FM translator for 890

DavidEduardo said:

No, it makes no sense at all.

The lower VHF band was only "just now" removed from use by TV. That happened way to late for a new band to be opened up, as Americans have almost totally quit buying new radios. They are, instead, buying smart devices.

And as far as cars, the average age of a care in the US is 11 years... so it would take a decade to get the new band in just half of all cars.

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And the low band is filling again anyway - with TV stations that sold off their VHF high or UHF licenses in the spectrum auction.

we could not get AM stereo into cars or anywhere else in numbers that made it worth while for broadcasters or radio manufacturers....

HD radio on AM or FM is still a novelty in most cars, home receivers are almost unheard of.

Expanded band AM? How many times have you wandered above 1600? Out of 65 licensed AM stations in MA, NONE are in the expanded band

NH 26 licensed AM's. zero in expanded band

NY 156 licensed AM's, zero in the expanded band


zero stations on 1610 nationwide

5 on 1620

4 on 1630

6 on 1640

6 on 1650

9 on 1660

4 on 1670

6 on 1680

6 on 1690

5 on 1700

a lot of time and money was spent to get that expanded band and what did we get out of it?

MRBIboredop said:

Expanded band AM? How many times have you wandered above 1600? Out of 65 licensed AM stations in MA, NONE are in the expanded band

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There are still some TIC's up there. The Logan Airport one is still at 1650, but the last time I was there about a month ago, it was just transmitting an intermittent buzzing noise.

Eli Polonsky said:

There are still some TIC's up there. The Logan Airport one is still at 1650, but the last time I was there about a month ago, it was just transmitting an intermittent buzzing noise.

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Connecticut DOT has had a network of stations on 1610, 1650 and 1670 along its interstates putting out accident/construction warnings, updated every 20 minutes, in crude synthesized audio, for many years. No broadcasters on the band, though, but several pirates in and around the state's major cities, mostly Spanish/Kreyol religious stations.

CTListener said:

Connecticut DOT has had a network of stations on 1610, 1650 and 1670 along its interstates putting out accident/construction warnings, updated every 20 minutes, in crude synthesized audio, for many years. No broadcasters on the band, though, but several pirates in and around the state's major cities, mostly Spanish/Kreyol religious stations.

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Yes, some pirates can be heard on the x-band in and around greater Boston. Terrible sounding weak signals. The FM pirates, in some cases, sound just about as good as legitimate stations, but for some reason the AM pirates (at least around here) don't seem to know how to make their signals sound at least half-decent.

Eli Polonsky said:

There are still some TIC's up there. The Logan Airport one is still at 1650, but the last time I was there about a month ago, it was just transmitting an intermittent buzzing noise.

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TIS... travelers information stations, not TIC.

Eli Polonsky said:

Yes, some pirates can be heard on the x-band in and around greater Boston. Terrible sounding weak signals. The FM pirates, in some cases, sound just about as good as legitimate stations, but for some reason the AM pirates (at least around here) don't seem to know how to make their signals sound at least half-decent.

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Could be because they are using modified equipment like old ham transceivers. The transceivers can listen on AM and HF/SW channels but only transmit on the HF/SW channels as is.. but could be modified to do otherwise, id bet.

For awhile there was an emergency info station on 1640 in Peabody, maybe still there; they ran a string of PSAs etc but the real intention was for info on snow emergencies and so on. A church in Lynnfield also had a 1640 with announcements running on a "talking house" rig that went for a few blocks.

Vermont had a bunch of small TIS stations on FM, running a few miles from rest areas.
1650 (IIRC) Logan airport was parking info etc.

FM pirates running out of frequencies due to translators, LPFMs. Picked up one at 93.9 around Medford/Somerville area, so right next to WEEI-FM. I'd read that Big City had moved to 88.5 after being forced away from the FM translators for WJIB, WROL etc. Maybe not so much of a signal these days, and 87.7 still around.

channel99 said:

And the low band is filling again anyway - with TV stations that sold off their VHF high or UHF licenses in the spectrum auction.

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VHF Ch 2 (after repack WSBE-D36 Rehoboth MA) 54-60
VHF Ch 3 60-66
VHF Ch 4 (CP for after repack WHDT-LD 1.5KW on OBP) 66-72
VHF Ch 5 (after repack WGBH-DT2 sharing with WFXZ-CD 76-82
VHF Ch 6 82-88
VHF Ch 7 WPRI-DT12 Providence 174-180
VHF Ch 8 180-186
VHF Ch 9 WMUR-DT9 Manchester NH 186-192
VHF Ch 10 WWDP-DT46 sharing with WMFP-CD62 192-198
VHF Ch 11 WENH-DT11 198-204
VHF Ch 12 WNAC-DT64 Rehoboth MA 204-210
VHF Ch 13 210-216

raccoonradio said:

I'd read that Big City had moved to 88.5 after being forced away from the FM translators for WJIB, WROL etc. Maybe not so much of a signal these days, and 87.7 still around.

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Big City on 88.5 is still pretty strong around Boston including where I live in Somerville, and within much of Route 128 (and farther to the south). i use 88.5 for my car transponder frequency (to play devices through my car stereo) because it's supposed to be vacant here but Big City gives it interference in places even in my own car.

The 1640 in Peabody is still on; no more PSAs but just a repeating message that says people can find out about parking
bans for snow on 1640 as well as a couple
cable channels, Twitter,and a new blue light system (which has already been running a couple years).

Is 94.9 up and broadcasting from Newton now ?

I am hearing La Mega on 94.9 in Randolph on several radios the last 2 days.

890’s 94.9 only briefly broadcasted from Newton. It’s now moved on to Quincy, to the same tower 91.9 and 102.1 are on.

jlehmann said:

890’s 94.9 only briefly broadcasted from Newton. It’s now moved on to Quincy, to the same tower 91.9 and 102.1 are on.

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Thanks.
Did that happen recently ?

I don't think I was able to get La Mega on 94.9 before this week when I was checking things out.

Yes, within the last couple weeks I believe.

freqlost said:

Is 94.9 up and broadcasting from Newton now ?

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I thought 94.9 was Zumix Radio, a LPFM from East Boston. Isn't Newton kinda close for that?

Wimmmex said:

I thought 94.9 was Zumix Radio, a LPFM from East Boston. Isn't Newton kinda close for that?

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Apparently, hence the move to Quincy. Aren't LPFMs the lowest of the low priorities when it comes to protection, though? Not sure why an East Boston LPFM would get protection from a Newton translator.

The directional patterns of the WAMG translator from both the Newton site and the new Quincy site appear to be nulled to the northeast, perhaps to protect Zumix.

Due to the WAMG translator directional pattern, it's protected contour from Newton reached nowhere near Zumix's. There may have been a little fringe signal overlap in some areas between the two stations.

The contours are closer together with the WAMG translator in Quincy and there may be overlap in some Boston neighborhoods such as Jamaica Plain, but I think it's still not within their protected signals.