Yet Another Big Translator Upgrade.

[DeadElvis]

The gold rush of upgrades for super-translators continues.

Last week, W244BY, the silent translator on 96.7 in Midtown, filed for an upgrade. The translator which had been 27W @ ~250' requested to move to the huge candelabra tower in Brunswick. They ask for 250W directional @ ~1000'.

The process went fast. The application was filed last week and was approved this morning. Don't expect construction to take long; it's just an issue of hanging feedline and an antenna.

The application says it will translate KJMS. Expect that the change.

Enjoy.

DE

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

What I'd like to know is how these translators get that much power at that height. That's pretty inconsistant with the normal rules. Most everything, translators included, get to power back when the height goes up.

 

[rgseark2009]

Translators seem to play fast and loose with the regs, IMHO. There is an AFR translator in Warren AR that is very strong and is one of my more notorious pests.

 

[DeadElvis]

No. It's not the translators that are fast & loose. It's the regs. I am not sure these super-translators would envisioned when the regs were written.

250W @ 1000' is about as good as a Class A.

DE

 

[tomservo]

But remember, 250 watts at 1000 feet is OK for a translator, but giving that sort of power to an LPFM would destroy the FM dial.

 

[w9wi]

No. It's not the translators that are fast & loose. It's the regs. I am not sure these super-translators would envisioned when the regs were written.

250W @ 1000' is about as good as a Class A.

DE

It's about 4dB below a Class A. (i.e., pretty close) A full Class A would deliver 58.9dBu at 30km. A 250w/305m translator would deliver 54.9dBu.

(http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/curves.html)

I think the FCC didn't envision anyone building a translator in a populated area. They were for West Podunk, Wyoming where a 250w/305m translator might serve about as many people as an iPod transmitter in Midtown Memphis...

 

[mikl73]

There are some hefty translators around Atlanta and a couple in DFW that don't do too bad either.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

My question is how the heck do they get by with applying for this height vs. power and getting it granted? I'd love to do the same with several translators I'm responsible for. I mean, heck, it's almost a full class A. What's with the special treatment?

 

[mikl73]

There's no height limit if it's a fill in translator. It just has to be contained within the primary stations contour.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

So, what you're saying is that if it's for an high-powered AM then you can put it up as high as it doesn't interfere etc eh? Thats actually great news. I can see a lot of great uses already.

 

[DeadElvis]

It appears 96.7 is now on the air. It is translating 101.1. For now.

DE

 

[DJOnAStick]

It appears 96.7 is now on the air. It is translating 101.1. For now.

DE

What I want to know is why? Why is it translating a 100,000 watt signal whose city grade clearly blankets all of Memphis.

 

[mikl73]

That part is likely temporary. It will probably soon be used to rebroadcast an HD sub-channel,WREC, or WDIA.

101.1's HD2 is WDIA.

 

[mikl73]

there are some with translators that have near Class A coverage but this one doesn't have it.

 

[mikl73]

W250BC became the analog FM home to 99x in Atlanta which is actually an HD sub now. It 250watts from way up in the air and is showing a cume over 200,000 people.

Check out the coverage & location: http://alturl.com/nij55 (The link is to recnet)

It's all in where the tower is located really. With 96.7 shoehorned in protecting several other stations it will never have too much of a cume. It's so far out that it is really noisy in the car before you are too far into populated areas.

If someone could locate a full 250w omni at the top of say the CH 5 or even the Ch 10 tower it could serve an unserved audience or be used to flank another station.