I've read on wikipedia that there are only six FM radio stations that have more the 100,000 watts of power does anyone know what they are?
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What Are The Most Powerful FM Radio Stations In The United States
- Thread starter chrisradioanimal
- Start date
I'd think this one would most definately should make an honorable mention on the list:
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/info?call=KISZ&service=FM
That is one powerful stick (but talking to mainly scropions and rattlesnakes).
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/info?call=KISZ&service=FM
That is one powerful stick (but talking to mainly scropions and rattlesnakes).
Are we talking just the Effective Radiated Power alone, or a combination of antenna height and ERP? Or the largest radius?
If it's radius, probably WHOM 94.9 in Mt. Washington, New Hampshire and KYVB 103.3 in Santa Barbara, CA would be among the top ten.
This list needs some updating, but give some idea of where the most powerful FM stations might be located:
http://jeff560.tripod.com/fm-max.html
If it's radius, probably WHOM 94.9 in Mt. Washington, New Hampshire and KYVB 103.3 in Santa Barbara, CA would be among the top ten.
This list needs some updating, but give some idea of where the most powerful FM stations might be located:
http://jeff560.tripod.com/fm-max.html
Not the most powerful of all per se' but KPAE in Erwinville LA was granted permission to go to 10kw ERP a few years ago (around 2005 iirc). What makes them unique is that they are a class A station which is supposed to be 6kw max. This is the last know case for a station being granted above max class power that im aware of.
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=53023
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?list=0&facid=53023
The most powerful FM I can think of is WOOD-FM in Grand Rapids, MI. IIRC at one time they claimed an E.R.P. of 500 Kw. Now they are only claiming a paltery 265,000 watts. 
Not bad for a Class B.
All of these overpower stations were grandfathered in at their existing power in the early 60's when the present power limitations for Class B and C stations were established.
It's my understanding that these grandfathered stations can retain their over-power only as long as then make no major changes to the station, such as moving the transmitter location. Such a move would result in them becomming subject to the current regulations.
Not bad for a Class B. All of these overpower stations were grandfathered in at their existing power in the early 60's when the present power limitations for Class B and C stations were established.
It's my understanding that these grandfathered stations can retain their over-power only as long as then make no major changes to the station, such as moving the transmitter location. Such a move would result in them becomming subject to the current regulations.
Regarding stations adjacent to one of these big guys: is a superpower FM protected to its expanded contour -- as would be any non-comm -- or just to the normal limits of its class?
They are only protected to the limits of their class.
chrisradioanimal said:
Not true - the stations the current FCC DB properly lists as having more than 100kw:
KHKI WNED-FM WILL-FM WIPR-FM KVYB WVGR WUOM WDCX-FM WTSS KGOR
KQED-FM KPFK KZZO KCMS KIOI WSLQ WNCI WOMC WRVQ WOOD-FM
WMC-FM WBCT
I count 22. WBCT is the most powerful on the list at 320kw. ISTR they once claimed 470kw.
("...properly lists..." as there are some typos in the CDBS database. For example, KURE at Iowa State University in Ames has one facility record listing 1000kw. They actually meant 1000 watts.)
There are more (far more) that are more powerful than their class should permit. The link on my site that "fm-engineer" posted sorts stations by how much more powerful they are than should be permitted for their location and tower height. KBIG-104.3 is 3rd on the list, despite being only 84,000 watts. The reason is that they're located in Class B territory, where they should be limited to 50,000 watts -- and their antenna is 882 meters above average terrain -- only 150m is normally permitted for 50,000-watt Class B stations. If KBIG were a new license today, at the same antenna height, they'd be limited to roughly 1,500 watts.
As I understand the rules, (and I may not) until 1964 there was no absolute limit on the effective radiated power of a FM station. There was a nominal 20kw limit but the Commission entertained applications specifying higher powers and indicated they would grant them if no interference would result (quite likely in the late 1950s and early 1960s when FM stations were dying left and right) and the proposed station would deliver FM service to an unserved area. In 1948 there were 29 stations licensed with more than 100kw (and again, the nominal limit was only 20kw) with the three most powerful being KSTP-FM St. Paul, Minn.; (545kw) KXEL-FM Waterloo, Iowa; (540kw) and WMC-FM Memphis. (515kw)
If memory serves, when we were goin to move the WYYY-FM (Initially WSYR-FM) antenna, the Broadcast Bureau told us we could not exceed the existing contour in any direction. It was overpower, but not all that tall.
Replying in one post to a whole bunch of points here:
On KPAE - I think what happened here was simply an oversight on the FCC's part. FM stations in the noncomm band are licensed based on contour protection, not based on classes and distance as are stations in the commercial part of the dial. So the concept of "station class" is somewhat meaningless; as long as a station doesn't exceed the absolute maximum for its region (50 kW/150 m in class B territory, 100 kW/600 m in class C territory), it can apply for, and be granted, whatever power level it seeks, and is simply reclassified by the FCC as belonging to whichever "class" fits that power level. KPAE should properly have been reclassed as a C3 when it upgraded to 10 kW, and someone along the line forgot to do so.
I do not know of any commercial-band class As that exceed the 6 kW/100 m limit and retain the "class A" classification.
On KISZ - It may seem like a big signal, and it certainly enjoys good coverage because of the terrain where it sits, but there's really nothing all that special about it. At 100 kW/399 m, it's not even close to being a full class C (100 kW/600 m). In fact, it doesn't even meet the current minimum height for class C operation and could be forced to downgrade to class C0 protection if someone wanted to squeeze in a new allotment nearby.
On grandfathering - 73.211(c) is the relevant section here:
(c) Existing stations. Stations authorized prior to March 1, 1984 that do
not conform to the requirements of this section may continue to operate as
authorized. Stations operating with facilities in excess of those specified
in paragraph (b) of this section may not increase their effective radiated
powers or extend their 1 mV/m field strength contour beyond the location
permitted by their present authorizations. The provisions of this section
will not apply to applications to increase facilities for those stations
operating with less than the minimum power specified in paragraph (a) of
this section.
So (as Littlejohn correctly notes) a grandfathered station can indeed move - as WOOD-FM, for instance, has done - as long as it doesn't extend its contours beyond those covered by the original grandfathering. WOOD-FM kept its 265 kW ERP when it moved from the WOOD-TV tower to the new WVGR-FM tower nearby, but it dropped its HAAT from 247 m to 177 m in the process.
In the case of WYYY, which runs 100 kW/198 m in class B (50 kW/150 m) territory, it's my understanding that the decision to stay on the short tower rather than move to the tall new tower being built next door was based on the belief that the significant reduction in ERP would hurt Y94's building penetration in the city, with no significant compensating advantage from the additional height the station would gain. I think it was probably the right choice.
On KPAE - I think what happened here was simply an oversight on the FCC's part. FM stations in the noncomm band are licensed based on contour protection, not based on classes and distance as are stations in the commercial part of the dial. So the concept of "station class" is somewhat meaningless; as long as a station doesn't exceed the absolute maximum for its region (50 kW/150 m in class B territory, 100 kW/600 m in class C territory), it can apply for, and be granted, whatever power level it seeks, and is simply reclassified by the FCC as belonging to whichever "class" fits that power level. KPAE should properly have been reclassed as a C3 when it upgraded to 10 kW, and someone along the line forgot to do so.
I do not know of any commercial-band class As that exceed the 6 kW/100 m limit and retain the "class A" classification.
On KISZ - It may seem like a big signal, and it certainly enjoys good coverage because of the terrain where it sits, but there's really nothing all that special about it. At 100 kW/399 m, it's not even close to being a full class C (100 kW/600 m). In fact, it doesn't even meet the current minimum height for class C operation and could be forced to downgrade to class C0 protection if someone wanted to squeeze in a new allotment nearby.
On grandfathering - 73.211(c) is the relevant section here:
(c) Existing stations. Stations authorized prior to March 1, 1984 that do
not conform to the requirements of this section may continue to operate as
authorized. Stations operating with facilities in excess of those specified
in paragraph (b) of this section may not increase their effective radiated
powers or extend their 1 mV/m field strength contour beyond the location
permitted by their present authorizations. The provisions of this section
will not apply to applications to increase facilities for those stations
operating with less than the minimum power specified in paragraph (a) of
this section.
So (as Littlejohn correctly notes) a grandfathered station can indeed move - as WOOD-FM, for instance, has done - as long as it doesn't extend its contours beyond those covered by the original grandfathering. WOOD-FM kept its 265 kW ERP when it moved from the WOOD-TV tower to the new WVGR-FM tower nearby, but it dropped its HAAT from 247 m to 177 m in the process.
In the case of WYYY, which runs 100 kW/198 m in class B (50 kW/150 m) territory, it's my understanding that the decision to stay on the short tower rather than move to the tall new tower being built next door was based on the belief that the significant reduction in ERP would hurt Y94's building penetration in the city, with no significant compensating advantage from the additional height the station would gain. I think it was probably the right choice.
M
mort guffman
Guest
Here's one for you -
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/info?call=WBCT&service=FM
I can remember sitting in a restaurant in Chicago years ago....a tabletop radio playing music for the diners and the announcer says "WJFM, Grand Rapids." JF was for John Fetzer (then owner) and winner of the "Mine's Bigger" battle with WOOD-FM. Fetzer loaded it down with Muzak on the subcarrier - that's where the real cash was.
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/info?call=WBCT&service=FM
I can remember sitting in a restaurant in Chicago years ago....a tabletop radio playing music for the diners and the announcer says "WJFM, Grand Rapids." JF was for John Fetzer (then owner) and winner of the "Mine's Bigger" battle with WOOD-FM. Fetzer loaded it down with Muzak on the subcarrier - that's where the real cash was.
I'll just interject a few words about WJFM. First on the air as WJEF-FM and then the calls were changed to WBCT after the station was sold. The original high power transmitter was a pair of old converted low band TV amplifiers. Each one rated for 25kw. RCA was hired to modify them, combine them and proof them. They were driven by a RCA BTF-10D transmitter and with about 42kw going into the feed line and a 12 bay horizontal polarity antenna they could crank out 500kw in the horizontal mode. With beam tilt built in they got 470kw horizontal and 500kw max in the beam tilt lobe.
Antenna was about 800 feet HAAT with a 12 bay RCA super-turnstile at the top of the 1000 foot tower.
Mid 1980's they decided to update the system. To keep the 500kw (circular) they would have need 80kw out of the transmitter.
Harris tried to accommodate with 2 sets of 20kw transmitters (combined) with each pair putting out 40kw. Then the combined pairs would be combined again into an 80kw output. Harris couldn't get it to work properly and the price tag was astronomical.
Two Harris FM-25K transmitters were combined o get about 53kw into the feed line. That gave them 320kw into a new ERI 12 bay circular polarized antenna. Later it was modified by changing the exciter to a BE FX-50 (I believe) and the IPA's in the FM-25K's were given a factory mod of new solid state IPA drivers, which if I'm not mistaken, were from a Harris 1kw transmitter.
In the days before the FM band was loaded up by the 80-90 drop-ins a Muzak Tech told me they had a Muzak client (with a good signal) just South of Petoskey, MI at the start of the big hill that goes down into town. That's about 190 miles.
That's hard to believe but I've listened to the main channel when at conferences up in that area also.
Jeff Miller used to have an excellent broadcast history web-site on AOL, but it's now gone into the noise. He had some great info on WJFM.
And yes that big transmitter was mine to keep running so I do know a bit about it.
Antenna was about 800 feet HAAT with a 12 bay RCA super-turnstile at the top of the 1000 foot tower.
Mid 1980's they decided to update the system. To keep the 500kw (circular) they would have need 80kw out of the transmitter.
Harris tried to accommodate with 2 sets of 20kw transmitters (combined) with each pair putting out 40kw. Then the combined pairs would be combined again into an 80kw output. Harris couldn't get it to work properly and the price tag was astronomical.
Two Harris FM-25K transmitters were combined o get about 53kw into the feed line. That gave them 320kw into a new ERI 12 bay circular polarized antenna. Later it was modified by changing the exciter to a BE FX-50 (I believe) and the IPA's in the FM-25K's were given a factory mod of new solid state IPA drivers, which if I'm not mistaken, were from a Harris 1kw transmitter.
In the days before the FM band was loaded up by the 80-90 drop-ins a Muzak Tech told me they had a Muzak client (with a good signal) just South of Petoskey, MI at the start of the big hill that goes down into town. That's about 190 miles.
That's hard to believe but I've listened to the main channel when at conferences up in that area also.
Jeff Miller used to have an excellent broadcast history web-site on AOL, but it's now gone into the noise. He had some great info on WJFM.
And yes that big transmitter was mine to keep running so I do know a bit about it.
U
Unregistered
Guest
Des Moines,Ia
There was a station in Des Moines, Ia in the 60's that operated at 115000. The call letters were KDMI. Steve T
U
Unregistered
Guest
WMC-FM Memphis: 290 KW, oldest FM inTennessee...Awesome...JBI
Wmc-fm
Wmc-fm
WSLQ FM Roanoke, VA is still 200,000 Watts I believe. It's still owned by Mel Wheeler out of Denton TX I think..His Son Len Wheeler runs it I believe. Q99 was the first station I worked at on weekends in 1979. Try not to hate me.. I made minimum wage. I was told there were only 6 of these 200,000 watt FM's in the country. If you sell it you have to lower the Power i think. Mel Wheeler always owned it. In 1980 engineer Reynold Hawk said Q99 was only at 140,000 watts fpr some reason. We joked the station manager Herm Reavis was too cheap to pay the extra electric bill..
WSLQ might have the largest coverage area east of the Mississippi. WBCT Grand Rapids MI may have more power at 320 kW ERP, but with HAAT at 238 meters vs WSLQ at nearly 600 meters, WSLQ comes out ahead.
A super-powered FM can keep their power level as long as they want, but that's at the original tower height. KHKI Des Moines started out with 115 kW but at about 350 feet
above ground level. I'm guessing on the old height because in 2000 KDMI installed a new antenna with fewer bays, and that meant an increase in antenna height. They're still super-power, but just barely at 105 kW, with 143 meters HAAT.
A super-powered FM can keep their power level as long as they want, but that's at the original tower height. KHKI Des Moines started out with 115 kW but at about 350 feet
above ground level. I'm guessing on the old height because in 2000 KDMI installed a new antenna with fewer bays, and that meant an increase in antenna height. They're still super-power, but just barely at 105 kW, with 143 meters HAAT.
That sounds for all practical purposes like a Class C1.
Indeed it is, and KHKI only surpasses in coverage by about 4 miles its Cumulus stable-mate and next door tower site neighbor KJJY, which is a C2.
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