WWJ 950 broadcasting at reduced power?

[SixPlusOne]

I agree that WWJ sounds terrible today.

I have been reading this thread with interest and now have checked my reception of WWJ as well. I checked it on two portable radios and in my car. I've never heard it so bad. I have just EMailed 3 of my former co-workers at Channel 7 who are also retired for their comment. On the face of it I have to agree with Metal as my signal strength meter shows no reading as compared to other stations. You could also assume that their broadcast pattern may have shifted.

[MWmetalhead]

It usually sounds decent for the first hour or two on the daytime pattern and then the signal weakens sharply until they switch back to the night pattern.

[Marcus]

Are they non-directional when they reduce power?

[Colonel Flagg]

Are they non-directional when they reduce power?

It's been more than 20 years since I worked for Infinity Broadcasting (WWJ, etc) but the only Omni transmitter site at the time was the 2500 watt Aux site on 8 Mile, which was foolishly decommissioned.

I was there when the Berlin Twp site was constructed, and I don't believe there was any way of operating Omni from down there due the requirements to protect other stations.

However, I did hear from someone in the know that there were tower climbers working on one of the Berlin Twp sticks last week when storms were closing in. In order for that to happen, whichever tower they were on couldn't be "hot" at the time. I don't know anything more than that.

[Marcus]

Records show that the aux. antenna was there from 1992 up until they moved to the current transmitter site. No replacement was ever built.

https://fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=9621

During the daytime, the tower at the top right (N.E.) of the array is off.

https://www.fccinfo.com/CMDProFacLookup ... Service=AM

[Ben Zonia]

So who owns the WOMC tower?

You would think that since WEXL/WCHB uses it, there would be some way to diplex it for a WWJ AUX. Audacy in Chicago has all kinds of Licensed AUX AM and AUX FM facilities where the WSBC tower and once main WXRT tower are located.

[MWmetalhead]

Nighttime signal sounds phenomenal right now, even with all the lightning in the area.

Wish they'd fix their daytime issues.

[MWmetalhead]

950 signal is coming in strongly right now. Will be interesting to see if that continues into tomorrow.

[Ben Zonia]

On Saturday, WWJ was coming in well North of West Branch like normal during the Day.

It should now be apparent that some kind of major maintenance has been going on during weekdays.

The really weak signal is probably when running 12500 watts nondirectional. That would be about 19% of the field strength compared to the licensed maximum to the North. Where are our Toledo reporters?

[Marcus]

I'd like to try 950 the parking lot of The Oil Museum of Canada in the middle of Lambton County and compare it with a number of other stations. That is where the deepest null is during the daytime when WWJ is directional.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_Museum_of_Canada

https://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/p ... AM&h=D&z=i

https://www.walpolealgonacferry.ca/

[MWmetalhead]

Good point, Ben. If they were indeed running 12.5 kW omni, signal strength in Toledo last week and much of the week prior during the day should've been much stronger than usual.

[Ben Zonia]

I'd like to try 950 the parking lot of The Oil Museum of Canada in the middle of Lambton County and compare it with a number of other stations. That is where the deepest null is during the daytime when WWJ is directional.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_Museum_of_Canada

https://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/p ... AM&h=D&z=i

https://www.walpolealgonacferry.ca/

That null protects the phantom vacated allotment for CKBB 950 in Barrie, ON.

https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&canam=950CKBB

[MWmetalhead]

For whatever reason, 950 is broadcasting at reduced power yet again.

[fairbankshockeypuck]

signal not as strong here in Saginaw area...noticed it late last week

[Ben Zonia]

5:00 PM in Indian River while shopping. FCC Sunset is 5:15 PM during November.

WTRX 1330 and WFNT 1470 booming in, stronger with 5000 watts DA than WJR 760, WWJ 950, and WFDF 910 with 50000 watts licensed power.

Around 5:10 PM, WFDF 910 much stronger than either WJR 760 and WWJ 950.