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89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
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MWmetalhead
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89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:39 am

Why is it that 89X has more audio disturbance issues than most high school stations with an annual budget of less than $10,000 ?!?!

They either have completely unsupportive ownership (i.e. no budget) or the worst engineering crew in the radio business.

For the third time in the past year, 89X is having a bout of multi-day audio issues. 89X's audio has sounded like absolute horseshit for at least the past four days.

At first, the audio levels were abnormally low and the music had a "squashed" sound to it.

Since sometime yesterday afternoon or evening, loudness has returned to normal levels, but now we're being treated to a persistent and very loud crackling sound in the audio chain.

What an absolute shit show. Sister station 93.9 The River never has these issues. It's always 89X.



stopnswop2
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by stopnswop2 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 10:41 am

I can't even get a signal half the time, just garbled sound mixed with static.


Music is my life.

Deleted User 14888

Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by Deleted User 14888 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 11:15 am

It seems all the Bell stations have issues with the audio, 580 has a slight buzz in the background, This comes and goes, It probably has something to do with the age of the transmitter, CKLW 800 has a lot of problems with sound quality on programming that is not local, The sound is usually to tinted like its being received through a phone line, And to be honest, I don’t think Bell Media gives a shit, It’s like it’s on the Windsor Stations who cares.



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Silvio Dante
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by Silvio Dante » Sun Jan 27, 2019 11:24 am

Bell Media doesn't give a shit about radio period. They wanted the cable TV properties and are bleeding the radio properties for cash flow. I think 89X has 1 full time employee.



Deleted User 14888

Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by Deleted User 14888 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 11:34 am

Then they should sell all radio properties, The Windsor 4 as they were referred to back in the day, Still to this day has potential to make money in Windsor and Detroit due to their great signal coverage, I could never get why Bell decided to close the Detroit office down, Bell Media Sucks!



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RingtailedFox
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by RingtailedFox » Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:10 pm

They closed their sales office in Southfield because they got caught by the FCC and CRTC for trying to turn it into a remote studio to broadcast their morning show from Southfield instead of Windsor... the CRTC told them that would be grounds for getting their broadcast license yanked. That's when they decided to just close it down and lay off all their American staff like Dave and Chuck the Freak. They wanted so much to be an American station that they tried to use their sales office to get around foreign ownership/foreign operations rules to do so.

Of course, Bell Media doesn't care about anything. They just want to make sure no one else has a major radio presence in Windsor-Essex. Bell runs their radio stations into the ground, their internet and phone service into the ground... their cable networks' operations leave a lot to be desired and their pay-TV services (Bell TV and Bell Fibe) are mediocre at best.


~ The Legendary Raccoon-Fox has spoken!

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MWmetalhead
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jan 27, 2019 1:19 pm

I'm not convinced the horrible buzzing / crackling sound is coming from the CIMX-FM transmitter.

In the car about 20 minutes ago, I couldn't hear it. Including in my own garage, which is attached to the house!

Yet, right now, I'm hearing it on three different radios! Took a battery powered portable and heard it everywhere. There are a few spots, though, where the crackling fades and isn't quite as loud.

Seems even worse on 88.8 MHz than 88.7, although I can hear it a bit on 88.6 MHz as well. Zero sign of it from 88.9 MHz upward or from 88.5 MHz downward.

Anyone know for sure what the heck is going on here ?!?!



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Sun Jan 27, 2019 2:22 pm

I like the Cowboy spoof. :)

Getting back on track, I'm beginning to think there is unusually strong intermod issues in my area.

Atmospheric conditions might be the culprit?

I'm hearing similar crackling elsewhere on the FM dial, but 89X is the only station that seems to be overcome by it.

Plenty of FM blowtorches transmit from less than 5 miles away. I wonder if any are putting out spurious signals?



borderboy653659200
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by borderboy653659200 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 2:39 pm

89X is located at 1640 Ouellette Avenue ,a block north of Windsor's Jackson Park,our most famous park,which is the unofficial dividing line between Windsor and South Windsor,so that may explain the audio distortion.



borderboy653659200
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by borderboy653659200 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 2:41 pm

EnbyCee,I'm certain Cowboy wouldn't want to work for the a**clowns who run radio on BOTH sides of the border!!!!!!



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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by stopnswop2 » Sun Jan 27, 2019 3:16 pm

Why do you keep talking to yourself on both accounts 🙄


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MWmetalhead
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Jan 28, 2019 4:11 pm

89X sounds much better this afternoon.

Interestingly, my internet went out a couple hours ago, I unplugged and rebooted my modem, and then my internet worked perfectly. Fast forward 90 minutes, I turn on my HTR in the living room, and the issues plaguing 89X are no more!

Might Comcrap (Comcast) be to blame for the earlier interference? Wish I would've turned on the stereo immediately before rebooting my modem! I would've known for sure that way.

Did anyone else incur the crackling noise when attempting to listen to 89X over the past couple days?



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ZenithCKLW
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by ZenithCKLW » Mon Jan 28, 2019 4:21 pm

LOL, "borderboy" coming to "Cowboy's" defense every time, right down to the typing style, even though "borderboy" was never mentioned. I enjoy the Cowboy spoofs as well.

I have way too many radios for it to be healthy, but I agree that the Bell stations always sound like shit, but still listenable. The only radios I can make these stations sound halfway decent are on old tube-type radios, or transistor radios from the 50's-70's. My car radio, which is typically excellent, sounds awful on these stations, more-so on 580 and 800.

Lately, weird things have been happening to my reception, wherever I may travel. Routers interfere, my iPhone interferes, even running water from my kitchen faucet interferes (that one I can't explain). Then in the car, new tires caused interference until rotated, some new technology spark plugs cause interference, and it's maddening. I wish the FCC would crack down on interference rules. As for the CTRC, I guess there's not too much I can do about that. Would be interesting for another company to buy the Windsor 4.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Jan 28, 2019 4:41 pm

The shame is - AM 800 almost always sounded great until their transmitter fire.

They've never sounded the same since. They usually sound undermodulated now.



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ZenithCKLW
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Re: 89X - audio distortion yet again! WTF?!?!

Post by ZenithCKLW » Mon Jan 28, 2019 4:43 pm

Good point about the fire. Is 800 still broadcasting at 10 kw, or did they go back to 50 kw?

The fire probably destroyed some of Ed's creations to make the station sound great. 800 is now tough to receive in Livonia, whereas it wasn't before the fire.



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