97X now on 102.5HD2

97X, WSUN 97.1, is now being heard on 102.5 HD2. It's for real this time.

While I will kinda miss listening to Trippin' (hey, I loved my 60s and 70s rock not heard on any other station in the area), their list was very limited and you often heard the same song like two hours later.

This is a good move on their part, really. At least they can now be heard terrestrially in my house in Thonotosassa, hehe

By the way, wouldn't it have made more sense to use WPOI? They're the station that didn't have an HD2...

Engineers and Program Directors at Cox seem clueless. I thought the same thing about using 101.5.... but also because having the two formats that essentially target the same demographic on the same signal, seems smart from a sales point of view. Technically.... yes, 102.5 covers a wide area, easily covering South of the Bay where 97.1 doesn't even exist. HOWEVER, around Tampa Bay, 102.5 suffers from the same problem that 97X does INSIDE buildings. Then again... maybe the thought is they're simply thinking of vehicles and that's good enough for them. I don't know. Sounds stupid with 94.9 and 101.5 both being the superior signals "everywhere".

I don't think they're this smart... but maybe if at some point The Bone gets scrapped, "X" simply gets moved to 102.5. Who knows.

By the way... as far as engineers go... they're obviously not passing along the RDS data on any of their HD2 signals. Tells me they've got some kind of lame setup in a closet somewhere for all these HD2 jukeboxes. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if at each transmitter location there's an iPod on shuffle plugged into the HD2 transmitter input. Ha ha

Another thing with all of Cox's HD2 signals is the persistent usage of EAS. Their EAS goes off for everything put out by KHB32, including the two Required Weekly Tests on Wednesday. At most, they should probably only use the EAS for the real alerts, like tornado warnings and maybe severe thunderstorm warnings, and not small things like a RWT that they don't even have to partake in.

This does get 97X into Sarasota, which currently does not have an Alt station available OTA (HD or otherwise). Given the limitations of HD, Ft. Myers is most likely still SOL.

Obtuse said:

Given the limitations of HD, Ft. Myers is most likely still SOL.

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I've heard 102.5 HD as far south as the Southwest Florida International Airport south of Ft. Myers.

The EAS tests are ubsurd! everyday really! and so you know it only affects certain JVC receivers. I asked Ed Allen if the could maybe cut the tests out of auto forward but it didnt happen. Guess my 1000.00 head unit is going to go in the trash.

Looks like there not done moving things around, 102.5 The bone is now broadcasting on 97x HD2 channel.

I was not a bit happy when I punched up 97.1 HD2 yesterday and heard The Bone. Way to go Cox... leave the Christian music on 94.9 and the small playlist and outdated AAA format on 107.3 but yank the 80's and 90's old school alternative that isn't being played anywhere else on the dial. I'll get to what might be happening in a moment.... But have y'all checked 105.5's HD2? YEP! Oldies is gone too! Now, Big Machine Radio (country music) is airing on that frequency. What's that all about???

OK... so awhile back there was some chatter or talk that Cox had obtained 2 translators in the area. Ironically, they're on 102.5 in the Northern listening area (maybe Pasco?) and on 97.1 in possibly the Sarasota area? So anyway... my guess that if this is indeed true, that makes sense to feed the Sarasota 97.1 translator with 102.5 HD2 and the Pasco 102.5 translator with 97.1 HD2 does it not? Has anyone heard or remember any of this talk?

billalm said:

I was not a bit happy when I punched up 97.1 HD2 yesterday and heard The Bone. Way to go Cox... leave the Christian music on 94.9 and the small playlist and outdated AAA format on 107.3 but yank the 80's and 90's old school alternative that isn't being played anywhere else on the dial. I'll get to what might be happening in a moment.... But have y'all checked 105.5's HD2? YEP! Oldies is gone too! Now, Big Machine Radio (country music) is airing on that frequency. What's that all about???

OK... so awhile back there was some chatter or talk that Cox had obtained 2 translators in the area. Ironically, they're on 102.5 in the Northern listening area (maybe Pasco?) and on 97.1 in possibly the Sarasota area? So anyway... my guess that if this is indeed true, that makes sense to feed the Sarasota 97.1 translator with 102.5 HD2 and the Pasco 102.5 translator with 97.1 HD2 does it not? Has anyone heard or remember any of this talk?

Click to expand...

I can see the reason why they want to move everything around with 102.5 and 97X HD 2 stations. Better coverage for 97x in Sarasota and 102.5 in northern areas of Tampa if you have a HD radio that is. But what they had there before all this moving around really made scents. 97x is a alt station and they put a old school Alt format called the grunge channel on HD2. 102.5 The bone was classic rock, but switched to talk and put a classic rock station on the HD2 side. Oldies on 105.5 HD2 was a perfect place for that format since the dove is light hits. I can't say much for 94.9 and 107.3 since i don't listen to there HD2 channels at all. So that leaves 101.5 being the only station with no HD2 station in the cox family. I would love to see that AAA format move to 101.5 HD2 and put the grunge channel on 107.3 HD2.