WYAY 106.5

[tripinva]

The other shoe has dropped, and WYAY has filed to move to 106.5C1.  http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/prefill_and_display.pl?Application_id=1499991&Service=FM&Form_id=301&Facility_id=48727

- Trip

[tripinva]

Reading closer, it says more applications will be filed to make it work.  WSKZ almost works on 106.7 if you downgrade it to a C2.  Wouldn't surprise me to see something along those lines filed in the near future.

- Trip

[tripinva]

The edit time is very short here, isn't it?

Further investigation reveals that WSKZ could work as 106.3C2, and could even work as a C1 if it was directional to protect stations to the north.  I suspect 106.3 is the plan for WSKZ.

- Trip

[Rick Rose 2.0]

ive been waiting

[Rick Rose 2.0]

I see that WYAY is applying for the tower that 102.9 uses for its transmitter. i will wait to see the FCC's signal map once its posted because my attempt to draw a map puts the tower close to thomaston.

[Rick Rose 2.0]

i see that maybe 106.7 could not move intown due to 96.1fm. I dont totally under stand this IF thing but 106.7-10.6 is 96.1 but 106.5-10.6 is 95.9 and 106.5-10.8 is 95.7fm...Still waiting to see what application WSKZ files.

[w9wi]

The new WYAY site is the channel 63 (TBN, WHSG) TV tower on Glenwood Avenue.  It's just south of I-20 between Boulevard SE and Bill Kennedy SE.  The site is also home to the LPTV stations on channels 16 and 40; to the FM translators on 94.5 and 102.9; and to backup transmitters for 94.9, 96.1, 99.7, and 100.5.


The IF thing..  is a bit lengthy to explain but here goes...

All FM radios (and nearly all AM sets) use Edwin Armstrong's "superheterodyne" citcuit.  In this circuit, incoming signals from the radio stations are mixed with a "dead air" signal from a "local oscillator".   

The "mixing" process results in four signals:
- The original radio station signal.
- The "dead air" signal.
- Their sum.
- Their difference.

So if you mix the existing WYAY signal on 106.7 and a "dead air" signal on 117.4, you get:
- 106.7 (WYAY)
- 117.4 (the "dead air" signal)
- 224.1 (the sum of the two)
- 10.7 (their difference)

When you move your tuning dial, the frequency of the dead air signal is changed.  For example, if you want to listen to WUBL 94.9, you change the dead air signal to 105.6.  You get:
- 94.9 (WUBL)
- 105.6 (the "dead air" signal)
- 200.5 (the sum of the two)
- 10.7 (their difference)

You always set the "dead air" signal so its difference from the desired station is 10.7. 

That means that every circuit after the "mixer" can *always* operate on 10.7MHz - the "local oscillator" which generates the dead air signal is the only thing you have to tune.  Makes it a LOT easier to build a radio, makes tuning a LOT more stable, makes it easier to select between stations. 


Now, let's say that, on the same tower as WUBL 94.9, we have a *station* (we'll call it "WXX-FM") broadcasting on 105.6.  Before you even look at the "dead air" signal generated inside your radio, you have these four signals going into the mixer circuit:
- 94.9 (WUBL)
- 105.6 (WXX-FM)
- 200.5 (the sum of the two)
- 10.7 (their difference)

The circuits normally designed to pick up this 10.7MHz signal will do just that.  Note that the "dead air" signal doesn't come into the mix here at all.  This means you'll hear a mix of The Bull and WXX regardless of where your dial is tuned.  Not a good thing, unless you like listening to two stations at once & having no choice of which two!


Because we don't use the "even" frequencies like 105.6 in the U.S., we can't have exactly this situation.  But 10.6 and 10.8 are close enough to cause major interference.  For that reason, the FCC requires stations separated by 10.6 or 10.8 to be a minimum distance apart.*  That way, their signals cannot both be strong enough in any one receiver to "mix".

* Two Class C stations, the most powerful stations allowed, must be at least 48km/30mi. apart if they're separated by 10.6 or 10.8MHz.  Lesser separations are allowed for less-powerful stations.

[BRENT]

Amazing explanation, thanks....

[secondchoice]

You have got to give Cumulus credit for "maximization" of their properties.  Citadel (which was always cash short after the ABC Radio purchase) should have done this a couple of years ago.  I have nothing against the folks in Chattanooga, (I use to live in Lakesite) but there is just a lot more money in market #9 than #108.  As long as WSKZ remains on Signal Mountain, at the same height and at least 50KW there should not be a huge coverage loss.   

[jabba17]

I'm not sure what this gets them, unless it's building penetration intown.  It doesn't seem to get them any additional real estate--not with that big ol' null to the northwest--unless that would go away with a move or downgrade of WSKZ. 

I'd like to see a signal plot to see how this would be receivable in the northwest quadrant, particularly versus the current signal.  It seems like they are losing a lot of valuable coverage.

It does reduce the stymie posed by 107.1's current app, which would prevent any move-in or powering up of 106.7 as a second-adjacent.  Could Cumulus buy 107.1 (and the Dickeys dump WIFN) and do a simul?