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WTIX applies for a translator on freqency

It's a booster when it's on frequency, and Mike is making a mistake trying this. Boosters only work when you have a total lack of main carrier in the area of interest, otherwise it becomes a self interfering noise generator. I've been down this road, and it doesn't matter how you synch them, lock them, or sprinkle voodoo dust on them, they don't work in these kinds of situations. Mike needs to look at getting a better main antenna with the correct optimization.
 
Terrible idea. The entire 60dBu contour of the booster is within the main signal's 60dBu contour! MAJOR self-inflicted, co-channel interference will be the result.

What is preventing WTIX from moving it's main transmitter closer to New Orleans? 94.1/Pensacola? 94.5/Long Beach? Wouldn't put the required signal strength over Galliano? Other factors?
 
My guess is City grade signal contour on Galliano, Short spaced to 94.1 WEMX Kentwood (tower is actually East Feliciana), Possible Short Spaced to 94.9 WPRF Reserve (tower is located in Thibodaux)

And thanks for the reminder Radeo, It was listed as a translator on the site I was using and I think that's why I put it.. and agree, the only time I've seen on frequency boosters have been in Mountainous areas... Not sure if the translator ban (I forget the actual wording of the band.. long day) on FM covers situations like Mike's
 
6.5 kW in his 60 dBu? Wow. I know he wants north shore, but even if it works to perfection to cover up there he's going to destroy everything south of the lake front. Like I said, I've been down this road and have seen the coverage destruction from a blazing 84 watts. These things just don't work unless you're a San Fran Sutro broadcaster trying to reach east of the mountains that block the bedroom communities of Walnut Creek and such. This is the only place I've personally send a booster work. There may be more but they'd have to have the same main signal blockage, and that's hard to find especially in the bayou. Man, I wouldn't want to be the one that recommended this to him.
 
A couple thoughts on this

First, could he modify his main antenna to null out N.O metro and use this booster to give him a better effective signal in the city.

Second, I did a little experiment with an ipod transmitter in the car. Tuning it co-channel to different stations of various receivable quality i observed the following. On flamethrower signals the ipod transmitter had no effect, the main FM station still sounded fine with maybe a litle more multipath type distortion. On a station of medium receive quality (much like WTIX is in N.O.) there was alot of hiss on the main FM station, sometimes to the point of unlistenable, and lots of distortion, pops and the like. On weak signals the ipod transmitter signal won out but still with lots of distortion. I know this was a crude experiment but im not so sure what hocus pocus they will use to avoid un desirable results.
 
Fieldtech1 said:
A couple thoughts on this

First, could he modify his main antenna to null out N.O metro and use this booster to give him a better effective signal in the city.
Click to expand...

Nope. Can't go there. You'd be making a directional antenna and you can't do that without it being part of your authorization. What he could do is buy a range tested high quality antenna and improve his coverage that way. Only Jampro and ERI do full scale range testing, and it isn't cheap to get it done, but this is the final link to your listeners and you're going to live with it for 30 or so years. Broken down like that it isn't so expensive to do and well worth the results.

Fieldtech1 said:
Second, I did a little experiment with an ipod transmitter in the car. Tuning it co-channel to different stations of various receivable quality i observed the following. On flamethrower signals the ipod transmitter had no effect, the main FM station still sounded fine with maybe a litle more multipath type distortion. On a station of medium receive quality (much like WTIX is in N.O.) there was alot of hiss on the main FM station, sometimes to the point of unlistenable, and lots of distortion, pops and the like. On weak signals the ipod transmitter signal won out but still with lots of distortion. I know this was a crude experiment but im not so sure what hocus pocus they will use to avoid un desirable results.
Click to expand...

That's not a bad way to play with it. The answer is there is no hocus pocus magic gizmo which makes it work.

For an on frequency booster to work, it has to serve an area where there is almost zero signal from the main. You also don't want the booster running real high power to prevent interference to the main, and I would consider 6.5kW that close to home real high power. There are a handful of places where this works. One of them is not going to be New Orleans.
 
wouldn't it work if he moved the tower closer to new orleans ? place a coat hanger on is head and wrap himself in some foil ? put on some flip flops...give em some tom-toms and a hat with wind chimes.....that would work right ? i mean you guys know the solid tech stuff.....i'm just a board lurker trying to grasp the "high tech " stuff you talk about.....without guys with your brains our radio world falls off the planet.......the true radio foot soldier are the engineers that do all this heavy lifting....i tip my hat to you guys....now if you'll excuse me i have to go dance for my dinner

cheers !

V
 
gerryv said:
wouldn't it work if he moved the tower closer to new orleans ? place a coat hanger on is head and wrap himself in some foil ? put on some flip flops...give em some tom-toms and a hat with wind chimes.....that would work right ? i mean you guys know the solid tech stuff.....i'm just a board lurker trying to grasp the "high tech " stuff you talk about.....without guys with your brains our radio world falls off the planet.......the true radio foot soldier are the engineers that do all this heavy lifting....i tip my hat to you guys....now if you'll excuse me i have to go dance for my dinner

cheers !

V
Click to expand...

Aren't you due for another back waxing?
 
So, the consensus is that this translator isn't going to help improve the signal.

I'm sure Michael should be smart enough, or his engineers smart enough, for him to know this. There has to be an angle somewhere.
 
Mike has the best NOLA area engineer working for him, and he's ignoring what he's being told by him. I've been in this situation, where I was told to build one of these, told the boss it was going to be a disaster, but as always the boss gave his ear to the "consultant" and told me to build it anyway. I did. It was on the air for 48 hours and ordered off by the same boss, and this one was only 84 watts in the 60 dBu contour of a 50 kW. The *only* potential advantage to building this thing is that Costello would have a pretty decent auxilliary transmitter site. Mike is no dummy, and maybe that's what he's trying to achieve in case the main gets creamed in the next storm.

I don't have a dog in this fight, I just hate to see someone spend this kind of money and effort when the solution is in the proper resolution of the main antenna.
 
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