WRTO-AM 1200

[wlxx]

why is WRTO is located on the same frequency as WKOX and WOAI,What was before WRTO?

 

[mimo]

it has a bit of a history with many spanish language formats and call letter changes. Before it was WRTO it was WLXX, with tropical music...when it aquired the WLXX calls, it was a regional mexican station from about 1995 until 1996. Before 1995 it was WOPA with a mix of regional mexican, spanish pop and rock.

 

[hipporadio]

The consulting engineer I hired to conduct a site move and new transmitter installation for an upgrade of my first FM station was involved in the initial construction of WOPA back in the late 80s (maybe early 1990). I recall him telling me that it was “the grand-daddy of all complex directional antenna systems”—four towers day and eight at night! 1200AM had intended to begin operation with C-QUAM AM stereo; but the nulls were so numerous and drastic, and the bandwidth so limited—they could not get C-QUAM to work!

 

[T2909]

Isn't WRTO suppsed to boost their daytime signal to 25,000 watts? If so, when will it be?

 

[dave73]

Isn't WRTO suppsed to boost their daytime signal to 25,000 watts? If so, when will it be?

Whenever Univisión builds the new towers and powers them up. I don't know how much different the new tower site will look, but the new site will have 6 towers instead of 8, that's at the current site around 103rd St & I-94. The new site is around 127th Street, just southwest of the current site, and it's also near either the Cal-Sag Canal, or the Grand Calumet River. But anyway, I don't know how much farther the signal will go, but I doubt it'll be that much farther than the current site puts out now. But checking the FCC website, WRTO will be going to 20kw day on 4 towers & 4.5kw night on 6 towers at the same site. Regardless, WRTO still must protect WOAI San Antonio to the southwest & WOWO Fort Wayne to the east. I don't know how many other stations it must protect, as the current site, plus the upcoming site will have extreme nulls in all directions.

 

[Tom Wells]

Isn't WRTO suppsed to boost their daytime signal to 25,000 watts? If so, when will it be?

Whenever Univisión builds the new towers and powers them up. I don't know how much different the new tower site will look, but the new site will have 6 towers instead of 8, that's at the current site around 103rd St & I-94. The new site is around 127th Street, just southwest of the current site, and it's also near either the Cal-Sag Canal, or the Grand Calumet River. But anyway, I don't know how much farther the signal will go, but I doubt it'll be that much farther than the current site puts out now. But checking the FCC website, WRTO will be going to 20kw day on 4 towers & 4.5kw night on 6 towers at the same site. Regardless, WRTO still must protect WOAI San Antonio to the southwest & WOWO Fort Wayne to the east. I don't know how many other stations it must protect, as the current site, plus the upcoming site will have extreme nulls in all directions.

Another one of them "fan blade" AMs?

 

[T2909]

I hope WRTO's new 20kw signal will be heard in all parts of Milwaukee, Wis.

 

[JKBurger]

The consulting engineer I hired to conduct a site move and new transmitter installation for an upgrade of my first FM station was involved in the initial construction of WOPA back in the late 80s (maybe early 1990). I recall him telling me that it was “the grand-daddy of all complex directional antenna systems”—four towers day and eight at night! 1200AM had intended to begin operation with C-QUAM AM stereo; but the nulls were so numerous and drastic, and the bandwidth so limited—they could not get C-QUAM to work!

I was the engineer in charge of the construction of WOPA 1200. C-QUAM was never a consideration, but you're right about the nulls and bandwidth, and don't forget the poor ground system. The towers were built on the site of a demolished Pulman plant, and the grounds were never cleared of all of the debris. Most of the radials were on the surface, draped across chunks of concrete or plowed into coal clinkers. I didn't even know there was real soil on the site until the NE corner became a pot field. The original call was supposed to be WMXA, but was changed to WOPA before it went on the air. It was also supposed to be be 10kw day / 2.5 kw night, but we were never able to pull the nulls in tight enough.
JKB

 

[ddybas]

Wow...you really tickled my memory...I thought I was the only one who knew about the reefer in those fields. It was rope weed though...cause it didn't have much kick!!!