wize engineering question

[stereolane]

I have noticed along I-75 that WIZE booms into places like Troy, and Tipp City, yet seems to have issues with a good signal in closer places like Fairborn, Vandalia, or Huber Heights. This seems to be even more evident during critical hours. Why does the non directional WIZE signal beam to the west, more so than any other direction? I recall noticing this when I worked for Great Trails, many many years ago. Is it something to do with ground conductivity?

[BobOnTheJob]

A little off topic but are they still running the IBOC that butchers WFIN 1330 to the north?

[KR4BD]

I have noticed along I-75 that WIZE booms into places like Troy, and Tipp City, yet seems to have issues with a good signal in closer places like Fairborn, Vandalia, or Huber Heights. This seems to be even more evident during critical hours. Why does the non directional WIZE signal beam to the west, more so than any other direction? I recall noticing this when I worked for Great Trails, many many years ago. Is it something to do with ground conductivity?

I lived on the western edge of Englewood, OH from 1973 to 1982 and always had WLBC-1340 from Muncie clearly audible under WIZE.  Seemed to me, at least, that the two stations were a bit too close to each other.

[schmave]

A little off topic but are they still running the IBOC that butchers WFIN 1330 to the north?

Yes. You can hear the hash in Columbus even beyond where WIZE would be considered very listenable.

[Limp73]

WIZE comes in strong during the daytime in Miami and Shelby counties...but afterward,it's mixed in with the usual nighttime clutter after sunset. Only one time I picked up WLBC-AM (now WXFN) in this locality and that was in the late 1970s....possibly a fluke or WIZE was temporarily off the air for a breif moment. WLBC-AM in it's day was a bit boorish with its traditional MOR anyway.

[stereolane]

WIZE comes in strong during the daytime in Miami and Shelby counties...but afterward,it's mixed in with the usual nighttime clutter after sunset. Only one time I picked up WLBC-AM (now WXFN) in this locality and that was in the late 1970s....possibly a fluke or WIZE was temporarily off the air for a breif moment. WLBC-AM in it's day was a bit boorish with its traditional MOR anyway.

That's exactly what I've noticed. Strangely good daytime / CH coverage of Miami & Shelby counties. The Non-D signal is not equally good in all directions from the site. When I worked for GT, I lived in Fairborn. The signal was just so-so during critical hours. After dark, WIZE was very noisy (unlistenable) at my house in Fairborn. If I got on I-675 and headed toward the Dayton Mall, WIZE would come booming in around Beavercreek / U.S.35 before it disappeared again. Seems a bit too close for "skywave" to be a factor.

[techie2]

I'd bet that it's variations in ground conductivity, combined with a lower amount of man-made noise from electronics and power lines in those rural counties than in the more built-up areas.  I'll have to take a peek at the M3 map and see if it confirms my theory.

[stereolane]

Thanks.

I also recall that the PD we had at WIZE, who would hide in his office most of the time, lived in Centerville. He often commented that in the late afternoon, the WIZE signal would start to fade, then get stronger as he got closer to home. Very strange for a simple, Non-D AM on 1340.

[hipporadio]

In the early 1970s, I always enjoyed listening to 1340 WIZE and 1230 WCOL on our family trips eastward from Indiana along I-70 through Ohio. Both were well-presented Top-40 stations then! WIZE was usually present under WLBC in a car radio parked at the Richmond [IN] Square Mall near the Ohio border, and became "dominate" in northeast Preble County, Ohio. I remember it having a much better signal to the west of Springfield, but usually changed to WCOL just east of S'field. Now THERE'S an old Class 4 with a much better-than-typical signal. WCOL seemed to get-out better at night than some "locals" did during the day! After reading this post a few days ago, I toted my Sangean PR-D5 along on a visit to my parents' home in Connersville, IN. Standing on their deck a few minutes ago, I was able to null-out WXFN and hear a weak and noisy WIZE!