950 WWJ - HD Radio FAIL! Analog signal now sounds faint.

[Colonel Flagg]

Not all of us are trendy, cool hipster types, who want to be wired to the internet 24/7. In any event, I have no earthly idea how I would go about connecting to the 'net in my nearly 16 year old truck, my 23 year old Cadillac, or the other vehicles we own that are even older. Among other things, I have a feeling I'd need a better data plan.

[Mega Hertz]

Well, if I'm going through the trouble to get my phone out and use it to stream a news radio station, I can just look up what I want to see myself.

[Colonel Flagg]

Well, if I'm going through the trouble to get my phone out and use it to stream a news radio station, I can just look up what I want to see myself.

As we used to say in the radio biz, "No more calls...we have a winner"

[DFELD2005]

And does anyone understand why WWJ 950 AM is still required to reduce their signal strength between sundown and sunrise? This reduction makes for difficult listening to the radio version during these hours. Their signal reduction does not seem to apply to their internet stream. And, maybe WWJ could establish an FM transmission channel?

[MWmetalhead]

The difference in signal between night and day varies based on location.

The signal pattern is definitely much more tightly constricted at night. This is due to how AM radio waves behave at night. Without getting deep into the geeky details, they travel much farther but signal strength pulsates (leading to frequent rounds of fade-in and fade-out).

In an effort to reduce interference on the band at night, many stations are required by their FCC license to reduce signal radiation in certain directions. This is intended to reduce reception disruption of local stations within their intended service area.

As far as WWJ is concerned, reception in Washtenaw, Livingston, Lenawee, and probably far eastern Macomb and St. Clair counties is negatively impacted at night.

Another phenomenon that screws with AM reception at night is known as skywave-to-groundwave cancellation. During daytime, AM radio waves travel by ground. At nighttime, they still travel by ground, but they also shoot up from the tower site into the ionosphere. The ionospheric waves usually are responsible for the fading phenomenon I described. The distance from the tower site where they start to become an issue is determined by a combination of tower height and radio frequency. They are particularly noticeable and potent if you live in a favored azimuth of a high powered AM station's radiation pattern.

If you are located in the sweet spot where ionospheric waves reach your receiver and where the ground waves reach your receiver at nearly equal strengths, the net result is faint to unusable audio. This issue occurs with WJR in parts of western Michigan and with WWJ west of US 23, and especially near and west of M-52.

More info:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skywave

[Ben Zonia]

I can hear WFDF side bands on 900 and 920, but no interference to 960 near Pellston to speak of from WWJ.

[Mega Hertz]

Yeah. J blows here in Brighton at night. Let's at least get it on FM.

[Ben Zonia]

WFDF is stronger at Night in Ann Arbor and much of Livingston County due to the pattern and being several miles West, with just 25000 watts, vs. 50000 Night for WWJ.

[MWmetalhead]

I'm thrilled to report WWJ 950 sounds MUCH better this morning!

Not sure why the station was allowed to sound like garbage for seven or eight days straight, but nonetheless, THANK YOU to whomever fixed the audio!

[Ben Zonia]

Yeah. J blows here in Brighton at night. Let's at least get it on FM.

When WWJ changed Day pattern, it widened the major lobe. The Night lobe remains quite narrow.

WFDF pattern is narrower, but from several miles further West, even with 25000 watts Night, is much stronger.

Plug in 48114 in the link below.

http://www.v-soft.com/on-line-based-software/zipsignal

[MWmetalhead]

I believe WFDF also sends peak power to an azimuth a bit west of due north, too, which helps the cause in Ann Arbor, Brighton, etc.

The downside is 910's signal is crappy in a good chunk of Macomb County after dark.

[Ben Zonia]

I believe WFDF also sends peak power to an azimuth a bit west of due north, too, which helps the cause in Ann Arbor, Brighton, etc.

The downside is 910's signal is crappy in a good chunk of Macomb County after dark.

They wanted to put WFDF next to the WJR site in Riverview. Like 950, 910 protects a long vacated Canadian frequency. And under newer rules, it could have been a Minor Change. It also seems like WWJ protects a station off the West side of the Major Lobe, which is a long ways away, but still requires limited protection.

The whole WWJ APP with Nighttime Exhibits isn't on the CDBS site, but looking at the KJR 50000 watt Nighttime Exhibits, WWJ may have had to pull in somewhat toward CFAM 950 Altona, MB.

Colonel Flagg did some work with Glen Clark on this. At first they were limited to 12 kW Day due to WHAK 960 Rogers City. The Proofs for WWJ and or measured WHAK radials showed that WWJ could be 50 kW Day without elimination or reduction of WHAK. In the final analysis, no problem would have existed with WHGR 1290 to do the WOOD 1300 20 kW application either, once all the proofs and radial extensions were done. 900 in Gaylord was gone before the WFDF APP. I think Trish was willing to negotiate with CBS on WXYT vs. WMKT, but CBS reportedly didn't want to.

[MWmetalhead]

950 protects WNTD Chicago, I suspect.

910 just ran a promo offering advertisers the ability to purchase 200 ads for $500 ($2.50 a spot).

[Ben Zonia]

950 protects WNTD Chicago, I suspect.

910 just ran a promo offering advertisers the ability to purchase 200 ads for $500 ($2.50 a spot).

There's another 950 other than WNTD further to the NW I believe. I'll keep looking for a newer APP for another station on 950 that is online.

WFDF, under Disney and Adell, should have run Sports PBP all these years like WQEW NYC did.

[MWmetalhead]

There's a 1 kW licensed station on AM 950 in greater Minneapolis.