WMJI signal range

[Buckeyes2001]

WMJIs signal seems to go the furthest out of all the Cleveland FMs. I was just curious as to how far from Cleveland you have been able to reliably hear their signal over the air in a car. Going east on the turnpike I can hear them all the way to the PA border and a few miles in to PA before WXDX 105.9/Pittsburgh starts covering it up with their HD. Going west on the turnpike, I can hear them usually to exit 81 near Woodville before WWWM 105.5/Toledo starts causing interference. Going south on I-71 I can hear them usually to about exit 169 (Rt. 13 Mansfield) before WBWR 105.7/Hilliard (Columbus) starts fighting with WMJI. How far out can you hear WMJIs signal?

 

[74WIXYGrad]

I find it breaks up in downtown Wooster.

 

[borderblaster]

South of Mansfield. Columbus's 105.7 chews them up since they've been around.

 

[Buckeyes2001]

I find it breaks up in downtown Wooster.

How close is that to WQKT 104.5's tower?

 

[trefdawg]

I can hear it in Carrollton.

 

[74WIXYGrad]

I find it breaks up in downtown Wooster.

How close is that to WQKT 104.5's tower?

2.6 Miles

 

[Buckeyes2001]

I find it breaks up in downtown Wooster.

How close is that to WQKT 104.5's tower?

2.6 Miles

Ok just curious because whenever I am within about 2 miles of 104.9 WCLV's tower in Avon driving past on I-90 basically any semi-local station on the upper half of the FM band either disappears or becomes scratchy. Was just curious if that was why WMJI breaks up in downtown Wooster being close enough to the more powerful WQKT signal.

 

[74WIXYGrad]

Now you got me curious. I have to remember to have WMJI tuned in when I'm on old 30 going past Hillcrest Dr.

 

[Rusty Muck]

WMJI's signal IS the best out of any FM station in the market. (I presume WNCX is a close second.) That was the big selling point when CC landed the deal with the Browns in 1999, awarding WMJI the team's flagship status.

The play-by-play rights only moved to WMMS in 2001 because that station started to hemorrhage ratings and revenue, plus MMS (via WHK) aired Browns games during most of the station (and the team's) glory years.

 

[schmave]

South of Mansfield. Columbus's 105.7 chews them up since they've been around.

You could say that, but WMJI is much more powerful than WBWR.
When I was in Conneaut for my girlfriend's 10-year reunion in July, we listened to 105.7 pretty reliably until Ashtabula, then it started to fade badly - as do all other Cleveland FMs up there. I can't think of one I could listen to in Conneaut itself; really couldn't pick them up until about 10 miles west anyway.

 

[VODood]

As far west as Maumee (Toledo). When I worked at WMJI we'd get calls from that area. And when I lived in Toledo I could pick it up here and there. Would have issues with WWWM/Star 105.5 at times.... but depending on your location in the metro could get WMJI.

I believe WMJI has the strongest signal in NE OH, then it's either WQMX or Lake. I was getting WMQX at Marblehead on Saturday.


Without a doubt WMJI is the best processed station in CLE/AKR. WDOK #2. Lake, third, for me.

 

[Buckeyes2001]

Also wanted to add that going south on I-77 I have heard their signal into Guernsey County to around Salt Fork State Park exit area except I remember hearing a low power station from I believe Newcomerstown in the southern end of Tuscarawas County. IIRC they identified themselves at WNHS. This was several years ago.

 

[techie2]

Also wanted to add that going south on I-77 I have heard their signal into Guernsey County to around Salt Fork State Park exit area except I remember hearing a low power station from I believe Newcomerstown in the southern end of Tuscarawas County. IIRC they identified themselves at WNHS. This was several years ago.

Yep, there's a LPFM that operates from Newcomerstown High School with that callsign.

 

[74WIXYGrad]

As far west as Maumee (Toledo). When I worked at WMJI we'd get calls from that area. And when I lived in Toledo I could pick it up here and there. Would have issues with WWWM/Star 105.5

Ironic that WMJI would have issues with a station with their former call letters.

 

[SonoSational18]

WMJI has such good coverage bedause it's a grandfathered Class B station. The current statutory limit for B FM's is 50kw at roughly 500 ft. WMJI runs 16kw at 1129 ft. which is equivalent to 80kw @ 500 ft. WBWR in the Columbus market is a Class A which is limited to 6kw at 356 ft. Unless there's some kind of tropo-scatter involved WBWR's signal shouldn't be any factor until you get south of Marion. You're probably losing it just south of Mansfield, though, because of some terrain issues in that area.

 

[VODood]

@74WIXYGrad, how true regarding the calls.

When I worked part-time at then OmniAmerica owned Columbus "Young Country 98,9 WLLD" (1995-96) I'd travel I-71 S. Would lose WMJI around Mansfield. Indeed most likely due to terrain. Like descending into a huge valley there.

 

[IT_Guru]

WMJI has such good coverage bedause it's a grandfathered Class B station. The current statutory limit for B FM's is 50kw at roughly 500 ft. WMJI runs 16kw at 1129 ft. which is equivalent to 80kw @ 500 ft.

I've always been amazed at WMJI's 16kw signal but the 1129 ft. would explain why. I've heard them just into PA off of 680 then the IBOC from 105.9 in Pittsburgh starts getting them. In Warren & Niles their signal is so good you can get them in HD with no dropouts.

I've noticed that KISS 96.5 does have a better signal in the Boardman area over WMJI.

 

[KeyTimes950]

It literally has been decades since I had a reason to cross Ohio in a car. At that time, I logged a list of stations to monitor, and wound up almost all the way to Indiana listening to WMJI.

 

[HHH]

Yes, WMJI still has the best coverage of any FM out of Northeastern Ohio. The key is their height (1,129 feet AAT), which I believe is the highest FM site of any Cleveland station. They also have an old grandfather license (as has been mentioned) where they operate with 16,000 watts at this height when under the current rules, they should only be running about 11,000 watts at this height (50,000 watts at 500 feet is the maximum, and then you drop about 100 watts or so for every ten feet you go above 500 feet).

So they have higher then "currently allowed" power and they are up in the clouds. A winning combination!

 

[SonoSational18]

It literally has been decades since I had a reason to cross Ohio in a car. At that time, I logged a list of stations to monitor, and wound up almost all the way to Indiana listening to WMJI.

There must have been some tropo-sccatter involved. Whatever the power, FM is normally line-of-sight, so you would pretty much have to lose WMJI around Port Clinton which is the better part of 100 miles shy of the Indiana border.