Translator Signal Checks

[KeyTimes950]

Was the Froggy repeater on 99.3 in North Hills/McCandless area ever K-Love - or was it always Froggy?

I have never heard anything on 97.7 in the West View / McKnight area other than All Hitz 97.7.

I don't think 99.3 ever was K-Love. Keymarket also uses 99.3 in Uniontown with full power for the Pickle.

One more translator we get over yonder (well, from Route 48 eastward in North Versailles and North Huntingdon) is 97.9 from Jeannette (He's Alive, rebroadcasting 88.1 out of Murrysville). It runs into WKKW from the Morgantown area moreso than it used to (I once could get He's Alive on 97.9 almost to East McKeesport on Route 30).

[fm-engineer]

Some may not know that translators have no minimum HAAT(Height above average terrain)  In other words, stations (translators) such as the new WAMO on 100.1 are operating at 925 feet above average terrain.  This phenomenon has spread nationwide, with some operating at 2,000 feet or higher above average terrain.  They are using the call signs for the AM station, and programming like an FM station.  Some people don't even know they are a translator, as they are permitted to re-broadcast the AM stations signal.  My company has been hired to investigate interference issues with such translators.  Some 99 watt, and many 250 watt translators have signals that rival Class A stations.  These things are popping up all over the place, again, "to rebroadcast an AM station"    

The one thing that many may not know is translators cannot interfere with "any" reception area of another commercial or non-com station.  So any regular listener is protected, no matter if they are in the protected (60dBu) contour or not.  The burden is on the plaintiff, so the first step is to determine the listeners are in a receivable area.  This is done by two methods, field strength and a spectrum analyzer.  Demodulated audio is recorded and synced with the spectrum analyzer out to a laptop.   The FIM and the spectrum analyzer both record the signal strength of the translator.  A special directional antenna is then used to null out the translator and record the plaintiffs signal.  This verifies the listener is in an actual "receivable" location, even though the rules do not call for this proof.  Hopefully this helps anyone that may wonder "how in the hell some of these translators are reaching out so far?           

[KeyTimes950]

Until I saw that with reference to an Atlanta station in Tom Taylor's report this morning, I really hadn't thought about that. Then again, with one local translator using KDKA-TV's tower and another planning to use the WYEP-FM tower (atop Calvary Cemetery at one of the higher elevations in Pittsburgh), that really isn't a surprise.

As for my reference to FM 97.9 in Jeannette, it extends another FM (88.1, Murrysville) that barely has more power than some of those translators you're talking about. In fact, I sometimes can scan for one of its simulcasts from Masontown, a full-power that still gets in on 106.9 right between WAOB-FM and WHJB-FM on Jacktown Hill outside Irwin.

[NoTimeForSleep]

106.9 Was put on top of a large hill near Morgantown, WV when 106.7 and 107.1 moved years ago, pretty good for them being a class A station.

[PHIL Z]

Some may not know that translators have no minimum HAAT(Height above average terrain)  In other words, stations (translators) such as the new WAMO on 100.1 are operating at 925 feet above average terrain.  This phenomenon has spread nationwide, with some operating at 2,000 feet or higher above average terrain.  They are using the call signs for the AM station, and programming like an FM station.  Some people don't even know they are a translator, as they are permitted to re-broadcast the AM stations signal.  My company has been hired to investigate interference issues with such translators.  Some 99 watt, and many 250 watt translators have signals that rival Class A stations.  These things are popping up all over the place, again, "to rebroadcast an AM station"    

The one thing that many may not know is translators cannot interfere with "any" reception area of another commercial or non-com station.  So any regular listener is protected, no matter if they are in the protected (60dBu) contour or not.  The burden is on the plaintiff, so the first step is to determine the listeners are in a receivable area.  This is done by two methods, field strength and a spectrum analyzer.  Demodulated audio is recorded and synced with the spectrum analyzer out to a laptop.   The FIM and the spectrum analyzer both record the signal strength of the translator.  A special directional antenna is then used to null out the translator and record the plaintiffs signal.  This verifies the listener is in an actual "receivable" location, even though the rules do not call for this proof.  Hopefully this helps anyone that may wonder "how in the hell some of these translators are reaching out so far?           

  Were do Stations like WPTS 92.1 fall into this? They override WKPL 92.1  in the North Hills area Around Passavant Hospital ,13 Miles Line of Site Away. When they were on 98.5 They Carried over on to 98.3 WESA!

[Parttimer]

WPTS is 10 watts unprotected. You must be at a high elevation because in my experince the Pickle drowns them outeverywhere but Oakland and the Waterfront. If you live north of the city, you are closer to WPTS than you were toWESA, so in that case WESA was causing the interference, as they were permitted to do.

[PHIL Z]

WPTS is 10 watts unprotected. You must be at a high elevation because in my experince the Pickle drowns them outeverywhere but Oakland and the Waterfront. If you live north of the city, you are closer to WPTS than you were toWESA, so in that case WESA was causing the interference, as they were permitted to do.

  When WPTS was on 98.5  with 16 Watts they came in from 98.1 to 98.9 in our area Interfearing with 6,000 Watts WESA on 98.3. I called them And wrote the FCC. I Did time at WPGH in the 60's, Pitt's Carrier Current Station. One Night a DJ Conneceted  a Cable to the CC Transmitter through it out the Window, We Got a Call from WWSW As we were Causing Interfearence to them. Not Saying thats What Happened. But Once Burned!

[Jkf]

Anyone notice how much WAOB 106.7 is bleeding over to 106.5 and 106.9?

[xm41]

WPTS is 10 watts unprotected. You must be at a high elevation because in my experince the Pickle drowns them outeverywhere but Oakland and the Waterfront. If you live north of the city, you are closer to WPTS than you were toWESA, so in that case WESA was causing the interference, as they were permitted to do.

  When WPTS was on 98.5  with 16 Watts they came in from 98.1 to 98.9 in our area Interfearing with 6,000 Watts WESA on 98.3. I called them And wrote the FCC. I Did time at WPGH in the 60's, Pitt's Carrier Current Station. One Night a DJ Conneceted  a Cable to the CC Transmitter through it out the Window, We Got a Call from WWSW As we were Causing Interfearence to them. Not Saying thats What Happened. But Once Burned!

The long wire out the window is a famous story. I've heard it several times from different people. I have also heard several accounts that WPTS on 98.5 was running around 25 watts.

[PGHsalesguy]

Anyone notice how much WAOB 106.7 is bleeding over to 106.5 and 106.9?

From what a friend told me. All analog FM stations bleed over one channel up and down due how stations are setup. The only stations's who do not do that are the HD stations since their digital streams are on the first channel up and down and cover that noise. Also depends on your receiver I suppose. Plus I suppose the louder they modulate the more noise on the side channels, WAMO is doing that really bad now.