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adamgre
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What Detroit station has the strongest FM signal?
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Strictly by ERP, it's WOMC 104.3, with 190 kW coming out of the antenna. But WOMC is on a relatively short tower (110 meters above average terrain) compared to many of the other class B FMs in Detroit - and since the FCC doesn't provide any additional protection from co- and adjacent-channel interference to grandfathered "superpower" signals like WOMC, there's very little real-world advantage any longer to having more power than the class maximum (50 kW for a class B).
In the real world of 2009 (or 2010, for that matter), the signal coverage of any FM station in a populated area is going to be limited more by stations on adjacent channels than by anything else, and most of the Detroit Bs are about equally hemmed in by other signals in the area. The 102.7/102.9 grandfathered short-spacing is by far the worst, and the rest of the Bs (92.3, 93.1, 94.7, 95.5, 96.3, 97.1, 97.9, 98.7, 99.5, 100.3, 101.1, 101.9, 103.5, 105.1, 105.9, 106.7, 107.5) all have roughly comparable signals. They're all what you'd call "full-metro," with 70 dBu coverage of substantially all of the Detroit metro area. The ones with downtown or in-city transmitter sites (92.3, 96.3, 97.9, 98.7, 101.9, 106.7, 107.5, if memory serves) will be a little stronger for in-building listening downtown, but that's not a huge factor these days in Detroit; the ones using the various towers in Southfield and vicinity (93.1, 94.7, 95.5, 97.1, 99.5, 100.3, 101.1, 103.5, 104.3, 105.1, 105.9) will be marginally stronger in the office buildings of Oakland County, but not enough to make a huge difference.
In the real world of 2009 (or 2010, for that matter), the signal coverage of any FM station in a populated area is going to be limited more by stations on adjacent channels than by anything else, and most of the Detroit Bs are about equally hemmed in by other signals in the area. The 102.7/102.9 grandfathered short-spacing is by far the worst, and the rest of the Bs (92.3, 93.1, 94.7, 95.5, 96.3, 97.1, 97.9, 98.7, 99.5, 100.3, 101.1, 101.9, 103.5, 105.1, 105.9, 106.7, 107.5) all have roughly comparable signals. They're all what you'd call "full-metro," with 70 dBu coverage of substantially all of the Detroit metro area. The ones with downtown or in-city transmitter sites (92.3, 96.3, 97.9, 98.7, 101.9, 106.7, 107.5, if memory serves) will be a little stronger for in-building listening downtown, but that's not a huge factor these days in Detroit; the ones using the various towers in Southfield and vicinity (93.1, 94.7, 95.5, 97.1, 99.5, 100.3, 101.1, 103.5, 104.3, 105.1, 105.9) will be marginally stronger in the office buildings of Oakland County, but not enough to make a huge difference.
For what it's worth, the strongest Detroit FM signals to the south, around Toledo, used to be WRIF (101.1), WMUZ (103.5), and whatever 95.5 is called now. They had super strong stereo signals 50 miles past Detroit, even with WRIF having to overcome the strong bleedover from Toledo's 101.5 on tuners with inept tuning sensitivity. WOMC has to do likewise with the signal from 104.7, but, at least on the radios at my house, had a little more trouble busting thru.
All three 100kw Windsor FMs also still come in with nearly-local signal strength in Toledo, and Ann Arbor's two biggies, WUOM (91.7) and the one on 102.9, still put strong signals into T-town as well.
Growing up in both Detroit and Toledo thru the 1970s, almost all of the Detroit area FMs came in fairly well as far south of Toledo as Bowling Green (the flat land helps) back then. But now the many new class As on first adjacent freqs to the Detroit stations scattered in the hinterlands 15 - 25 miles outside of Toledo have complicated reception. It used to be the only Detroit FMs not heard in Toledo were 92.3, cut off by Toledo's 50kw on 92.3 (especially when they finally upgraded to stereo and put up a tower near Perrysburg), and 102.7's directional signal never made it to the state line from Detroit's northern suburbs.
94.5 was on a short stick with a haywired signal in Port Clinton back then, and didn't get into Toledo at all (I worked there for awhile in 1974), so the Birmingham MI station came in strong on 94.7.
I used to listen to Russ Gibb on WDRQ 93.1 on my brother's stereo back around 1970 from our house in north Toledo when the station had an all-talk format, with only a little stereo hiss. Wonder if any of those hosts are still around? The Saturday night trivia shows were fun. (I remember them making teams of people whose phone numbers ended in an odd number versus those with an even number.)
I also think the proliferation of RF from everything like cell phones and maybe even the modem you're using to access this board has created enough "white noise" to beat back "distant" FM signals, causing the big 50kw+ major market signals to lose about the last 30 miles or so of their former reliable fringe covereage. I found the same to be true trying to listen to San Francisco FMs 50 miles north around Santa Rosa, California. They used to come in loud and mostly clear thru the hilly terrain 50 or 60 miles north (and the terrain caused the high powered stations from Stockton, 100 some miles south, to boom into Sonoma County, too). The previously cited factors have also made that more of a challenge in the past decade or two.
I also find the low power national religious "translator" stations are an even bigger reason high powered stations no longer can be heard clearly outside their primary coverage area. Everywhere.
All three 100kw Windsor FMs also still come in with nearly-local signal strength in Toledo, and Ann Arbor's two biggies, WUOM (91.7) and the one on 102.9, still put strong signals into T-town as well.
Growing up in both Detroit and Toledo thru the 1970s, almost all of the Detroit area FMs came in fairly well as far south of Toledo as Bowling Green (the flat land helps) back then. But now the many new class As on first adjacent freqs to the Detroit stations scattered in the hinterlands 15 - 25 miles outside of Toledo have complicated reception. It used to be the only Detroit FMs not heard in Toledo were 92.3, cut off by Toledo's 50kw on 92.3 (especially when they finally upgraded to stereo and put up a tower near Perrysburg), and 102.7's directional signal never made it to the state line from Detroit's northern suburbs.
94.5 was on a short stick with a haywired signal in Port Clinton back then, and didn't get into Toledo at all (I worked there for awhile in 1974), so the Birmingham MI station came in strong on 94.7.
I used to listen to Russ Gibb on WDRQ 93.1 on my brother's stereo back around 1970 from our house in north Toledo when the station had an all-talk format, with only a little stereo hiss. Wonder if any of those hosts are still around? The Saturday night trivia shows were fun. (I remember them making teams of people whose phone numbers ended in an odd number versus those with an even number.)
I also think the proliferation of RF from everything like cell phones and maybe even the modem you're using to access this board has created enough "white noise" to beat back "distant" FM signals, causing the big 50kw+ major market signals to lose about the last 30 miles or so of their former reliable fringe covereage. I found the same to be true trying to listen to San Francisco FMs 50 miles north around Santa Rosa, California. They used to come in loud and mostly clear thru the hilly terrain 50 or 60 miles north (and the terrain caused the high powered stations from Stockton, 100 some miles south, to boom into Sonoma County, too). The previously cited factors have also made that more of a challenge in the past decade or two.
I also find the low power national religious "translator" stations are an even bigger reason high powered stations no longer can be heard clearly outside their primary coverage area. Everywhere.
Even further south in Ohio in the 70s, it didn't take much tropo enhancement to recieve several of the Detroit and surrounding stations, especially when the locals signed off at midnight, and there were a lot less stations. In Western Ohio southwest of Lima, I was often able to recieve practically all of the higher powered FMs, from "Tower 92", WDRQ in its top 40 days, WMJC, WOMC and even the old WJZZ. Ann Arbor made it as well on 91.7. It's much tougher now. Occasionally WOMC makes it as far as Troy (OH) or Springfield. I have picked up WRIF a few times and sometimes Ann Arbor sneaks through on 91.7,as well as WMUZ with really good conditions to the north. I visit Vermilion, OH on Lake Erie west of Lorain sometimes; many Detroit frequencies are duplicated in Cleveland or elsewhere in the region. Strongest Detroit signal there is WRIF. CIDR does reasonably well there. I do miss the old days of DXing.
If you consider Windsor's 89X a Detroit station, I'd say that one packs a pretty good punch. It used to make regular visits here, 700km (435mi) down the 401 to my tuner...unfortunately Napanee Ontario's 88.7 MYFM has plugged the spot on the dial, making future catches far less likely.
~BG
~BG
I was a boy in Ohio in the early 60's about 20 miles South of Sandusky. WRIF ( then WXYZ FM ) was a solid signal day and night. It used to piss me off when they would sign off from midnight to 6am and I couldn't hear Don Zee the over night guy. 92.3 was called Downriver radio, I forget the calls and it came in when 92.5, then WMHE, signed off at 11pm. Ed Bush did a rock show on 92.3 Sunday nights only ( the station was jazz the rest of the time ) and I always listened until he went to CKLW AM. The Detroit FM powerhouses we got then were WRIF, 107.7? It was WCHD then ( urban programing ) the FM around 97 that is now WJLB FM and a classical music FM near 105 which eventually became WWWW. The fm around 93 which was the sister to CKLW Am always boomed in from Windsor.
AM was amazing then too, WJR came in day and night with absolutely no crap behind it ( this was still in the day of the clear channels ) CKLW had a little bit of background noise at night but still solid until around 1965 when they altered their pattern and alot of background noise can still be heard at night. 1130 was a solid day signal but no nightime, I could get WXYZ AM 1270 daytime and sometimes skipping at night, WWJ 950 was always hot daytimes and if I set the radio just right I got 1500 , then WJBK daytimes.
560 was WQTE a beautifull music station ( slogan: Detroit's AM station with the FM sound ) and came in very well in Ohio.
Speaking of 94.5, Port Clinton, Ohio I worked there twice, once in 1971 for a few months doing nights when they were AC and again as the part time CE when they made the switch to classic rock.and moved them to a site closer to Toledo. It may have been heywire but it had an awfully good signal when the little tower was used at 6kw
AM was amazing then too, WJR came in day and night with absolutely no crap behind it ( this was still in the day of the clear channels ) CKLW had a little bit of background noise at night but still solid until around 1965 when they altered their pattern and alot of background noise can still be heard at night. 1130 was a solid day signal but no nightime, I could get WXYZ AM 1270 daytime and sometimes skipping at night, WWJ 950 was always hot daytimes and if I set the radio just right I got 1500 , then WJBK daytimes.
560 was WQTE a beautifull music station ( slogan: Detroit's AM station with the FM sound ) and came in very well in Ohio.
Speaking of 94.5, Port Clinton, Ohio I worked there twice, once in 1971 for a few months doing nights when they were AC and again as the part time CE when they made the switch to classic rock.and moved them to a site closer to Toledo. It may have been heywire but it had an awfully good signal when the little tower was used at 6kw
Captn - Some may accuse us of foolish reminiscence here, but I think it's fine to remember when radio stations had something about them that made people want to "tune them in," and pay attention to what each one had to offer. I long for that magic on my radio in Seattle but just don't find it hardly anywhere at all anymore. Either robots and used car salesmen are what most of the announcers sound like, and there's only a few that sometimes have something to say that's worth paying attention.
But when I worked at WRWR PorClinnon in 1974, I'd have to say most of the equipment that worked wasn't even properly grounded, for all the buzzing noises that made it over the air (especially the barely functioning cart machines). The low tower height gave it a good signal in "Vacationland," but it dropped off fast well on even a car radio before you got to Toledo back then. Did you have the pleasure of reporting to Mrs. Ann W Ryder back then?
But when I worked at WRWR PorClinnon in 1974, I'd have to say most of the equipment that worked wasn't even properly grounded, for all the buzzing noises that made it over the air (especially the barely functioning cart machines). The low tower height gave it a good signal in "Vacationland," but it dropped off fast well on even a car radio before you got to Toledo back then. Did you have the pleasure of reporting to Mrs. Ann W Ryder back then?
No, at the time the Ryders stayed out of our hair in the trailer next door. If I remember right he or maybe the son sat at one end and she at the other,,,about as far as they could get from one another...and then they fought. Now that I think about it I was actually there three times. The first in 1970 when I transferred from WAWR in Bowling Green. They needed a jock and a chief in Port clinton. I worked with Mike Kellog ( later of Moody network ) Glen Tessloff ( geez and he used that name ON THE AIR ! ) and Jackie Fitz who I later hired away to my Bellevue station. . I didn't stay more than a month when an opening opened at WGAR in Cleveland. I bumbed around in that market before starting 92.1 in Bellevue. Then Jim lorenzon got ahold of WRWR ( Whirwhirr that was the sound the cart machines made on the air too ) changed it to Classic rock and moved studios to Sandusky. I came on board as a part time engineer for him as a favor. They couldn't find anyone that far out that worked on equipment. Then I returned a final time as chief when I moved the studios to East Toledo along the Detroit/Toledo freeway. In the end, Jim bought my Bellevue station and I moved to Florida where I am today.
Chances are we crossed paths at some point. I was Bob Ladd on 92.1 the hits.
Chances are we crossed paths at some point. I was Bob Ladd on 92.1 the hits.
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