WWSJ 1580

ChrisWL1980 · Post by **ChrisWL1980** » Wed Dec 20, 2023 5:55 pm

It's apparently been off the air for several months now. The 100.3 FM translator is still operating (illegally) and is still mentioning 1580 AM on the air.
Anyone know what's up?

ChrisWL1980 · Post by **ChrisWL1980** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 3:16 pm

For anyone who cares (which apparently is nobody), WWSJ's back on the air. Heard it yesterday.

Ben Zonia · Post by **Ben Zonia** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 5:29 pm

ChrisWL1980 wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 20, 2023 5:55 pm
It's apparently been off the air for several months now. The 100.3 FM translator is still operating (illegally) and is still mentioning 1580 AM on the air.
Anyone know what's up?

Maybe they were on 3 watts Night pattern? Could you hear it with 3 watts?

Colonel Flagg · Post by **Colonel Flagg** » Tue Dec 26, 2023 7:21 pm

Ben Zonia wrote: ↑
Tue Dec 26, 2023 5:29 pm

ChrisWL1980 wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 20, 2023 5:55 pm
It's apparently been off the air for several months now. The 100.3 FM translator is still operating (illegally) and is still mentioning 1580 AM on the air.
Anyone know what's up?
Maybe they were on 3 watts Night pattern? Could you hear it with 3 watts?

It's been many many years, but I remember leaving the station parking lot, and the 3 watts was gone when I turned south on what is now called "Old 27". Reason being, night pattern uses the same DA, so by the time I got to 27, I was already in the null. When the FM studio was in DeWitt, you couldn't hear the AM on night power down there either.

fairbankshockeypuck · Post by **fairbankshockeypuck** » Wed Dec 27, 2023 7:18 am

Similar thing with 1490 WMPX/low power 107.7FM Midland/they simulcast with 97.7FM licensed to Beaverton. 1490 has to be on reduced power.
Got to keep it for 107.7 to be legal I guess...but a very weak signal, even on a car radio.....Curious to wattage..100-500 watts???

fairbankshockeypuck · Post by **fairbankshockeypuck** » Wed Dec 27, 2023 7:30 am

FCC data base says 980 watts/1490 WMPX...Find that hard to believe..1400 WSAM-Saginaw booms out 50 miles or so pretty good during the day...1490 is scratchy on car radio 20 miles away to where I live...UNLESS its highly directional..I have never heard a legal ID either...just 97.7 and translator 107.7 are ID'd....

Ben Zonia · Post by **Ben Zonia** » Wed Dec 27, 2023 9:28 am

fairbankshockeypuck wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 27, 2023 7:30 am
FCC data base says 980 watts/1490 WMPX...Find that hard to believe..1400 WSAM-Saginaw booms out 50 miles or so pretty good during the day...1490 is scratchy on car radio 20 miles away to where I live...UNLESS its highly directional..I have never heard a legal ID either...just 97.7 and translator 107.7 are ID'd....

Rich Fry, who posts here, was an engineer at WSAM at one time. We discussed WSAM, which has a tall tower which gives it the equivalent of about 2000 watts, and it's located in a conductivity sweet spot. WMPX has a 150 foot tower at near minimum efficiency, and the real conductivity is probably less there than near WSAM.

fairbankshockeypuck · Post by **fairbankshockeypuck** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 7:59 am

Thanks for the info...just remember WMPX reception better years ago....with the FM translator and also broadcasting on 97-7, AM really doesnt matter and probably just on the air to keep the translator on...

ChrisWL1980 · Post by **ChrisWL1980** » Thu Dec 28, 2023 8:27 pm

I suppose it's possible they could have been on night power during the day. I thought it would have still been possible to hear them in Dewitt (where I noted them apparently off) even with 3 watts.
However, on Christmas Day when visiting family in Okemos, they seemed to be back to normal.

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