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Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
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MWmetalhead
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Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:41 am

...how much listening in Kent & Ottawa Counties (or the West Michigan DMA overall) is to 106.9 FM versus AM 1300?

As recently as five years ago, 1230 still usually managed a 0.6 or 0.8 share locally. 1450 often grabbed a 1 share. 1340 WJRW was often in ratings territory similar to that of 1230.

Now, 1230's ratings are nearly gone, 1450's ratings are nearly gone, and WJRW's talk format was just tossed to the curb.

Let's face it, for many years in the Grand Rapids area, WOOD Radio is what drove cume to the AM band. It's why 1340 and 1230 were able to stay relevant well into the decade of the 00's.

Are recent trends suggestive of a good chunk of WOOD's longtime audience - especially those under the age of 55 - making the migration to 106.9 FM?



CK-722
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Re: Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Post by CK-722 » Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:11 am

I don't think moving the transmitter out to the middle of nowhere and going very directional Days did WOOD any good. Especially in Ottawa County.

While diplexing WTKG 1230 wouldn't work very well because of the 70 kHz difference bandwidth restrictions, they would have done better repurposing the old WLAV 6 Fountain St. rooftop antenna, measuring contours, and maximizing power nondirectional Days, and being closer than Allegan County with a Night site.

Wouldn't be hard to test it as an Auxiliary from 6 Fountain St. One thing for certain. It would be the best signal WOOD put in Downtown Grand Rapids in 80 years.

Those who don't read the History Cards are doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past. Or overlook obvious solutions in the present.

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/ ... r_id=66019

WLAV at 6 Fountain St. originally operated at 1310 kHz.

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/ ... r_id=68147

1230, 1300, and 1340 constitute a "Radio Mall". If there aren't any decent signals or formats on at least one, no one will discover the others. Back in the 1960s, WOOD would drop Top 40/MOR crossovers like a hot potato when WLAV started playing them, to avoid close dial position confusion of listeners and diaries.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

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Ed Joseph
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Re: Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Post by Ed Joseph » Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:52 pm

I can tell you that, in most of Allegan county, WOOD is a phase-mixing nightmare from all the sharp nulls and lobes (mostly nulls, from the sound of it), especially in and around Sandy Pines RV park between Hopkins and Dorr. It's like patching an AM radio through an old-school phase shifter. I know this because my father-in-law listens to WOOD almost exclusively. Their FM translator sounds butt-awful,too IMO. The noise floor pull-up is extreme, like the old WKNX on 1210 used to sound. Can someone say "GATING=OFF"??

I always wonder why, in 2019, so many radio stations sound as terrible as they do. When you consider the fact that top-end 80's or 90's analog audio processing gear can be obtained *and* brought back to spec for a fraction of the amount a new digital box costs, that would sound worlds better (at least if *I* set it up!). Or do stations not even care about sound quality anymore? The Loudness War has gone far beyond making sense, to the point of making the mod monitor needle sit like DC. That can be accomplished with a couple diodes, and it sounds like some stations might do just that. It's no wonder so many stations are losing listeners when just listening five minutes gives you an earache.
"


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MWmetalhead
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Re: Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:33 pm

1300 doesn't have a translator, 106.9 FM is a 50,000 watt signal.

Reception in much of Allegan County took a big hit after the move to Moline. The null in the direction of Sandy Pines is extreme.

Is the out of phase sound an issue around the clock or only at night?

1360 WKMI might be an option in that area during daylight hours.

I will say 1300 has an impressive daytime signal along 131 northbound now. Picked it up decently near Reed City in early October. Signal was even readable in the Midland area. Haven't had a chance to test the nighttime signal yet.



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Re: Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Post by CK-722 » Sun Jan 06, 2019 9:29 pm

I've driven up I-75 to the Straits and back several times a year over the whole year and time WOOD has been operated with 20000 watts DA-1. There is considerable variation with Season. Also the 20000 watts plus the large antenna gain make it a frequent strong critical hours signal in the Northern LP. So if its 2 or more hours after Sunrise or before Sunset, that is enhancement over GW. The WTCM, WOOD, WCCW, and WMKT applications show the conductivity measurements way below the M-3 8 mS/m value, mainly 0.1-2 and a few areas of 3-4. So with the weak GW there is little noticeable fading. Plus the endfire design lessens high angle radiation like much taller towers would.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.

CK-722
Posts: 1284
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:53 pm

Re: Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Post by CK-722 » Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:13 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:33 pm
I will say 1300 has an impressive daytime signal along 131 northbound now. Picked it up decently near Reed City in early October. Signal was even readable in the Midland area. Haven't had a chance to test the nighttime signal yet.
WRDZ 1300 LaGrange, IL starts to creep in during CH over the Central and NW LP and at Night from about Gaylord North. Much more than WNTD 950 Chicago, IL normally does.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

Same (x, y, z), different (t)

Your bullet missed my trial balloon.

RTN Price. Not guaranteed. As of 12:30, 157.71 Down 0.22.

Artificial Intelligence is a Child that needs a Parent to guide it through.

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Ed Joseph
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Re: Re: WOOD Radio, I'd be curious to know...

Post by Ed Joseph » Mon Jan 07, 2019 4:22 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:33 pm
1300 doesn't have a translator, 106.9 FM is a 50,000 watt signal.

Reception in much of Allegan County took a big hit after the move to Moline. The null in the direction of Sandy Pines is extreme.

Is the out of phase sound an issue around the clock or only at night?

1360 WKMI might be an option in that area during daylight hours.

I will say 1300 has an impressive daytime signal along 131 northbound now. Picked it up decently near Reed City in early October. Signal was even readable in the Midland area. Haven't had a chance to test the nighttime signal yet.
My bad about 106.9 status. Still sounds awful, last I heard it.

MW, I can't really attest to whether day or night is any different as I, personally, don't listen to WOOD. I only hear it when I'm riding in his vehicle (which I just flat-out won't do anymore because my nerves can't take it!). I can't stand the current fare of Talk radio. It's half of what's wrong in this country IMO. I don't listen to talk, sports, CHR, Urban or country on the radio. Oldies, Classic Rock and Classic Hits, in doses. I wish Flint had an FM station like WXRT in Chicago, or even a big- 50kW AM monster with that kind of format. I love stations with varied and wide, deep playlists, which are few and far between nowdays.


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