? You do have first-adjacent 102.7 FM in New York City. I think there's also a broadcaster in southern RI on 102.7 FM.
What about WHCN-FM 105.9 towards the southwest? I believe one of the NYC area's Spanish stations is WCAA-FM 105.9, licensed to Newark, NJ.
What about WHCN-FM 105.9 towards the southwest? I believe one of the NYC area's Spanish stations is WCAA-FM 105.9, licensed to Newark, NJ.
BRNout said:
Are you talking about if some of the Hartford stations do well in New Haven? If you are WZMX, WPHH, WKSS all did well for the last New Haven book. All three beat out KC 101. This is if your talking about the samething?
- Status