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Which San Joaquin Valley Stations Has the Biggest Reach

K

kenrayc

Guest
This topic was originally presented on the Sacramento board, but should have been posted here, since all stations mentioned were from Fresno and Merced. First of all I think with the Exception of Los Angeles stations on Mt Wilson, The San Joaquin Valley has some of the best transmitter sites in California, I say Eshom Point is the second best, with 5,200 ft. above sea level with the calculated Average terrain at 800 ft. with 17.5K Watts ERP for class B fms, With KFSO 92.9, KBOS 94.9, KSEQ 97.1, KSOF 98.9, KFRR 104.1, KSJV 91.5, and 107.5. Iv'e heard most of these stations in Bakersfield and going up the Grapevine to Valencia to the South and Turlock going North, of coarse Co-channel interferance cuts them off ,such as 104.1 KHKK, KOSO 92.9.

Meadow Lakes is next with Grandfathered signal KSKS 93.7 with 68K Watts ERP, and KLBN 101.9, KMJ-Fm 105.9, KMGV (MEGA) 97.9. with about 2.4 K ERP. with Meadow lakes elevation class B1 station KKBZ with about 600 watts has some what a good signal

Blue Ridge Mt. KJUG 106.7

Valley stations that reach mountain towns , KRZR 103.7 can be heard in Bishop.

Planada Ca another good site KHTN 104.7 ,KUBB 96.3, and KDJK 103.9.

Just below that KABX 97.5 can be heard in Visalia and Modesto.

Humphery station KJFX 95.7

Owens Mt KWYE 101.1.

WHAT VALLEY STATION HAS ANYBODY HEAR THE FURTHEST?
 
I left out one site near Coarsegold, at 2000 ft with 10K ERP KHIT 107.1, and KOND 92.1 ,KLVY 91.1, .
 
Well, the reason why this question was posted on the Sacramento board was a certain station can be heard as far north as Sacaramento, NOT being part of the Sacramento market. I think he was using Sacramento as a reference point on how far the station can be heard. I believe it was 104.7 from Planada even though their station is up above Mariposa at the 4,000 ft. level. I think 96.3 KUBB is pretty strong also. Along with Kiss Country 93.7 out of Fresno. I would think 93.7 Kiss Country would hit Stockton and Lodi easy if it wasn't for 93.7 Jack in Sac. I know 93.7 can be heard as far south as Famoso MAYBE Shafter (Just north of Bakersfield on 99) It's amazing with 68k watts, it does not hit Bakersfield at all? Funny. But, as you start climbing up the Grapevine starting in Mettler and Wheeler Ridge, it is clear. My vote would probably be 93.7 KSKS. Although 95.5 KLOS can be heard good in Tulare. But, I think we are only sticking to stations in the valley aren't we?
 
Speaking of KLOS, I 've pick that up in Clovis from time to time, it's been harder since KJFX added HD. KLOS signal is grandfathered like KSKS 93.7, they have 61K Watts ERP,much like the other stations on Mt. Wilson KCBS,KAMP,KPWR, KRTH, and KPFK which has 110K watts ERP all around6,000 ft above sea level.

KSKS is the best signal follow by all stations on Eshom Point in the SJV.
 
Speaking of KLOS 95.5 right now at 10 pm I'm getting them with no interferance from KJFX, on my directional antenna pointed towards 99.7 and LA, which 99.7 has a signal of 100 percent, KDFO 98.5 is coming in to, Must be good Tropo conditions tonight.
 
Speaking of KLOS Again, Still coming in strong, back in the days KYNO now KJFX used to be on 95.5, in 1980 is when they switch to 95.7 ,when they they moved off of the Security Bank building in 1986, i've pick KLOS up on occasions back when they were AOR, I recall when KYNO-FM 96 FM was off the air I was in my car driving around Fresno picking up KLOS.the 95.5 frequency was never allocated to any where in Central CA, all other Mt. Wilson stations have co-channels in Central CA, making them the only LA station to be received in the Valley.
 
KHTN used to be located west of Merced with a 50KW signal. KABX was located north of Merced with a 50KW signal. Both stations had tremendous building penetration in the Merced area. Just about any store you went into and looked at their display of radios, boom boxes, etc, you'd find 104.7, KHTN tuned up and blasting away... even those without antennas hooked up.

Then KABX moved to Shultz Mtn in 2000 with an 8.8 KW ERP. Not so long after that, KHTN moved it's city of license to Planada, then moved to Mt Bullion with an ERP of less than 2 KW, I'm sure...

Now, in the Merced area, KHTN has very little building penetration. You don't see them on every boom box in every retail store like you used to. I know I have a difficult time receiving them on my Zune FM receiver when at home or at the gym. KABX, on the other hand, has very good building penetration. You see that station dialed up on the retail outlet display radios quite a bit.

KHTN seems to be billing themselves as a Modesto station these days, maybe they have a better signal up there than in Merced, who knows :)
 
radio1350 said:
KHTN used to be located west of Merced with a 50KW signal. KABX was located north of Merced with a 50KW signal. Both stations had tremendous building penetration in the Merced area. Just about any store you went into and looked at their display of radios, boom boxes, etc, you'd find 104.7, KHTN tuned up and blasting away... even those without antennas hooked up.

Then KABX moved to Shultz Mtn in 2000 with an 8.8 KW ERP. Not so long after that, KHTN moved it's city of license to Planada, then moved to Mt Bullion with an ERP of less than 2 KW, I'm sure...

Now, in the Merced area, KHTN has very little building penetration. You don't see them on every boom box in every retail store like you used to. I know I have a difficult time receiving them on my Zune FM receiver when at home or at the gym. KABX, on the other hand, has very good building penetration. You see that station dialed up on the retail outlet display radios quite a bit.

KHTN seems to be billing themselves as a Modesto station these days, maybe they have a better signal up there than in Merced, who knows :)
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Even though KABX and KHTN don't have that city grade strenght they did since there move up to the foothills they have a good signal in Fresno and Modesto ,it was a good move for them and maybe why KFSO gave up the oldies format 5 years ago. What interesting about KHTN ,Theres a big overlap with there sister Hip-Hop station KSEQ.
 
KABX does ok in Merced, it's just that KHTN and it's sister station, KUBB do not do as well. But then again, KABX is running quite a bit more power, and it's a couple of miles closer.
 
I beg to differ.....96.3 KUBB's goes out farther than 97.5 KABX because KUBB's tower is about 2000 feet higher than KABX. Height plays a big part as much as power does. And whether it is running a Non-Directional signal pattern versus a Directional pattern helps too.
 
I'm not saying that KHTN or KUBB signals don't go further than KABX. Afterall, what is the rule of thumb? 5/4 line of site for FM? KABX is at 2500 feet, and KHTN/KUBB at about 4200 feet. What I was talking about was building penetration here in the Merced area. KABX and KHTN both had good signals here in Merced inside of buildings prior to their moves.

Before they moved, everytime you would go into any retailer that sold radios/boom boxes, you would ALWAYS hear KHTN blasting away on any radio that was on display.

The big problem is, lots of those radios and boom boxes on display in retail stores have no antenna external antenna connected, or some minimal antenna at best.

Now when you go into those stores, you hear KABX or KNAH or KBRE dialed in and playing in the stores. If you try to receive KTHN on them, or KUBB, you find they can't be received at all, or very scratchy indoors

I was also saying that whenever I use my Zune FM receiver, or other portable radio at home or at the gym, which is on the east side of Merced, KHTN and KUBB are difficult to receive at best. KABX seems to have good buiding penetration in Merced.


The only Mt Bullion station that has good building penetration here in the Merced area is KEFR on 89.9.
 
radio1350 said:
I'm not saying that KHTN or KUBB signals don't go further than KABX. Afterall, what is the rule of thumb? 5/4 line of site for FM? KABX is at 2500 feet, and KHTN/KUBB at about 4200 feet. What I was talking about was building penetration here in the Merced area. KABX and KHTN both had good signals here in Merced inside of buildings prior to their moves.

Before they moved, everytime you would go into any retailer that sold radios/boom boxes, you would ALWAYS hear KHTN blasting away on any radio that was on display.

The big problem is, lots of those radios and boom boxes on display in retail stores have no antenna external antenna connected, or some minimal antenna at best.

Now when you go into those stores, you hear KABX or KNAH or KBRE dialed in and playing in the stores. If you try to receive KTHN on them, or KUBB, you find they can't be received at all, or very scratchy indoors

I was also saying that whenever I use my Zune FM receiver, or other portable radio at home or at the gym, which is on the east side of Merced, KHTN and KUBB are difficult to receive at best. KABX seems to have good buiding penetration in Merced.


The only Mt Bullion station that has good building penetration here in the Merced area is KEFR on 89.9.
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This reminds me of the days 25 years ago when 97.9, 95.7(95.5), and 97.9 had 50,000 w ERP transmitters in Downtown Fresno. there signals were so strong driving around Downtown they interfered with many other stations ,I recall when KYNO-FM was at 95.5 if you drove within downtown KBOS 94.9 was completely blocked, this is when KBOS was still on Blue Ridge MT with only 770 W ERP. The smallest portable radio picked them up with no antenna thoughout Fresno and Clovis. I think the one that lost the most intensity by movig up the hills was 97.9 moving to Meadow Lakes and dropping to 2100 W ERP, 101.1 on Owens Mt with 10,000WERP and 95.7 at Humpreys Station with 17,000 W ERP are still pretty strong in the Fresno/Clovis area.
 
ki6bkj said:
kenrayc said:
I left out one site near Coarsegold, at 2000 ft with 10K ERP KHIT 107.1, and KOND 92.1 ,KLVY 91.1, .
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I was north of sacremento and listening to KMJ 50,000 Watts of Power
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I guess I left out the AMs ,also the 50,000watt KWRU 940 can be heard in other States.
 
When I used to live in LA and would be driving up I-5 to see friends in the Bay Area, I had an exact order of radio stations I would listen to as I went North or South going back home. From North to South, I would first Catch 97.5 KABX from the top of Altamont pass on I-580 and could listen to them well past Coalinga until just past Kettleman City. As an alternate, I could get KSOF 98.9 from the Los Banos area (I-5/CA-152) till the Kings/Kern county line. South of that point, I would listen to 101.5 KGFM the rest of the way accross the Valley and up into the Grapevine until I lost the signal around Pyramid Lake.
 
What about KLVS-107.3 (formerly KSTN-FM) Stockton which is now K-Love?
 
Madmansam said:
What about KLVS-107.3 (formerly KSTN-FM) Stockton which is now K-Love?
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I mentioned that one in the thread on the Sacramento board also. Not only is that signal a super-power grandfathered station, but just because of allocation luck there's nobody else on 107.3 for 180 miles, save an LPFM in Occidental. Plus, nobody on 107.1 or 107.5 runs HD. Just imagine all of the translators EMF can feed with that signal.

Dave B.
 
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