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FM HD question
- Thread starter N1WVQ
- Start date
N1WVQ said:Are 103.3 or 104.1 transmitting HD any longer? I have a radio but the aforementioned stations do not show up as HD any longer. I am in Middleborough so I know I am quite a ways away.
Thanks & 73!
As far as I know, both 103.3 and 104.1 are still running their HD subs. But, considering the distance from Needham and Boston to your location, the foliage (leaves on the trees) could be diminishing the signal and causing your loss of the HD signal. The leaves have tendency to pad the signal down by several dB's. Once the leaves fall from the trees, your signals should improve by several dB's.
They definitely are, I just checked them. 103.3 HD2 is the '60s/'70s/'80s music of the old WODS classic hits format. HD3 is "The Cove", romantic soft rock/soft pop.
104.1 HD2 is "The '80s Channel", HD3 is "Mercy Rock", contemporary Christian. They appear to have given up on their brief HD4 attempt that was New Age talk "Sky Radio" (formerly "Psychic Radio").
104.1 HD2 is "The '80s Channel", HD3 is "Mercy Rock", contemporary Christian. They appear to have given up on their brief HD4 attempt that was New Age talk "Sky Radio" (formerly "Psychic Radio").
Sadly, I think HD missed the boat. Too much hype and no substance for too many years. Maybe there's still a chance but the folks who launched the ad campaign simply didn't have their content in place. Very tough when you have to find a new receiver, rather than add a converter to an existing set. Remember AM Stereo? Horrible when there's nothing compelling to listen to.
Nick said:Isn't it ridiculous that HD reception can fail because there are leaves on the trees
Same thing can wipe out Sirius XM reception in cars. Pass under a dense canopy of foliage and it's like entering a tunnel.
In theory -- protests by DXers and fans of out-of-market signals aside -- HD was a worthy idea: turn the FM dial into a mini-Sirius XM, with multiple musical formats on every frequency. But the broadcasters horribly overestimated public interest in the concept (maybe everyone who'd be interested already had satellite radio and its dozens of channels) and iBiquity's unnecessary greed made even a garbage receiver like the Accurian cost much more than it should have.
Nick said:Isn't it ridiculous that HD reception can fail because there are leaves on the trees
Trees & foliage also have a complex effect on FM radio. The signal of a lower-powered FM station, such as 1kw, can sound significantly different during the spring and summer because of the water in leaves and trees, which absorbs a lot of the signal. Old dead dry wood and leafless trees during the fall and winter are more or less transparent.
mgpt6 said:What happens at -20db below analog. Is WKLB 102.5 , the only FM running-14db in Boston. One HD signal solid throughout Greater Boston.
I really don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if WCRB 99.5 is running a higher HD level than most other stations. Unlike other FM HD stations, it seems to lock into HD even in areas where the analog is coming in very weak and/or distorted down here around Boston, and my car stereo gets HD "hash" over a large portion of the dial on either side of them when on Rte. 93/Rte. 495 near their transmitter in N. Andover.
I notice it myself up in the area of 93 and 495. The blanketing effect from WCRB's HD makes almost it impossible to hear WPLM/99.1 and even WHEB/100.3. But as soon as you go across the MA/NH border, both PLM and HEB come back just fine. It's a pain.Eli Polonsky said:mgpt6 said:What happens at -20db below analog. Is WKLB 102.5 , the only FM running-14db in Boston. One HD signal solid throughout Greater Boston.
I really don't know for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if WCRB 99.5 is running a higher HD level than most other stations. Unlike other FM HD stations, it seems to lock into HD even in areas where the analog is coming in very weak and/or distorted down here around Boston, and my car stereo gets HD "hash" over a large portion of the dial on either side of them when on Rte. 93/Rte. 495 near their transmitter in N. Andover.
Peter Q. George (K1XRB) said:I notice it myself up in the area of 93 and 495. The blanketing effect from WCRB's HD makes almost it impossible to hear WPLM/99.1 and even WHEB/100.3. But as soon as you go across the MA/NH border, both PLM and HEB come back just fine. It's a pain.
Is that what they used to call "off-channel quieting"?
99.5's HD has been wiping out WPLM, WHEB, and beyond since the KLB days, so well before -20 was allowed. I think it was mentioned here years ago, but nobody had an explanation. Must be something wrong with their transmitter or antenna, but not easily noticible by engineers, checking how wide the HD wipes things out must not be on their checklist, probably since its such a unique situation, I've never seen anything like it, even when right under the towers of other HD stations.
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