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WATT

Covers all of Northern Lower Michigan (from Ludington to Tawas northward), as well as the Straits Area and Soo Region.
jm
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 10:03 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

WATT

Post by jm » Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:23 pm

Just returned from Cadillac and discovered that WATT now has a translator on 106.1
The signal reaches as far south as LeRoy and possibly Ashton (exits 162 and 159) on US 131.
I tried it on 2 different vehicles.



TVC_DX5678
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Location: Traverse City, MI
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Re: WATT

Post by TVC_DX5678 » Wed Feb 13, 2019 4:56 pm

Surprisingly, the translator comes in to my Long Lake home just fine, as well WLJN's new Cadillac translator on 100.7.



ftballfan
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Re: WATT

Post by ftballfan » Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:12 pm

I've gotten WATT's 106.1 translator as far away as Kaleva



Deleted User 14888

Re: WATT

Post by Deleted User 14888 » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:30 pm

Oh! Look a new station for Senior Citizens WATT Radio, WATT I can’t hear you, WATT did you say, WATT Radio play it loud and proud WATT radio. Did you get that?



jm
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 10:03 pm
Location: Mid Michigan

Re: WATT

Post by jm » Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:40 pm

Any idea where the transmitter is located? From the other reports, I'd guess NW of the city.



wsummers
Posts: 59
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Re: WATT

Post by wsummers » Thu Feb 14, 2019 7:40 pm

jm wrote:
Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:40 pm
Any idea where the transmitter is located? From the other reports, I'd guess NW of the city.
WATT tower southside of town.



innate-in-you
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Re: WATT

Post by innate-in-you » Fri Feb 15, 2019 3:30 pm

Is the Watt Motel still across the street from it?

I do remember, in the late seventies (my peak AM DX days), discovering that their coverage was absolutely awful, I was surprised it could be so bad.

Everywhere in NW lower Michigan, the soil conductivity is nowhere near what is shown on the M3 map. The whole length of M-115 is particularly awful. I'm sure many places literally have 0.1mS/m soil.
The soil between the Platte lakes was so podzolic that my feet would become sore if they got wet after leaving the lake if I didn't rinse then with water soon.



statmanmi
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Re: WATT

Post by statmanmi » Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:33 pm

No, the Watt Motel has been gone for decades. Although, perhaps you're thinking of the resort complex that is across the street (Mackinaw Trail) from the WATT studios. It lives on as Evergreen Resort, as the McGuire family sold it off only a few years ago.

Watt Motel was actually east of the towers, with the driveway off what at the time was US-131, now Business 131. My father used to deliver mail on the route in that area, and was amazed how long the widowed Mrs. Watt kept the simple motel going.

Cheers, Statmanmi



innate-in-you
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Re: WATT

Post by innate-in-you » Fri Feb 15, 2019 10:51 pm

It was the Watt Motel, and, yes, it was decades ago, but not more than about 25 years.



CK-722
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Re: WATT

Post by CK-722 » Mon Feb 18, 2019 3:26 pm

W291DE is mounted at 21 meters (69 feet) on the WATT tower. It has a nondirectional antenna, despite what it looks like. The near perfect cardioid pattern service area is due entirely to the terrain variations in each direction.

https://fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid=2004 ... 795938&i=2


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CK-722
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Re: WATT

Post by CK-722 » Thu Feb 21, 2019 8:06 am

I remember seeing the WATT Motel when I was younger. How long has it been gone?

When I was about 8 years old, I remember that I had written down some call letters of Flint Area radio stations on an erasable blackboard that was also a desktop. A girl from my neighborhood added "WATT". She said she had stayed somewhere Up North where WATT was the leading radio station. Maybe they stayed at the WATT Motel.

Does anyone have a picture of the WATT Motel? I seem to remember a Neon sign in front of it identifying it as the WATT. Did Les Biederman own it also?

Then of course, John Fetzer had WWTV and WWTV-FM, and later WWAM. I remember the morning man on WWTV-FM kept referring to it as "This is WWAM and WWTV-FM Cadillac". It gave the impression that there were three stations being IDed.


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.

Trophyhead
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Re: WATT

Post by Trophyhead » Thu Feb 21, 2019 2:24 pm

The WATT Motel was on the same side of the street as the WATT/96.7 FM studios on the Mackinaw Trail. The regional DNR office is on that same side of the road, and what was the McGuire's Resort was across the street. The WATT Motel is gone, it was on the downslope of the trail, as it headed to what is now Business US-131. McGuire's is now known as the Evergreen Resort.



tvbobn
Posts: 154
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Re: WATT

Post by tvbobn » Mon Feb 25, 2019 1:27 pm

History of WATT-AM: 1945: On air, owner is Les Biederman. Station is part of Paul Bunyan Network of stations in northern Michigan that included WTCM Traverse City, WATZ Alpena, WMBN Petoskey, and WATC Gaylord.

History of WWTV-FM (Read from the bottom up):

9/28/2009: Format change to contemporary hits as Z93 Hits.

3/2008: Format evolves into Hot Adult Contemporary.

2006: Most smooth jazz is removed and format is primarily adult contemporary.

2005: Smooth Jazz format evolves into a Smooth Jazz/Adult Contempory hybrid

3/14/2002: License to cover granted for changes outlined below

12/2001: Begins broadcasting from Kalkaska county facilities, resulting in better signal across Traverse City

7/1/2001: Format change from Country to Smooth Jazz as 'The Breeze'

6/2001: Construction modified, ERP to 100,000 watts

1/2001: Construction permit for the following changes:
- Location change from southeast of Cadillac (in Osceola county) to northeast of Cadillac (in Kalkaska county)
- Class change from C to C1 (ERP from 100,000 to 72,000 watts, HAAT from 311 to 278 meters)
These changes will enable WJKF-FM to better cover the Traverse City area as well as Cadillac

199x: Format change from Middle-of-the-Road to Country

199x: Purchased by Midweastern Broadcasting

1970s: Format is middle of the road/full service.

1968: Format change to Top 40, simulcating sister station WWAM

1961: Calls change to WKJF for new owner John E. Fetzer (Kalmazoo's John Fetzer); Format is beautiful music.

195x: On-air as WWTV-FM, co-owned by Spartan Corporation along with WWTV Channel 13 and WWAM AM 1370.


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Ben Zonia
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Re: WATT

Post by Ben Zonia » Mon Feb 25, 2019 2:24 pm

John DeGroot (Later Owner of WWRM/WKPK, WGRY, WMLQ, and WKZY(now WGLQ)) worked there for a while. Biedermans then brought him to WTCM, before he started WWRM.


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