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x107.1 New Translator

Hmmm. How did this happen?

Last I heard the State had a moratorium on new facilities on Stone Mountain. Only State and grandfathered facilities were allowed. Hmmm. Money talks I suppose.
 
It would be considered a new facility as far as the FCC is concerned. Facility refers to all the transmitting apparatus. The word I heard (a while ago, mind you) was that the state park people didn't want the rock to become sprinkled with antennas etc.
As I understand it, there are already a number of government services up there including the NWS (weather).
Allowing this private broadcaster up there opens up the way for other private broadcasters who may want up there.
As a result it may become an antenna farm slum.
 
Thats a very short tower...

if you've ever been up there. The last time I was up there I saw a TT25B(H) transmitter thru the door.
Thats about 1955 vintage. I bet they used it till they converted to HD. The last time I saw one of those was at WCBD which was actually a TT25B(L).
I wonder how much rent they'll pay. Probably less what than Richland Towers wants.
The State has had a shortfall in tax revenue in recent years due to the large underground labor force that has sprung up since the southern border was breached.
 
I suppose they don't want to put it at the Richland site because they would still have the main and translator signals fighting each other. But doesn't the coverage map from the Stone Mountain site show an area in Atlanta between the two without 60 dBu coverage?
 
I looks like most of Fulton County will be out of the 60 dbu coverage. I've asked this before but can't the main signal out of Rome become more directional to the southeast and just screw the translator altogether OR put the translator out towards Athens if a translator must be at play.
 
In FM usually directional means a loss of signal in a direction(s). I am surprised that 107.1 got a translator on 107.1 as far north and east as they did due to the protection given a full class C (106.7) and 107.1's 60 db.
 
secondchoice said:
In FM usually directional means a loss of signal in a direction(s). I am surprised that 107.1 got a translator on 107.1 as far north and east as they did due to the protection given a full class C (106.7) and 107.1's 60 db.
Click to expand...
FM directional do not work like AM. Unlike AM which is like a balloon filled with water..squeeze the balloon and it bulges in another direction. FM directional simply cancels signal in a specific direction. 107.1 in Rome has(had) a CP on the WCCV tower southeast of Rome for 100KW. That is as close to Atlanta as it can get with 100,000 watts and there isn't much wiggle room at 50KW due to 107.3 in Columbus and also it has to protect 106.7 and 107.5. If WTSH could move closer to Atlanta, it would have a long, long time ago. Long time owner Paul Stone family were pioneers in moving big signal FMs in rural areas toward more populated urban areas. They first upgraded 107.1 from a small 3000 watt signal to 50,000 watts and most recently 100,000 watts.

The application on Stone Mountain may be to protect the translator from encroachment by a translator near Athens that has moved to 107.1 which is now owned by the AM station in Winder. Translators can receive interference from a full power station but they can't deliver interference to another facility including full power FMs, low power FMs or other translators. Also keep in mind that the FCC contours used in applications are not as precise as actual coverage especially in hilly areas like north Georgia. The fact that the translator and the main station are operated by same entity negates any complaints of interference to the FCC but even a full power complaining to the FCC about interference from a translator is not an automatic response from the FCC. WDUN-FM in Gainesville, GA has complained about the 102.9 translator in Atlanta to no avail and the 98.9 FM near Bremen has filed several complaints on the 98.9 translator in Atlanta to no avail. Recently 102.5 in Atlanta filed against an application by WKEU(AM) in Griffin to upgrade a translator on 102.5. WKEU(AM) modified their application to specify 102.3 to avoid a FCC fight.
 
So I'm assuming that translator FM stations work more like AM stations? That 107.1 at the Stone Mountain location has a highly directional projection... Much like what you would see on AM.
 
Re:

I don't understand the proposed move to Stone Mountain.

By moving there:
-Reception in all of ATL proper will be abysmal. The good reception currently enjoyed in midtown and downtown will vanish.
-Reception in parts of the NE metro will still stink (due to the two signals clashing)
-There will be plenty of areas to the west and south of town where reception from both TX sites will be mediocre to poor

All that will really be gained is improved reception in Dekalb (from translator) and portions of Cobb (from main station).

There has *got* to be more to this than meets the eye. This application has got to be phase one of a multi-part plan of some kind.

W296BB needs to find a new home (106.3 MHz, perhaps?) or WTSH-FM needs to downgrade and go directional with a null toward ATL so that W296BB can go omnidirectional.
 
How many translators and where?

I listened to X107.1 well into North Carolina about 10 miles into the Nantahala Forest just past Andrews. Strong signal considering the mountainous terrain. It was STRONGER than most Atlanta "big sticks" like B98.5 (which was getting torn up by WTFM out of Kingsport TN, who ironically run the same format as B98.5 almost down to the playlist).

This was on my Hyundai factory nav system in my 2013 Elantra which has a rear window mounted on glass antenna with an antenna amplifier. It seems to be extremely sensitive for such a setup.

So, was I listening to the main X107 site or a translator? I actually took some video on my Handycam receiving the station well past Andrews just outside Topton (which is where T-Mobile/AT&T coverage drop off FYI if you are a subscriber) and this is where it started getting a little weak but still listenable.

The station was stronger than 97.1. I don't think it was tropo.

They have a hell of a signal in the mountains it's too bad their little simulcast sucks in Cobb county!
 
You were hearing the main signal which is out of Rome (or near Rome). Not surprised you are picking it up in the mountains actually... I get it up on top of Monteagle between Nashville and Chattanooga.

The reason why you have trouble in Cobb County is because the translator signal and the main signal sorta overlap right over southern Cobb near the 285 corridor. So the signal sounds awful. Not static but the stereo/mono is in and out making it sound horrible. They have yet to fix this and considering this is COX we are talking about, I'm very surprised.
 
Re:

Not static but the stereo/mono is in and out making it sound horrible. They have yet to fix this and considering this is COX we are talking about, I'm very surprised.
Click to expand...

It won't be fixed...not so long as both stations remain on the air from their current locations with their current tech specs.

It is technologically impossible to eliminate that type of interference when two stations on the same frequency deliver receivable signals over the same area.

The best way to mitigate it would be to take the 107.1 translator omnidirectional, drop 107.1 FM in Rome to Class C2, and make it directional with a deep null toward Atlanta.

There would still be interference under the above described set-up, but it would occur over a less populated area.
 
MarkW said:
It won't be fixed...not so long as both stations remain on the air from their current locations with their current tech specs.

It is technologically impossible to eliminate that type of interference when two stations on the same frequency deliver receivable signals over the same area.

The best way to mitigate it would be to take the 107.1 translator omnidirectional, drop 107.1 FM in Rome to Class C2, and make it directional with a deep null toward Atlanta.

There would still be interference under the above described set-up, but it would occur over a less populated area.
Click to expand...

Dropping 107.1 to class C2 or lower would make some sense in the short term, but translators are not "protected" so if Cumulus makes a change in 106.7 or Radio One modifies 107.5, the 107.1 translator could go away. Cumulus at one time filed to move WYAY to an in-town tower on 106.5. They own 106.5 in Chattanooga too and I believe the CP would have been approved but for some reason Cumulus asked had it canceled.* IMHO 107.1 Aragon Ga. "Rome" might be there to "protect" the translator. There is a CP to move 107.1 translator which will result in a 60 db:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?mapurl=ht...=107.1&contour=60&city=JONESBORO&state=GA.kml

which will help 107.1 in Cobb.


*Why a company would spend the money for such a engineering study which would have given them better building signal population wise then not act on it I do not know, unless the move would have allowed WTSH-FM 107.1 to improve there signal in Atlanta too.
 
When will the new translator signal go into effect? Seems this CP has been in the works for a while and honestly, I was thinking by now it was already executed.
 
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