Who's got the best FM signal in SoCal?

[romer979fm]

just heard it again last week...the 103.3 KVYB signal is a monster:
very listenable from San Luis Obispo (and points north) all the way
to the west San Fernando Valley (where KOST 103.5 begins to clobber it).

I'm still surprised Cumulus booted KRUZ to 97.5...and is now concentrating on Oxnard-Ventura
with the 103.3 signal...totally ignoring Santa Barbara. I understand the KVYB format isn't especially
suited to the blue-blood SB stereotype...but wasn't KRUZ doing pretty well at 103.3?

I guess Cumulus considered Oxnard closer to an LA signal. Duhhh.

 

[radio124]

I've heard 103.3 even further south...like near the San Onofre checkpoint.

 

[kn3ick]

I think 99.1 KGGI-FM has a large coverage area. There transmitter is located on Heaps Peak in the Lake Arrowhead area. You can hear KGGI-FM in San Diego all the way up to the Antelope Valley and Los Angeles to the Palm Springs area. There are amateur radio repeaters on Heaps Peak in Lake Arrowhead even tho they are narrow fm and running less power there coverage is just about the same as 99.1 KGGI. The problem with Heaps Peak for amateur radio is that it talks everywhere but it don't hear well at all. Nick,KN3ICK

 

[DavidKaye]

I'm thinking KRTH and maybe KBIG (or should I say MY1043 now?) overall. Get em in San Diego and all the way up to Gaviota north of Santa Barbara. They seem to have the most penetrating signals too! Is it sheer power and/or tower height?

KPFK in LA and KRUZ in Santa Barbara.

 

[romer979fm]

KRUZ in Santa Barbara.

the calls on Santa Barbara's 103.3 are now KVYB...have been for a while
the KRUZ calls and format are on 97.5

 

[ceejay]

I heard KKGO in Palm Springs a couple of weeks ago, and was really surprised!!!!

A lady from Santa Barbara called in to the Tonya Compos show one day, back when we had live callers, to tell her they had discovered a new country station up there..... KKGO GoCountry! GoFigure.

 

[kn3ick]

Well yeah isn't KKGO's transmitter on Mt. Wilson? It should have some wide coverage. I can hear KKGO up here in the Victorville area really nice and clear. Remember they run lots of power but it is also a line of sight thing on VHF and UHF. Nick, KN3ICK / WQHB653

 

[ceejay]

Yep..... it's on Mt. Wilson, alright! That didn't keep it from falling silent because of a winter storm! Sheeeeesh! Mother Nature has no respect!

 

[cyberdad]

Unscientific, but based on 25+ years of multiple So-Cal business trips all over California, the best fm signal in the state goes to KRUZ (KVYB). Second place to KRTH. I typically have no problems on rental car radios with K-Earth regardless of whether I'm in San Diego or Santa Barbara.

 

[kn3ick]

I was gonna say if they call themselves the Mt. Wilson Broadcasters there transmitters better be on Wilson. Nick, KN3ICK / WQHB653

 

[bigtime]

I'm not in L.A. I've heard KMVN has some major signal problems. True?

 

[davideduardo]

I'm not in L.A. I've heard KMVN has some major signal problems. True?

There are no major or minor signal problems for the LA metro (MSA is LA and Orange counties). The station is on Mt. Wilson, with 18.5 kw... more than twice the power of KIIS and more than 3 times the power of market leader KSCA. A number of the Wilson signals are stronger, but KMVN does just fine for the metro... while they are directional, they reduce radiation towards the East, not the LA market.

 

[ajhenderson]

I've always found 93.9 to be one of the better FMs, even to the east, where it is supposed to have more problems.

 

[XRQKFM]

99.5 KHYZ Mountain Pass before the frequency change and downgrade, covered from Las Vegas to Big Bear and parts of Hwy 10 and the Antelope Valley. A lot of Sq. miles. for a 10Kw signal!
I think the big prize still has to go to 103.3 Santa Barbara, power plus HAAT and Tower location, give a hugh coverage area, the only thing that kills reception are the adjacent channels.


Steve
www.radiooutlaw.com