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FM Radio signals you've received in the Quad Cities plus an extra ?

J

Jakob9999

Regular Participant
Have you had a time when you would be scrolling through your radio frequencies and noticed your radio is picking up a station that you thought you would not get in the Quad Cities. I was scrolling through the frequencies and was able to pick up 92.3 from Oelwein Iowa. I did a quick search on Radio Locator but they said I shouldn't be getting the station where I'm at (I'm in the Illinois quad cities) as it cuts out around Iowa City area. Have anyone else received stations they thought they couldn't get here in the Quad Cities such as Des Moines Star 102.5? Also, has anyone received any of the quad cities stations such as B100 (99.7) or Q106.5 in areas such as Des Moines or Chicago?
 
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Oelwein's 92.3 should be a fairly regular QC visitor in the summertime. Back in the early 70s, when the FM dial was a lot less populated, I'd pick up Oelwein on a regular basis some 90 miles away near Ottumwa. It wasn't a humongo signal like Waterloo's KFMW 107.9, which was some 1800' from it's beginning as a sister to KWWL-TV, but it did well.
So, this is the season for tropospheric "enhancement" and plenty more stations coming through normally unpopulated cracks on the dial.
 
May be a little off the subject, but I heard a 98.3 in Columbia, MO earlier this week that was simulcasting WQKQ 92.1. I know the latter station is essentially a Burlington station, but I can't find any station matching the 98.3.
 
I heard Des Moines' 100.3 every time I was in the Quad Cities. 92.3 was always a regular too.
 
Kent said:
May be a little off the subject, but I heard a 98.3 in Columbia, MO earlier this week that was simulcasting WQKQ 92.1. I know the latter station is essentially a Burlington station, but I can't find any station matching the 98.3.
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My hunch was that 98.3 in the Columbia area was a translator getting swamped by skip. Sure enough, the primary for K252FE Columbia MO is to the northeast, KMFC 92.1 Centralia MO. Keep going to the northeast and the next stop on 92.1 is WQKQ. Perhaps KMFC was off-air, because Centralia isn't much more than 20 miles from Columbia.

For the record, EMF'is moving their 98.3 translator to 106.5, since there is a CP for a new C2 on 98.3 in Columbia.
 
mimo said:
I heard Des Moines' 100.3 every time I was in the Quad Cities. 92.3 was always a regular too.
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I'm surprised 100.3 came in here. What side were you on? The Illinois side or the Iowa side?

Has anyone been able to pick up Star 102.5 also from Des Moines while in the Quad Cities? Also wondering if 101.1 Jack FM from Peoria is possible to pick up here as well. What kind of antenna would be needed to pick these stations up on a home radio? I'm kind of curious.


EDIT: The coverage map for KDRB 100.3 shows it will probably cut out when you get through East Amana (It says Iowa City can't receive this station) but this is also similar to what I saw with the 92.3 station and they're around the same distance to get to. Here is the info for both of the stations. http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=KDRB-FM http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/patg?id=KKHQ-FM

P.S. If there is a better site than radio locator then please feel free to list it.
 
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Both sides actually. Radio locator maps should be taken with a grain of salt.
It's usually a safe bet that an FM from Des Moines wouldn't make it to the Quad Cities, but their high tower, and power level make that happen. It seems that Quad Cities are the cut off point. In Iowa City, their signal is excellent. Star 102.5 has never had that great of a signal. Never heard it in Iowa City, and it seems to die just east of Ottumwa.
 
mimo said:
Both sides actually. Radio locator maps should be taken with a grain of salt.
It's usually a safe bet that an FM from Des Moines wouldn't make it to the Quad Cities, but their high tower, and power level make that happen. It seems that Quad Cities are the cut off point. In Iowa City, their signal is excellent. Star 102.5 has never had that great of a signal. Never heard it in Iowa City, and it seems to die just east of Ottumwa.
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If it's receivable here then I assume it should be receivable in Omaha since it's the same distance from there to Des Moines as it is from the Quad Cities to Des Moines. Also, has anyone been able to pick up B100 (99.7) in Des Moines? There coverage range is huge, so huge that Iowa city and Ceader Rapids are considered part of their local listening area (The rest of the Quad City stations are hit or miss there) which is kind of surprising since they are about an hour away.
 
I've heard B100 in Des Moines but with great difficulty. There's a rimshot at 99.5. Muscatine is quite a bit closer to DM than the Quad Cities are, but under tropo conditions, it can be heard.

100.3 is receivable in Omaha. 89.7 in Omaha also makes it as far as Burlington in the summer on a regular basis.
 
mimo said:
I've heard B100 in Des Moines but with great difficulty. There's a rimshot at 99.5. Muscatine is quite a bit closer to DM than the Quad Cities are, but under tropo conditions, it can be heard.

100.3 is receivable in Omaha. 89.7 in Omaha also makes it as far as Burlington in the summer on a regular basis.
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i'm assuming B100 is not receivable in Omaha Nebraska or Lincoln Nebraska? If it is, then I would be shocked. I think for them to reach that far they would need at least a 300,000 watt transmitter, if not more. I think radio station websites should have a spot where you can tell the radio station where your listening in from so they can see if they can reach places such as Des Moines (You would just leave a comment like "Listening to B100 Quad Cities from Des Moines Iowa. Got some static but I have it." and these would be view able by anyone so they can look to if they're curious about where it can reach.)
 
Made some coverage maps for 100.3 KDRB and 99.7 KBEA and am uploading them here. Please take these with a grain of salt as you may not hear them in these areas.

KDRB.jpgNew Text Document.jpg
 
mimo said:
Those are pretty close to what I've experienced on a good car radio.
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I figured that these would have to be pretty close to normal. What would be more surprising is if people receive any of these two stations in areas not circled on these maps.
 
joebtsflk1 said:
My hunch was that 98.3 in the Columbia area was a translator getting swamped by skip. Sure enough, the primary for K252FE Columbia MO is to the northeast, KMFC 92.1 Centralia MO. Keep going to the northeast and the next stop on 92.1 is WQKQ. Perhaps KMFC was off-air, because Centralia isn't much more than 20 miles from Columbia.

For the record, EMF'is moving their 98.3 translator to 106.5, since there is a CP for a new C2 on 98.3 in Columbia.
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That makes perfect sense. Thank you.

Don't know why I didn't think of that myself, though it was probably a combination of not listening to Christian music and forgetting EMF had a translator at 98.3. For some reason, I thought that translator had already moved because the full-power 98.3 (replacing KFMZ) had already been granted and Zimmer's 106.5 had already moved.
 
mimo said:
I've heard B100 in Des Moines but with great difficulty. There's a rimshot at 99.5. Muscatine is quite a bit closer to DM than the Quad Cities are, but under tropo conditions, it can be heard.

100.3 is receivable in Omaha. 89.7 in Omaha also makes it as far as Burlington in the summer on a regular basis.
Click to expand...

I was not able to receive B100 in Des Moines unfortunately. What were the weather conditions and stuff like when you got it there? Also, has anyone been able to receive B100 in Minnesota? I think receiving B100 in Minnesota is going to be a longshot but am curious.
 
Morning drive in late spring was all I remember. FM usually travels the best at that time.
 
Jakob9999 said:
I was not able to receive B100 in Des Moines unfortunately. What were the weather conditions and stuff like when you got it there? Also, has anyone been able to receive B100 in Minnesota? I think receiving B100 in Minnesota is going to be a longshot but am curious.
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It might be possible if the conditions line up. I get stations from Nebraska in Eastern Iowa from time to time. As long as nothing else is occupying the frequency it can happen. I still remember a couple years ago when 98.1 KHAK was off the air in the early morning. I was able to get 98.1 from St. Louis quite strong. RDS and all.
 
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