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WHDD-FM On-Air in Sharon, CT

P

PeterTripp

Connecticut's newest non-comm is now on the air fairly regularly. It will simulcast the 1020 daytimer, and may be the most directional FM ever built. It employs a Scala 5-element beam antenna with an extremely tight pattern pointing at 330 degrees directly into the side of Indian Mountain. Maximum ERP is 650 Watts at 330 degrees (in the horizontal plane only), but DX reports say the signal does not quite make it through the mountain to Millerton, NY on the other side. Minimum power is 0.26 Watts in several directions in both H and V planes.

It operates off a phone pole on a farm part way up the south side of a long slope on Rt 41, just meeting the limits of human (or cow?) RF exposure. (The milk glows in the dark!) This is near where Warren Gregory tried to locate 1020/WKZE at 250 Watts. Warren did several tests with balloons in 1984, but his tower got shot down by the Sharon Zoning Board.

The new 91.9 signal covers Sharon Center nicely, and apparently may become NPR's tiniest affiliate. The actual directional pattern can be seen at http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=635616 Good luck to Marshall and the other commercial radio alumni who are involved in this novel "Robin Hood Radio" project! Any guesses what they rob from the rich to give to the poor?
 
After reading the above post, I turned on tuner here at the DX Shack near Poughkeepsie, and there's WHDD-91.9... kind of weak, but steady and listenable, with just a little bit of "scratch" from WRNQ-92.1. So NPR's tiniest affilate is making it to Poughkeepsie.
 
Connecticut's newest non-comm is now on the air fairly regularly. It will simulcast the 1020 daytimer, and may be the most directional FM ever built. It employs a Scala 5-element beam antenna with an extremely tight pattern pointing at 330 degrees directly into the side of Indian Mountain. Maximum ERP is 650 Watts at 330 degrees (in the horizontal plane only), but DX reports say the signal does not quite make it through the mountain to Millerton, NY on the other side. Minimum power is 0.26 Watts in several directions in both H and V planes.

Hey Peter, thanks for the congrats!

Right now we are at 50 % power until we get our license to cover

We expect to be heard cleanly from Ashley Falls MA and North Canaan, to Sharon, CT/Hitchcock Corners in New York
From Hillsdale and Copake on the NY side to Dover...

We have received reports from Great Barrington, and now, thanks to you post, Poughkeepsie of "scratchy", but steady signal..
Also reports from Copake and Hillsdale of fairly solid signal!!
Our full and seperate programming on WHDD FM is schedule to start on May 5th..with seperate programming on WHDD AM.

The only shows that will be shared on both:

Marshall and Mike, and Straight talk.It operates off a phone pole on a farm part way up the south side of a long slope on Rt 41, just meeting the limits of human (or cow?) RF exposure. (The milk glows in the dark!) This is near where Warren Gregory tried to locate 1020/WKZE at 250 Watts. Warren did several tests with balloons in 1984, but his tower got shot down by the Sharon Zoning Board.

Warren never proposed to Sharon a tower site, it was shot down in Lakeville...I was there floating the ballons! And I ws at a heated town meeting that shot it down!!


We are becoming not only a NPR affilliate, but also AP and PRI!

It great that soon our immediate local area will have both commercial and public stations that are independent and local!

Marshall[/b][/color]
 
DX1G must be using some high end equipment to pick up WHDD near Poughkeepsie, like a good directional antenna a high end receiver, and a filter to reduce interference from 92.1 WRNQ, although FM stations tend to interfere more one click up than down.
Miles, at 50% power you are certainly doing better than the original proposed contour led me to believe. I work in Millerton, and live in Hyde Park. On my car radio in Millerton the signal was a little weak, with a very slight chop, and quite listenable, no affect on a weak 92.1. About half way between Millerton and Amenia on route 22 the signal became quite strong with considerable interference on 92.1. However my reception quickly dropped down again, but was still decent as I reached Amenia. Delevern hill seriously affected the signal. By the time I reached the top reception was very choppy, and all but disappeared on the way down the west side. However it came back weakly once I reached the bottom, until it disappeared a few miles later. Good luck with your new venture. It's good to hear not only will you have local programming but will also carry NPR programs. Will this include All Things Considered, Mid Day Magazine and Morning edition? As one of the few areas in eastern NY, and western CT, not covered by the WAMC Empire, (which had received a CP for 91.9, Millerton but never built it) these shows have been lacking out there. AP and PRI should round things out nicely. I thought I heard news from the BBC on WHDD is that permanent? Is that from PRI?
 
I do find it hard to believe it was heard in Poughkeepsie, at 50 % power, I lost it before Mabbittsville!

Yes, Morning Edition from 5 AM till 6 AM, All Things Considered from 4 PM till 6 PM, BBC will be our hourly news, and yes its from PRI.

Thanks for the kind words!

MM
 
Any idea when the live web stream will be available to us?
 
I was listening to WHDD on a Denon TU-720 analog tuner, moldified for narrower selectivity. Antenna is a 9-element FM Yagi (Channel Master, I think), a bit less than 25 feet above the ground. However, it is about 100 feet above average terrain in the direction of WHDD, according to the FCC On-Line calculator.

Regarding directional FM's, our local WAMK (Kingston - 90.9) has an incredible 54db null to the North-east (40 degrees), according to FCC data. (http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?stat...&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9). I do find this hard to believe.
 
Re: WAMK and WHDD-FM On-Air in Sharon, CT

Sounds like your DX setup is considerably more sensitive and selective than those found in the average home, office, or car.

That WAMK pattern is amazing! It has a much broader south-facing main lobe than the tightly focused beam from WHDD-FM at 330 degrees towards Indian Mountain, but the null is deeper than the 15 dB max allowed under current FCC rules. Perhaps WAMK is grandfathered.
 
Speaking of WHDD what has happened to the AM 1020 signal? I have thought for some time it had been deteriorating, but when I found WHDD -FM was on the air, while I was traveling through Amenia, I switched to 1020 to see if the program was separate yet. What I found was WHDD-AM signal in Amenia was very weak, with a lot of background hiss. By the time I reached Millerton , just a few miles from the TX site the signal was just OK , still kind of weak for being so close ., and nothing like the 2,500KW non directional signal used to sound . They used to reach Poughkeepsie, but have not put a listenable signal into the area for some time. Has Will Power slacked off on the maintenance, or are they on reduced power for some reason?
 
WHDD-FM now streaming

WHDD-FM 91.9 Sharon, CT is now streaming live on the internet!

http://www.robinhoodradio.com
Click on WHDD FM button on left side of home page
Then click on the Listen Live button!!

Marshall

PS still on 50% power awaiting license to cover (expected this week)
Full power will only give us about 10 db more I am told
 
Re: WHDD-FM now streaming

marshall miles said:
WHDD-FM 91.9 Sharon, CT is now streaming live on the internet!

http://www.robinhoodradio.com
Click on WHDD FM button on left side of home page
Then click on the Listen Live button!!

Marshall

PS still on 50% power awaiting license to cover (expected this week)
Full power will only give us about 10 db more I am told
Click to expand...

WHDD was granted their License on Wednesday and appears to be broadcasting at full power. Miles, as you said the improvement (heading east anyway) is not major. Before I lost WHDD lost the signal a few miles west of Delevern Hill, about half way to Mabbittsville .Now in part because of the height of their tower and the need to protect first adjacent 92.1 WRNQ Delevern hill still significantly weakens the signal but I can pick it up all the way to Mabbittsville, where the hill cuts off what is left of the signal. Due to my work schedule I am not out that way until afternoon most days, and I can’t listen at work, so I can’t comment on everything but I enjoy BBC’s European News at 12:30, and All Things Considered. After all there is a world out there, not dominated with the US Presidential race .I will try to sample the local programming when I can.
 
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