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105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
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Art Van Damme
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105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by Art Van Damme » Mon Dec 21, 2020 10:04 pm

Stumbled across a new translator. Rebroadcast of WDEO/Ypsi
Looked it up: 99 watts at 282 feet above ground, on the WKBD tower.
Can’t tell when it went on the air, maybe in the last couple weeks?



Mega Hertz
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by Mega Hertz » Tue Dec 22, 2020 9:13 pm

Thank Goodness! Now THERE is a massively underserved market.


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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by MotorCityRadioFreak » Tue Dec 22, 2020 10:47 pm

They were on the AM dial somewhere transmitting from the western suburbs awhile ago.


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Captain Rock
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by Captain Rock » Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:51 pm

This translator will not have much coverage on 105.5. There is the CBC French station in Windsor to the Southeast, and a K-Love translator in Rochester Hills to the Northeast.

They will be translating WDEO AM 990 in Ypsilanti, which has a sharp null to the East-Northeast to protect CFPL AM 980 in London.

The translator doesn’t help the lack of a Catholic Radio signal on Metro Detroit’s East Side.

WDEO/Ave Maria Radio is mostly the EWTN network. Their competitor Relevant Radio has got to be looking for a station to buy in Detroit that covers most of the market, which Ave Maria Radio does not.



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WOHO
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by WOHO » Sat Dec 26, 2020 1:15 am

910 in HD !



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:53 am

What does 910 have to do with Ave Maria radio?

The 105.5 translator indeed has a weak signal. Zero reception in my locale indoors; I'm probably 8 miles from the TX site.

WDEO likely has deferred maintenance issues. The processing has always sounded flimsy and reception for the daytime pattern has always underperformed relative to predicted coverage.



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rugratsonline
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by rugratsonline » Sun Dec 27, 2020 9:30 pm

Captain Rock wrote:
Wed Dec 23, 2020 3:51 pm
This translator will not have much coverage on 105.5. There is the CBC French station in Windsor to the Southeast, and a K-Love translator in Rochester Hills to the Northeast.
MWmetalhead wrote:
Sat Dec 26, 2020 6:53 am
The 105.5 translator indeed has a weak signal. Zero reception in my locale indoors; I'm probably 8 miles from the TX site.
We should also not forget WWCK Flint or WQQO (the former WWWM) Toledo -- both of these also broadcast on 105.5. With four stations already on that frequency in such short quarters, it'll be difficult to have a local translator there without any interference or reception issues, even from a short distance away from the transmitter.



Mega Hertz
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by Mega Hertz » Mon Dec 28, 2020 5:31 am

Wait...where the hell is this broadcasting? I'm still getting CK booming in here. They must have coverage of about three blocks.


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ChrisWL1980
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:30 pm

Mega Hertz wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 5:31 am
Wait...where the hell is this broadcasting? I'm still getting CK booming in here. They must have coverage of about three blocks.
Transmitter is in Southfield near the intersection of 11 Mile and Inkster Road. Right next to a cemetery.
No sign of them in Whitmore Lake either. 105.5 is all WWCK as always.



Mega Hertz
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by Mega Hertz » Tue Dec 29, 2020 6:56 pm

ChrisWL1980 wrote:
Tue Dec 29, 2020 5:30 pm
Mega Hertz wrote:
Mon Dec 28, 2020 5:31 am
Wait...where the hell is this broadcasting? I'm still getting CK booming in here. They must have coverage of about three blocks.
Transmitter is in Southfield near the intersection of 11 Mile and Inkster Road. Right next to a cemetery.
No sign of them in Whitmore Lake either. 105.5 is all WWCK as always.
Oh that explains a lot. I'll get at least 2 different stations where I am before I'll even get a sniff of that one.

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MWmetalhead
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:12 pm

Even by 12 Mile & Lahser Rd - about 4 miles from the WKBD tower - I was getting noticeable scratchiness.

I had to get to the I-696 / M-10 / US 24 junction to receive an almost clear signal; I'm within plain sight of the WKBD tower at that spot!

Definitely a severely directional signal with very little RF beamed east bound & probably north bound.

At my house, I get nothing on 105.5 indoors, and in the car it's a mix of noise, 105.5 from Rochester and the new 105.5 from the Southfield/Farmington Hills border.

The award for most undermodulated AM signal is a horserace between AM 800 CKLW and AM 990 WDEO.



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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by Mega Hertz » Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:18 pm

I just don't get it. What's the point? What's the point of 90% of these translators? Do the 3 extra listeners really matter? If 500 people even listen to the main AM signal I'll be shocked.

And yet the ONE station that could benefit from an FM presence (especially here on the west side) continues to stay on AM only.

Whatever happened with the WTKA translator at 106.3? There's another frequency jammed with shit.


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ChrisWL1980
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Tue Dec 29, 2020 11:55 pm

Mega Hertz wrote:
Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:18 pm
I just don't get it. What's the point? What's the point of 90% of these translators? Do the 3 extra listeners really matter? If 500 people even listen to the main AM signal I'll be shocked.

And yet the ONE station that could benefit from an FM presence (especially here on the west side) continues to stay on AM only.

Whatever happened with the WTKA translator at 106.3? There's another frequency jammed with shit.
I think they just like having an FM signal somewhere, no matter how few people can actually hear it.

The CP for W292FW expires June 8, 2021 (as does the CP for 1290 WLBY's translator on 95.1). If you're hoping to receive it in Brighton when it does sign on, it may be a long haul. The tower is located not far from exit 31 off US-23 (off Stony Creek Road) and it looks like the 60 dbu signal will cover Milan but not reach as far north as Ann Arbor.
Here in Whitmore Lake I just get a faint but usually listenable W292DK, which gets easily knocked out by Saginaw, Sarnia and sometimes Fort Wayne during tropo. My biggest translator headaches are the ones in northern Washtenaw County (WAAM's 92.7 and The Arbor on 98.3 and 107.9) that have made Flint and Toledo stations unlistenable here.



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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by Mega Hertz » Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:14 am

Around here, I generally have good luck with catching WDZZ on 92.7. Usually I'll even get a strong stereo signal with RDS.

The thing is, I miss when I used to be able to pull in even distant stations on adjacent frequencies. When I was first really getting into radio many years ago, back in the 90s, it was a treat to pull WIOT in southern Macomb county. Once I even pulled WMMS. Now, when I do go to the east side for any reason, I just turn on satellite. Back when K106.3 stil boomed in, back when FM96 came in. When 94.3 was STILL the rock station (before it went to 95.1), and even US 103.1 floated in. Now...forget it. We are already in an area where there is a signal anywhere you turn the dial. WMMQ comes in just as good as CSX. WITL beats the snot out of NIC and Riff. WJIM and WWCK may as well be locals. Now, when I'm driving for work, 93.5 is a mishmash of picket fencing signals. You drive in any direction and stations start fighting. The advent of HD radio (of which I was a beneficiary of for a long time) has also put a damper on it. All because some 1 watt, satellite fed buzz saw factory NEEDS to have an FM counterpart.

And then...there is the shitty programming. That's another thread in and of itself.

Turn the fucking translators off. WWJ needs one. After sundown on this side of town? Pathetic.


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ChrisWL1980
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Re: 105.5 fm Ave Maria Radio

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Wed Dec 30, 2020 7:22 pm

Mega Hertz wrote:
Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:14 am
Around here, I generally have good luck with catching WDZZ on 92.7. Usually I'll even get a strong stereo signal with RDS.

The thing is, I miss when I used to be able to pull in even distant stations on adjacent frequencies. When I was first really getting into radio many years ago, back in the 90s, it was a treat to pull WIOT in southern Macomb county. Once I even pulled WMMS. Now, when I do go to the east side for any reason, I just turn on satellite. Back when K106.3 stil boomed in, back when FM96 came in. When 94.3 was STILL the rock station (before it went to 95.1), and even US 103.1 floated in. Now...forget it. We are already in an area where there is a signal anywhere you turn the dial. WMMQ comes in just as good as CSX. WITL beats the snot out of NIC and Riff. WJIM and WWCK may as well be locals. Now, when I'm driving for work, 93.5 is a mishmash of picket fencing signals. You drive in any direction and stations start fighting. The advent of HD radio (of which I was a beneficiary of for a long time) has also put a damper on it. All because some 1 watt, satellite fed buzz saw factory NEEDS to have an FM counterpart.

And then...there is the shitty programming. That's another thread in and of itself.

Turn the fucking translators off. WWJ needs one. After sundown on this side of town? Pathetic.
Oh... don't get me started on how many listening options were available for a kid growing up in central Macomb County (M-59/Romeo Plank intersection) during my school years from 1985-98. Cars 108 with their local love songs program (pre-Delilah), CK105.5 listenable on both FM and the AM 1570 simulcast, 99.9 The Fox and 102.3 WGRT from Port Huron/Sarnia, CKSY FM 95 "Chatham's Perfect Music Mix", what was then just "CBC Radio" (before it was CBC Radio One) on 93.5 from London, Tower 98 from Monroe, FM 96 London, "The Nines" AM 9/FM 99 WFRO Fremont, K104 from Woodstock all could be picked up regularly on my Drake SW8. I listened to WHMI as well and once got a tour of the station as a birthday present from my aunt who lived in Brighton at the time. Even first-adjacent DXing was fun - I remember listening to Casey's Top 40 Sunday mornings on 92.5 Kiss-FM Toledo while WKQI was running his Hot 20 Hot AC countdown. 96.9 WBTI and 97.7 WTGV could also be picked up regularly. Now that's gone as well thanks to IBOC.

As for shitty programming... HOW MANY CCM drones does this market need? I don't think I would mind the translator glut half as much if we could get worthwhile programming on some of them. But no, we have to have 243 Air 1, FLR and Smile FM drones, and a couple running far-right extremist talk to boot. I doubt anyone is listening to any of them other than the Praise Network translators (whose programming is far more interesting, but I'd rather have it on a full-power FM like WGPR than three translators).



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