xmtr site on pettys island???

[oasisrulz]

Just read a good article in the city paper about Pettys Island, that little piece of real estate in the middle of the Delaware River between Philly and Jersey. The article covered everything from graves, hugo chavez, wildlife, oil tanks, Indian remains and other things over the last 200 years on the place, except the X-mtr site. The question I have is... I remember someone telling me in the late 60's early 70's, WJJZ or was it WWJZ, which operated on 1460 licensed to Mt Holly had their 3 tower array on the island. They had one of the tightest patterns on the planet, which prevented them from going no more than a few blocks South/Southwest, this made their signal impossible to hear in Philly. The only other signal that I can remember with that tight a pattern was the old WSLT 1520 during their oldie days 60's-70's, when they could not be heard in AC or anywhere north of the golf course site....but is this story true on Pettys island....

 

[tom]

1460 WJJZ Mount Holly had 4 towers on Burlington Island, is that another
name for "Petty's Island" I don't know. I don't recall their signal being bad,
when I was a kid living in Mount Holly. When we moved down to Somers Point,
the WSLT towers were a few blocks from our house, and they came in on
my turntable and on a couple of spots on the dial. Again, the signal wasn't
that bad, you can't have a very "tight" pattern with only 2 towers.
1000 watts on small towers on 1520 is only going to do so much, especially
with WLDB on 1490 in Atlantic City with a really good signal, I will
grant you that. I don't think I ever really listened to it much, WMGM was
my station of choice, even when it was low power and mono.
I was doing mornings there by the time I was 20, right after the
upgrade to 20,000 watts and stereo.

 

[tom]

I just looked it up on google Earth ... not the same island at all.
Burlington Island is well, up by Burlington. Petty's Island is
just North of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

 

[MikeF]

The only other signal that I can remember with that tight a pattern was the old WSLT 1520 during their oldie days 60's-70's, when they could not be heard in AC or anywhere north of the golf course site

Again, the signal wasn't
that bad, you can't have a very "tight" pattern with only 2 towers.
1000 watts on small towers on 1520 is only going to do so much, especially
with WLDB on 1490 in Atlantic City with a really good signal, I will
grant you that.

While I don't remember too much of the details of WSLT's pattern, it was a simple two tower directional pattern that protected what is now WTHE on Long Island to the north-northeast and what is now WCHE to the west-northwest. The two tower pattern would have allowed it to have two nulls in those directions, a minor lobe to the north-northwest, and a major lobe to the south-southeast. I recall it being heard well south of Pleasantville and Ventnor, weakly in Atlantic City, and very well along the Cape May county coast, but not so well inland.

Mike

 

[oasisrulz]

I remember the days of "Memory Radio at the Jersey Shore", with Bouncing Bob and Mike Sebring who is Chris McCoy of MGK fame. The problem I had was the signal was great all the way into Wildwood but going north to AC and points North...nothing....What made me notice is I never knew of a signal that went far one way but nothing the other way.....even a tight pattern AM can be heard a bit the other way...thus the case with the old WAMS...great down the river but just barely in Chester PA but listenable there....

 

[oasisrulz]

You are right.. I just checked the Satellite and Burlington Island is a bit more north, just above the B-B Bridge...but there is no trace of any Xmtr site...no remains...which is odd....the island is bare except for some ballfield...