WWBA-AM 820 dead air

[drt]

If it goes 50k at night, judging by DFW protection, Bermuda oughta hear it well at night!

cd

With Genesis's shoestring budget and the fact that land is at a real premium in Pinellas county; I don't think the people in Bermuda will have to worry about receiving WWBA; I've often wondered though if w/o changing directional patterns if they could increase night time at all and/or if they could do like the former WOSU 820 in Columbus, OH did (as well as the new owners) and that is have special authority not to have to power down until sunset in Dallas/Ft. Worth; sometimes I wonder with all the relaxation of the Clear Channel frequencies if they might not have been better off staying at the prior frequency of 800.

Even as things are 820 gets a lot more out it's night time coverage than co-owned 1470 licensed to Dunedin; which from St. Petersburg sounds like a graveyard channel at night.

It is true about night time reception in Palm Harbor and even further south in Dunedin; 820 has a stronger night time signal in downtown Bradenton, that in n.w. Pinellas county.

drt,
st. petersburg

 

[dwtpa97]

820 covers all of Tampa at night. Don't know how they do in St. Pete.

 

[drt]

820 covers all of Tampa at night. Don't know how they do in St. Pete.

All of St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Gulfport and South Pasadena are covered with a good signal at night; although, the Cuban station can be heard under WWBA at the most distant points in south Pinellas.

The Gulf Beaches from south of Indian Shores to St. Pete Beach also have a good night time signal from 820; as well as much of Bradenton and all of Palmetto in Manatee county.......... but just a few miles north in the n.w. corner of Clearwater, most if not all of Dunedin and points north, 820 as mentioned previously (parttimer?) the night time signal of WWBA is not there.

1470 at night in St. Pete is another story, most parts of St. Pete cannot get a listenable signal out of 1470 at night; in fact in and around downtown St. Pete, 1470's day time signal is marginal.

drt,
st. petersburg,fl

 

[dwtpa97]

At night, as regards Tampa, 1470 seems to be only listenable in the South Tampa peninsula, apparently because of the body of water (Old Tampa Bay) that lies between the 1470 transmitter and the peninsula. After the signal goes inland a mile or so into Tampa, it dissipates.

 

[Nostalgia]

Dont forget, at night 1470 drops power from 5,000 watts to just 500 watts. Still omni-directional though, unlike WWBA. A friend of mine who used to work there lamented that their ground system was poor.

 

[drt]

Dont forget, at night 1470 drops power from 5,000 watts to just 500 watts. Still omni-directional though, unlike WWBA. A friend of mine who used to work there lamented that their ground system was poor.

I would have to agree with your friend about the grounding system, since even the daytime 5,000 watts doesn't seem to get as far south as the downtown, USFSP area with a decent signal. In fact often from mid November to mid February, the 1470 from either Delray Beach or Pompano will easily be heard under Dunedin and even sometime dominating 1470 as early as 2:30 in the afternoon.

Luckily their tower site is close enough to upper Tampa Bay where at least the Westchase area of Hillsborough county and points south in Tampa that hug the coastline of upper Tampa Bay/old Tampa Bay etc do get a listenable signal.

Of course at night, there are so many other 1470's operating that the 1470 frequency now mimics one of the graveyard frequencies at night. I know I often receive a station out of Georgia (Rome?) as the station I'm able to id; not the local 1470; this being from St. Petersburg, up in Pinellas Park and points north the local 1470 is dominant day and night, at least that is what I have experienced.

drt,
st. petersburg,fl