WODS signal ( My opinion )

[rapking]

I think Oldies 103.3 is making a mistake by moving their signal to the Pru. 128 site reach more People . WODS signal move may not be a big mistake like WAAF, but I think WODS should stay on at 128. http://www.radio-locator.com/info/WODS-FM

 

[nd2023]

Yeah, the 102.9 pirate will get more interference from WODS. That's why you don't want it to move to the Pru.

 

[radiojay1]

103.3 WODS is my favorite FM station in the area, and moving to the Pru would mean a weaker signal in Rhode Island, especially around the 50,000 watt tower of Lite Rock 105 (105.1) WWLI in Providence, which already causes some interference within a mile range. However the move to the Pru could mean a better signal on the Cape mostly coming over the water, and in southeastern New Hampshire and Maine.

 

[pqgeorge]

103.3 WODS is my favorite FM station in the area, and moving to the Pru would mean a weaker signal in Rhode Island, especially around the 50,000 watt tower of Lite Rock 105 (105.1) WWLI in Providence, which already causes some interference within a mile range. However the move to the Pru could mean a better signal on the Cape mostly coming over the water, and in southeastern New Hampshire and Maine.

For the most part, you should not notice much of a dfference between the current WODS signal and the one that will come from the Pru. The only people who will notice a change are the people who work and live in Boston proper and those outside of 495 (toward the west). Those in the area beyond Charlton and points west will see a marked signal decrease from WODS from the Pru, as the new site is several miles east of Needham. The Pru elevation is several hundred feet below the height of the current Needham tower. To compensate, the actual output power of the WODS transmitter and the antenna will be higher. Providence is still in the Grade B contour, most radios will still get it as usual.

IMHO, I believe that WODS is trying to target the "at work" population who work in Downtown Boston. On the other hand, The Pru is infamous for intermod, second only to "Intermod Alley" (Needham/Newton). Multiple images of stations can be found on various places on the dial, which they really shouldn't be.found. A good amount of the radios out there have a problem in rejecting these "images". A lot of stations are making the move to the Pru for just the reason mentioned (better coverage of the Downtown). But, the more stations that do move, the more chance that intermod will increase dramatically. It's not so much the problem of the stations themselves, but radio the lack of quality on some of the radios produced. Most office radios are of the cheap variety and thus are really sub-par with their better quality counterparts. Some office workers now use the Internet streams for at-work radio (provided the boss says "OK"). Back to your question, I would not fret. WODS will still come in well throughout most of Rhode Island. Take care!

 

[Retro]

I've been noticing a lot of changes with both Mix and WODS. Is it safe to guess that they are under the same management, that is GM, PD (which I do know that they have the same PD), etc? Just wondering.

 

[DanStrassberg]

I've been noticing a lot of changes with both Mix and WODS. Is it safe to guess that they are under the same management, that is GM, PD (which I do know that they have the same PD), etc? Just wondering.

Not safe at all. They are owned by competing companies: WODS--CBS; WMJX--Greater Media.

 

[Uncle Kaimbridge]

I've been noticing a lot of changes with both Mix and WODS. Is it safe to guess that they are under the same management, that is GM, PD (which I do know that they have the same PD), etc? Just wondering.

Not safe at all. They are owned by competing companies: WODS--CBS; WMJX--Greater Media.

Whoops, look closer: He said "Mix" (WBMX), not "Majic" (WMJX). P=)

 

[4CX1000A]

IMHO, I believe that WODS is trying to target the "at work" population who work in Downtown Boston. On the other hand, The Pru is infamous for intermod, second only to "Intermod Alley" (Needham/Newton). Multiple images of stations can be found on various places on the dial, which they really shouldn't be.found. A good amount of the radios out there have a problem in rejecting these "images". A lot of stations are making the move to the Pru for just the reason mentioned (better coverage of the Downtown). But, the more stations that do move, the more chance that intermod will increase dramatically. It's not so much the problem of the stations themselves, but radio the lack of quality on some of the radios produced. Most office radios are of the cheap variety and thus are really sub-par with their better quality counterparts. Some office workers now use the Internet streams for at-work radio (provided the boss says "OK"). Back to your question, I would not fret. WODS will still come in well throughout most of Rhode Island. Take care!

The images aren't really there; they're generated in the radios themselves when their front ends are swamped by signals stronger than they were designed to take. The images are at frequencies that are sum and difference products of the various stations; the old WCRB had problems downtown because one such product falls right on 102.5. A fellow called me once from an office near South Station asking what he could do to get better reception of WCRB; after ascertaining that he had a portable radio with a retractable antenna, I had him retract it half way, and the interference disappeared.

At this point there are more FM stations transmitting from the city than from Newton/Needham; with WODS's departure all that will be left are 90.9, 94.5, 98.5, and 102.5.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I'm sure that CBS's reason for moving the WODS transmitter to the Pru is to make it competitive in office buildings downtown, where people can easily hear their competitors from Greater Media (WMJX, WROR), but not WODS.

Also, many lesser quality radios (Most "Walkmans", portables, boom-boxes, clock radios) can not get WODS in or near the city AT ALL due to receiver-generated intermod interference because they are overloaded by the stations from the Pru. While moving WODS to the Pru will increase the potential for overloading even somewaht further, it will at least put WODS on equal footing with their format competitors (WMJX, WROR) to cut through it all in the city and come in on lesser radios that currently can't get them at all.

The phenomenon of radio-generated intermod interference from the Pru diminishing or eliminating reception of WODS and other stations transmitting from 128 on lesser quality radios is not limited to only downtown Boston, Back Bay, and other areas immediately near the Pru. It happens all over Boston and most of its neighborhoods, much of Cambridge, parts of Somerville, the eastern portion of Brookline, and elsewhere.

 

[SWClistener]

The only people who will notice a change are the people who work and live in Boston proper and those outside of 495 (toward the west).

Any advice for us second class citizens in southern Worcester County? B101 - are you reading this?

 

[necrat123]

For the most part, you should not notice much of a dfference between the current WODS signal and the one that will come from the Pru. The only people who will notice a change are the people who work and live in Boston proper and those outside of 495 (toward the west). Those in the area beyond Charlton and points west will see a marked signal decrease from WODS from the Pru, as the new site is several miles east of Needham. The Pru elevation is several hundred feet below the height of the current Needham tower. To compensate, the actual output power of the WODS transmitter and the antenna will be higher. Providence is still in the Grade B contour, most radios will still get it as usual.

WODS will still come in well throughout most of Rhode Island. Take care!

Au Contraire my friend. I have to disagree with your statement to a degree. I've been following and measuring signals very closely from the Boston FM stations and the move from FM128 WILL affect the signal in Rhode Island somewhat signifigantly, in the Providence area. I have found that the signals from FM128 in and around the Providence area are much stronger than anything from the PRU. It isn't until you get much further north (say near the Rte 123 exit) that you notice a improvement in the comparable signal strengths. Same goes southward, it isn't until youre well south (North Kingstown area) that you notice any comparability between sites. Here in East Providence, RI, If I take a spectrum analyzer to two outdoor antennas, there is a noticable difference in the amount of RF I see coming from the PRU versus FM128. (In an Ironic sort of twist, I notice I actually have more RF from WERS than I do from the PRU, which I noticed on two different antennas!) It is my belief that the Blue Hills do an excellent job of shielding RF from the PRU into Rhode Island. What I don't understand is, didn't WODS just upgrade to HD recently? Why spend all that money to upgrade a facility to HD, then just decide to move it? Maybe it's just a hunch of mine, but I wonder if something else isn't going on with them here.

 

[pqgeorge]

For the most part, you should not notice much of a dfference between the current WODS signal and the one that will come from the Pru. The only people who will notice a change are the people who work and live in Boston proper and those outside of 495 (toward the west). Those in the area beyond Charlton and points west will see a marked signal decrease from WODS from the Pru, as the new site is several miles east of Needham. The Pru elevation is several hundred feet below the height of the current Needham tower. To compensate, the actual output power of the WODS transmitter and the antenna will be higher. Providence is still in the Grade B contour, most radios will still get it as usual.

WODS will still come in well throughout most of Rhode Island. Take care!

Au Contraire my friend. I have to disagree with your statement to a degree. I've been following and measuring signals very closely from the Boston FM stations and the move from FM128 WILL affect the signal in Rhode Island somewhat signifigantly, in the Providence area. I have found that the signals from FM128 in and around the Providence area are much stronger than anything from the PRU. It isn't until you get much further north (say near the Rte 123 exit) that you notice a improvement in the comparable signal strengths. Same goes southward, it isn't until youre well south (North Kingstown area) that you notice any comparability between sites. Here in East Providence, RI, If I take a spectrum analyzer to two outdoor antennas, there is a noticable difference in the amount of RF I see coming from the PRU versus FM128. (In an Ironic sort of twist, I notice I actually have more RF from WERS than I do from the PRU, which I noticed on two different antennas!) It is my belief that the Blue Hills do an excellent job of shielding RF from the PRU into Rhode Island. What I don't understand is, didn't WODS just upgrade to HD recently? Why spend all that money to upgrade a facility to HD, then just decide to move it? Maybe it's just a hunch of mine, but I wonder if something else isn't going on with them here.

Ah, do you mean........ 103.7? (Sing it together, everyone!) "Double-U, Eeee, Eeee, Eye - F M! One-o-three!". Hmmm. You know. Come to think of it, Great Blue Hill IS right in line between Providence and Boston. Less overlap, for sure. I wonder.............. Good point my good friend!

 

[Eli Polonsky]

What I don't understand is, didn't WODS just upgrade to HD recently? Why spend all that money to upgrade a facility to HD, then just decide to move it? Maybe it's just a hunch of mine, but I wonder if something else isn't going on with them here.

A few years ago when they went HD, maybe they didn't then know that they would have the opportunity to apply to move the facility. But, what does one have to do with the other? Since the upgrade to HD has already been done, I'd think they can just move it over to the new facility, when/if it goes on from the Pru. Has the CP for their move definitely been granted yet, or is it still just an application pending approval?

 

[jlehmann]

What I don't understand is, didn't WODS just upgrade to HD recently? Why spend all that money to upgrade a facility to HD, then just decide to move it? Maybe it's just a hunch of mine, but I wonder if something else isn't going on with them here.

A few years ago when they went HD, maybe they didn't then know that they would have the opportunity to apply to move the facility. But, what does one have to do with the other? Since the upgrade to HD has already been done, I'd think they can just move it over to the new facility, when/if it goes on from the Pru. Has the CP for their move definitely been granted yet, or is it still just an application pending approval?

I can't remember exactly when it was that WODS went HD, but it was within the last year, maybe even right around the time they applied for the move. They were the last of the big Boston FMs to put it on.

 

[WBIMDJ]

Here in East Providence, RI, If I take a spectrum analyzer to two outdoor antennas, there is a noticable difference in the amount of RF I see coming from the PRU versus FM128. (In an Ironic sort of twist, I notice I actually have more RF from WERS than I do from the PRU, which I noticed on two different antennas!) It is my belief that the Blue Hills do an excellent job of shielding RF from the PRU into Rhode Island.

I agree, I remember I have previously gotten some actual interference as close as the Braintree/Quincy/Randolph/Milton stretch of 93/128 south heading towards the 95 merge on frequencies like 104.1 once the Blue Hills are on the right (to the north).

 

[Jacko]

Maybe getting nearly all of the major Boston signals in the same place is a good thing. I know around FM-128 it is next to impossible to get in 101.7 WFNX on a car radio.

Jacko

 

[raccoonradio]

I was driving across southern NH on NH-101 and picked up WODS (Lost 45) strongly from Peterborough and onward as I headed east.

 

[WBIMDJ]

Maybe getting nearly all of the major Boston signals in the same place is a good thing. I know around FM-128 it is next to impossible to get in 101.7 WFNX on a car radio.

Jacko

You're completely right. From as far south as the Dedham Rte 1 exit, all the way up to the Mass Pike exit 101.7 has significant amount of interference from nearby 102.5 and 103.3 on FM-128.