WSMR's 103.9 translator is now on the air.

[drt]

Had to drive through Tampa today and noticed the WSMR translator was on the air; the signal was strong and steady from about halfway between Hillsborough and Sligh on I-275 and north to the Hillsorough/Pasco line and then by the time I hit the Pasco/Hernando county line, it was pretty well gone.

I would imagine that for zip codes 33604,33612, 33613, 33618, 33617,33649 as well as the USF campus (33620)the signal should be strong enough even for indoor cheap radios.

With a decent radio that would include a larger area and then as pointed out before, the is WUSF 89.2 for the WSMR programming for those with the Hybrid Digital radios.

drt

 

[daw]

Now they need to get Pinellas County a signal that doesn't keep fading OUT....

 

[drt]

Now they need to get Pinellas County a signal that doesn't keep fading OUT....

I agree, I am lucky, that when I'm in St. Pete, I get a farily good signal from 89.1 WSMR about 97 percent time w/o any fading, but sometimes, I do hear WUFT trying to come in. Even getting on I-275 somewhere between 38th Ave N and 54th Ave N, the static and/or fading begins and out toward Bay Pines and that general area, the reception isn't so good either, but it is what it is; a station licensed to Sarasota, with a short stick antenna located about 14 miles south of downtown Sarasota.

Since according to Family Radio (Dr. Harold Camping) the world is coming to an end on the 21st of May, maybe Family Radio will have a fire sale and USF can get a good price on the 91.7 signal, which would give good solid coverage for the southern third of Pinellas and the Interbay and Beach Park areas of Tampa.

Seriously, there is need to either really push the 89.2 concept and motivate people to get the Hybrid Digital radios or to get some more repeaters or translators.

drt

 

[Ai4i]

...the 91.7 signal...would give good solid coverage for the southern third of Pinellas and the Interbay and Beach Park areas of Tampa.
drt

'FTI does cover the area about as well as other downgraded rimshot classical music stations such as WCLV and KDFC.
The next tier up would include WCRB and WKCP.
WQXR's 610 watts covers all of the boroughs with a 60db contour.

 

[badjef]

...the 91.7 signal...would give good solid coverage for the southern third of Pinellas and the Interbay and Beach Park areas of Tampa.
drt

'FTI does cover the area about as well as other downgraded rimshot classical music stations such as WCLV and KDFC.
The next tier up would include WCRB and WKCP.
WQXR's 610 watts covers all of the boroughs with a 60db contour.

I couldn't think of a WQXR equivalent here. Most all of the New Yorkers are from the same location so the 610w signal was only problematic for building penetration and some adjacent channel past the 35mile contour.

The Empire situation is historically unique.

Radio in this market is all over the place.

Where could they put 103.9 or 89.1 or both to achieve a parity?

Height would be the key. The stick they are presently on with 89.1 would not be high enough.
Maybe 102.5's?

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[smedge2006]

What would stop them from buying a commercial stick on the north end?
Such as.... 96.1 in Dade City????

 

[badjef]

What would stop them from buying a commercial stick on the north end?
Such as.... 96.1 in Dade City????

Money aside. nothing. As a non-comm, they can overlap and extend their coverage, such as what WJIS does.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[Ai4i]

We checked this FCC map.
Looks good to the northwest and southeast but protecting someone to the southwest with a deep null.

 

[drt]

We checked this FCC map.
Looks good to the northwest and southeast but protecting someone to the southwest with a deep null.

Evidently W280DW's CP was modified at the last minute (as in late March or early April), as the original 60dbu contour map was almost a perfect circle with a very slight null to the s.s.e. to protect the JOY FM translator in nearby Ruskin that is also on 103.9; there is nothing to the s.w. to protect on any frequency from 103.7 - 104.1; so I don't know what that's all about, but I have an idea of what that might be about, but nothing concrete, so I won't speculate. 103.5 WFUS's tower is to the s.s.e. of the USF campus where W280DW's antenna is, so that doesn't seem to be part of the equation.

I first suspected a change in the pattern on Friday when driving around Tampa International Airport and the reception was not nearly what it should have been according to the prior 60dbu contour map, so then I checked the FCC FM query site and noticed the change.

The coverage maps on WSMR/WUSF's website still shows the old contour of the translator with only the slightest of nulls; but I have found the WSMR/WUSF website to be lacking in respect to the new station and news about it. Updating their website doesn't seem to be a high priority.

drt,
st. petersburg,fl

 

[badjef]

We checked this FCC map.
Looks good to the northwest and southeast but protecting someone to the southwest with a deep null.

May be the result of side mount.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[Ai4i]

May be the result of side mount.

Not like that!

 

[Ai4i]

Just noticed a CP for a much less directional pattern that would produce a stronger signal in most directions.
We do not live in the bay area and R-L.com lists W280DW as off the air.
This produces this, but that would produce that, much like the pattern they had from Brandon.
Anyone know what is going on with them?

 

[drt]

Just noticed a CP for a much less directional pattern that would produce a stronger signal in most directions.
We do not live in the bay area and R-L.com lists W280DW as off the air.
This produces this, but that would produce that, much like the pattern they had from Brandon.
Anyone know what is going on with them?

I'll tell what I know (which isn't much!).......... this seems to be on the order of what is old is new again; this new pattern you show, is the original pattern with only a slight null toward Riverview (there is another translator in Riverview on 103.9); then all of sudden, WSMR had a modification to the CP for the 103.9 translator to the very directional modified figure 8 pattern.

As far as them being off the air, if they are, that has been only so for not more than a day............ as I was on I-275 in north Tampa both yesterday and Friday and 103.9 was on the air throughout the weekend....... it is possible that they have signed off the air since yesterday evening for all I know, since where I am today is near downtown St. Pete and at my listeing post near downtown, 103.9 W280DW has never come in here.......... between the distance and the directional pattern.

What I have noticed is that the primary signal at 89.1 which I normally can receive has been horrible since I returned to St. Pete yesterday and I've had to resort to my own "mini translator"........ rebroadcasting the WSMR stream. But 89.1's signal problems anywhere north of the Manatee River would be another thread.

drt
st. petersburg,fl

 

[drt]

I waited too long to modify my last post........... now I'm even more unsure about what might be going on; there's not much credibility as far as the FCC website, which indicates that W280DW rebroadcast the signal of WUSF FM, when in fact they broadcast the classical format of WSMR, Sarasota (short stick tower in Nokomis).

http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/f...=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9#10001

In their correspondence file on the FCC website is a letter dated 31 May 2011 indicating the W280DW has resumed operations, which is about one month or more after they resumed operations. The way I'm reading (or perhaps mis-reading) the info on the website, the only slightly directional pattern (which would serve more of Tampa and less of Pasco county) is a prior/previous record.

Also the only station I know that they protect in the immediate area is the Joy FM translator in Ruskin. (not Riverview as I previously wrote in error).

Yesterday, as late as 5 PM (the 13th of June) W280DW was still broadcasting the classical format of WSMR 89.1.

i did almost half to laugh though when one of the afternoon announcers gave advice (ad libbed) on how to listen to WSMR and she didn't follow the usual script and indicated that the ways to listen were by tuning into 89.1, WUSF HD2, the worldwide web - WSMR.org or "in parts of Tampa........ 103.9" which is the truth........ parts of Tampa, the translator doesn't even cover the Tampa city limits by a long shot.

To the best of my knowlege, Radio-locator has never listen W280DW since they resumed operations around the 23rd of April; plug in USF's zip code (where the translator's antenna is located) 33620 and there is no mention of 103.9 one way or another; it's as though it does not exist........ and for much of Tampa, it does not!

drt

 

[Ai4i]

...which indicates that W280DW rebroadcast the signal of WUSF FM, when in fact they broadcast the classical format of WSMR...
drt

Licensed to translate WUSF, they can legally translate WUSF-HD2.

 

[drt]

...which indicates that W280DW rebroadcast the signal of WUSF FM, when in fact they broadcast the classical format of WSMR...
drt

Licensed to translate WUSF, they can legally translate WUSF-HD2.

Then for thick headed people as myself, I wish the FCC would be more precise and indicate that W280DW rebroadcast WUSF HD2, for some reason, when I see WUSF without an HD2 or printed as 89.7.2 I think of WUSF's primary signal, which is news/talk and overnight jazz.


WUSF/WSMR.org's press releasees prior to late April were overly optimistic about the coverage of both the primary signal on 89.1 and the translator on 103.9; their press releases for the translator prior to resuming operations on the 103.9 frequency on or about 23 April said the 103.9 signal would serve portions of Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. After 103.9 resumed operations, they quit making that claim; at best, 103.9 reaches north central Hillsborough county and a tiny sliver of Pasco county. (tiny sliver being an understatement).

Receiving 103.9 in Pinellas or Polk counties might be possible with a directional outdoor antenna,but not on the average or even above average radio.
drt

 

[Ai4i]

FCC policy is that if you are licensed to translate a full power station, they do not care which part of it you translate (but NEVER an SCA).
All stations are liberal with their coverage ideas; $ale$ brochures seem to promote extremely weak signal levels, like R-L's blue contours.