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98.7 signal in Genesee County

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Ed Joseph
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98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Ed Joseph » Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:39 pm

I was driving across Flint on I-69 and punched up 98.7, which I have for listening to WFGR when we are out west. I remember in the WLLZ days, they came in quite well around the county, whereas now, they are quite weak and noisy. I just wondered if perhaps they've changed towers or patterns since then?


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Marcus
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Marcus » Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:11 pm

In the early 1990's WLLZ reduced their antenna height from 480 feet to 462 feet. 98.9 WOWE also signed on the air in 1990.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:47 pm

Moreover, 98.7's tower is in the city of Detroit, near Davison Ave. and I-96, I believe.

They are a good four to seven miles farther away from Greater Flint than the stations who broadcast from southern Oakland County.

That distance - combined with adjacent channel spillover from WOWE - isn't a good combination.



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Colonel Flagg
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Colonel Flagg » Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:58 pm

Correct. It's a mile or so north of there, at Lyndon and Cloverdale. The studios were in that building too. One day, the bullets started flying out front, and everyone had to duck and cover. Not long after, studios were moved to Farmington Hills.


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Arthur Mometer
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Arthur Mometer » Tue Feb 19, 2019 11:16 pm

The Good Old Days of FM in Flint

I think both the first adjacent interference from WOWE and the IBOC desensitization may be involved. The whole band is noisier. In the glory Days it came in well in Flint. I used to listen to WKNR-FM further down that tower in the mid 1960s with a turnstile antenna at 27 feet near Hemphill and VanSlyke Rd., on an old Magnavox Receiver. It came in OK, you had to turn the volume all the way up due to the old AGC. WRIF, WOMC, and WWJ-FM were the strongest from Detroit. When WFBE was on, WHFI and WLDM were captured. WBCM-FM and WJR-FM both came in.

Others:

WCAR-FM Volume All The Way Up
WJBK-FM Volume Way Up
CKLW-FM Volume All The Way Up
WJR-FM Volume Way Up
WMZK Iffy Tropo
WBFG Volume Way Up
WABX Iffy Tropo
WXYZ-FM One of the 10 Stongest FMs in Flint
WDET Captured by WNEM-FM
WBRB-FM Captured by WNEM-FM
WMUZ Volume Way Up
WOMC One of the Strongest
WQRS Volume Way Up Pre 1964
WJZZ Volume Way Up Pre 1964
WDTM Volume Way Up
WGPR Captured By WGMZ

The Free Press had a tabloid in 1966 with all the stations. Had to try them all. The Top 5 Stations were in an artistic montage on the front of the section. Rock Music Rock Talk Rock. WKNR, WJR, CKLW, WWJ, WXYZ?? Emblazoned. On top of Section.

Other stations from Tri Cities and Lansing

WSAM-FM Volume Way Up
WWWS Strong
WQDC Volume Way Up

WKAR-FM One of the strongest
WSWM Strong
WJIM-FM Strong
WITL-FM/WYFE Volume All The Way Up

WUOM Strong

WTHM-FM Fair
WOAP-FM Fair

WJFM King Of Tropo. Captured CKLW-FM.


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stopnswop2
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by stopnswop2 » Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:38 am

The studio is in Southfield, not Farmington Hills


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Colonel Flagg
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Colonel Flagg » Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:04 am

stopnswop2 wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:38 am
The studio is in Southfield, not Farmington Hills
I was referring to when WLLZ was a standalone FM, long ago, way before your time. The studios moved from 8009 Lyndon in Detroit, to 14 Mile & Northwestern Hwy in Farmington Hills. But thanks for playing.


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Arthur Mometer
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Arthur Mometer » Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:32 am

Ed Joseph wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 6:39 pm
I was driving across Flint on I-69 and punched up 98.7, which I have for listening to WFGR when we are out west. I remember in the WLLZ days, they came in quite well around the county, whereas now, they are quite weak and noisy. I just wondered if perhaps they've changed towers or patterns since then?
Was it at Night, Ed? Have you noticed that for the first time since they were constructed in 1930, the two towers that supported the WFDF Hammock antenna used by WFDF from 1930 to 1941 (and AUX until 1952) are now lighted with FAA Beacons? Apparently they didn't need to be lighted when Genesee Towers were constructed, but when that was demolished, they had to obstruction light them. The tops of are about 240 feet AGL. Incidentally, the 50 degree (Runway 5/23) runway at Bishop has been removed, and the Genova Davison Airport has been closed. I wonder if you could put a taller tower like the old WTAC-TV 467 foot tower at 2302 Lapeer Rd. that fell in a storm in 1956, could now be constructed in that vicinity. Those two towers are now hot tower rental properties since other towers nearby have been removed.
Last edited by Arthur Mometer on Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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ZenithCKLW
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by ZenithCKLW » Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:43 am

Colonel Flagg wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:58 pm
Correct. It's a mile or so north of there, at Lyndon and Cloverdale. The studios were in that building too. One day, the bullets started flying out front, and everyone had to duck and cover. Not long after, studios were moved to Farmington Hills.
If I recall correctly, that small building still has "WBFG" painted on it.



KeenerGold
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by KeenerGold » Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:31 am

ZenithCKLW wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:43 am
Colonel Flagg wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:58 pm
Correct. It's a mile or so north of there, at Lyndon and Cloverdale. The studios were in that building too. One day, the bullets started flying out front, and everyone had to duck and cover. Not long after, studios were moved to Farmington Hills.
If I recall correctly, that small building still has "WBFG" painted on it.
Image



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ZenithCKLW
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by ZenithCKLW » Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:43 am

KeenerGold wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:31 am
ZenithCKLW wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:43 am
Colonel Flagg wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:58 pm
Correct. It's a mile or so north of there, at Lyndon and Cloverdale. The studios were in that building too. One day, the bullets started flying out front, and everyone had to duck and cover. Not long after, studios were moved to Farmington Hills.
If I recall correctly, that small building still has "WBFG" painted on it.
Image
Yep. Take a look at the chimney. "WBFG" is very faded. An alternative view: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3950507 ... 384!8i8192



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Ed Joseph
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Ed Joseph » Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:33 pm

Arthur Mometer wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:32 am
Was it at Night, Ed? Have you noticed that for the first time since they were constructed in 1930, the two towers that supported the WFDF Hammock antenna used by WFDF from 1930 to 1941 (and AUX until 1952) are now lighted with FAA Beacons?
No, it was afternoon. I haven't noticed the old WFDF downtown towers being lit, but I haven't been through downtown at night in years.


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Ed Joseph
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Ed Joseph » Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:52 pm

Man, some of those calls bring back memories. WLLZ was my go-to rock station back in the day. I liked it a lot better than WRIF. My favorite AOR of all time still goes to W4, but WCSX and WDET were pretty good as well in the 70's. Granted, Flint had WWCK-FM and WTAC, which were legendary stations IMO.

WFDF... frankly, I haven't listened to it since the move south. I used to listen to Radio Disney now and then when driving home from Detroit at night when I worked on the line at Jeep. Their overnight playlist was actually halfway decent. But I have to wonder if all that money spent was actually worth it. Their current programming is downright awful if you ask me.


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k8jd
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by k8jd » Wed Feb 20, 2019 4:21 pm

KeenerGold wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 10:31 am
ZenithCKLW wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:43 am
Colonel Flagg wrote:
Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:58 pm
Correct. It's a mile or so north of there, at Lyndon and Cloverdale. The studios were in that building too. One day, the bullets started flying out front, and everyone had to duck and cover. Not long after, studios were moved to Farmington Hills.
If I recall correctly, that small building still has "WBFG" painted on it.
Image
I recall before I retired, driving past the old WLLZ/WBFG
tower and building, on my way to the new DPD HQ on Lyndon. I was there often to do radio work for the Public Safety radio system located there..
Shame how the site got abandoned and is deteriorating fast.



Arthur Mometer
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Re: 98.7 signal in Genesee County

Post by Arthur Mometer » Wed Feb 20, 2019 4:42 pm

Ed Joseph wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:33 pm
Arthur Mometer wrote:
Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:32 am
Was it at Night, Ed? Have you noticed that for the first time since they were constructed in 1930, the two towers that supported the WFDF Hammock antenna used by WFDF from 1930 to 1941 (and AUX until 1952) are now lighted with FAA Beacons?
No, it was afternoon. I haven't noticed the old WFDF downtown towers being lit, but I haven't been through downtown at night in years.
I hear you. It was an unintentional trip on which I discovered this. We were returning from a visit to Mayo to Bishop Airport, a H*** improvement over DTW. I was going to get on I-69 at Hammerberg but found it blocked for construction. so we travelled on surface streets at night to get back on so we could pick up our dog in Romeo on the way home. My spouse was frightened, as she watches the news on Local 4, which rarely if ever has a positive story on the City which can't be mentioned in resumes or life stories. Now, I just say, as Ray Stevens says "I'm A Logger" in "The Haircut Song", "I'm from Grand Blanc." Otherwise, I get the hands up, don't shoot, no water please, treatment. I'd still rather be in that part of Flint than on Lyndon St. in Detroit.


"I'm meteorologist Arthur Mometer."

"Those of you who think you know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."

"Lies have to be repeated and repeated to be believed. Truth stands on its own merit."

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