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WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Discussion pertaining to Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Battle Creek, Big Rapids, and Michiana
Trophyhead
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by Trophyhead » Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:18 pm

You will have a report regarding Big Rapids reception on 96.9 in a matter of hours. I remember working as a kid in Cadillac, in the days of Aris and Prudence and shows like Clambake and Music to Watch Cartoons By, where you could pull LAV when you came down 131 to Reed City, and over north of Mount Pleasant on 127. It is a far cry from the talent roster I described, now, but this is about technology, not ambience.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Feb 17, 2020 3:42 pm

Thank you for your willingness to provide us a reception report. :)

The radio station refuses to provide this info to its listeners on its own social media, so it'll be great to have that info available here.



CK-722
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by CK-722 » Mon Feb 17, 2020 4:13 pm

WGRD-FM is short spaced to WCKL, WKCQ, and WJLB. Under the old Section 73.213 rules, they could run 20 kW/500 feet, 13 kW at their HAAT, nondirectional. They did apply to go to 30 kW DA. I don't know how far it got. J.J. Duling said that they were concerned about Kalamazoo. They may have done modeling, and the reductions in an actual composite pattern made the situation worse than 20/500, or 13/actual HAAT nondirectional. So that's why they stayed nondirectional.

J.J. During was impressed that my Sony Portable picked up WGRD-FM in Big Rapids, though WLAV-FM was quite a bit better.


Is THAT where they got the idea for the 486-SX?

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MWmetalhead
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:06 pm

I could've sworn WGRD did indeed use a directional antenna for much of the 1980's, only to go 13 kW omni toward the end of the decade.

I'm too lazy to look at the history cards right now.

Once upon a time, WGRD did have a sizable audience in the Kalamazoo area. They usually pulled about a 3 share, sometimes more. By the early 00's, that audience largely vanished.

My reception of WGRD along I-94 in Kalamazoo County has long been inconsistent, and often, is not very good. A little farther north - near WMU, for instance - I imagine reception is better. Seemed a bit more reliable 20 years ago than today.



CK-722
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by CK-722 » Mon Feb 17, 2020 7:53 pm

The History Cards don't show much past 1980. But I think they backed out after the CP was issued.

http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/c ... r_id=81091

Although they had a couple applications, CPs, and Extensions for 30 kW DA, it is not clear whether they licensed it. At one point, it would have required 3 nulls to 13 kW or less, and it would have taken at least a 30 degree arc with reduced ERP (2 dB per 10 degrees) around the nulls in those directions toward Chicago, Saginaw, and Detroit. They were all in the 20 kW Zone. WLAV-FM was in the 50 kW Zone, just barely, 125 miles.

Maybe Bosco knows for sure.


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.

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CK-722
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by CK-722 » Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:22 pm

I printed it all out again including the old Section 73.213 and it looks like they were, though short spaced, in the full 50 kW power zones toward WKCQ (80 miles) and WJLB (125 miles), but in the 20 kW Zone toward WSDM/WLUP/WCKL. I got to thinking about WJLB and WKCQ needing no short spaced agreements like WJR/WDVD and WBCM/WHNN, WNEM/WGER/WIOG and WBRB...WDKL, and WABX...WYCD and WQDC...WUGN. It then occurred to me that WGRD was in the 50 kW Zone also.


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: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by Trophyhead » Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:05 pm

Got a little distracted by car trouble last evening, here's my take on LAV's signal range.

In the city of Big Rapids, Ferris State campus area, not really listenable. Knew it was LAV, my RDS wasn't saying so.

Several miles south, where Old 131 approaches the Muskegon River, patchy, stereo light flashed on and off.

By the Parkers' Landing/Eight Mile Road freeway interchange, RDS is rolling, Rob Brandt was talking, (think his promo card about the Def Leppard/ZZ Top "win it before you can buy it" activities had the wrong show date, right one's Friday, Oct. 9) signal improved.

Much better by 6 Mile Road, or 131's mile marker 129. That's compared to the fuzz that came through on this frequency in that vicinity prior to the power-up. Will try to verify all these contentions on tonight's ride home, on the Lumina's stock Delco.



CK-722
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by CK-722 » Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:50 pm

Trophyhead wrote:
Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:05 pm
Got a little distracted by car trouble last evening, here's my take on LAV's signal range.

In the city of Big Rapids, Ferris State campus area, not really listenable. Knew it was LAV, my RDS wasn't saying so.

Several miles south, where Old 131 approaches the Muskegon River, patchy, stereo light flashed on and off.

By the Parkers' Landing/Eight Mile Road freeway interchange, RDS is rolling, Rob Brandt was talking, (think his promo card about the Def Leppard/ZZ Top "win it before you can buy it" activities had the wrong show date, right one's Friday, Oct. 9) signal improved.

Much better by 6 Mile Road, or 131's mile marker 129. That's compared to the fuzz that came through on this frequency in that vicinity prior to the power-up. Will try to verify all these contentions on tonight's ride home, on the Lumina's stock Delco.
The Muskegon River Valley is the main reason it's hard to receive in Big Rapids proper. Once you get South of the Water Tower and the Campus, the High Banks, toward the WBRN tower, the elevation is higher.


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.

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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by MWmetalhead » Tue Feb 18, 2020 5:48 pm

By the Parkers' Landing/Eight Mile Road freeway interchange, RDS is rolling, Rob Brandt was talking, (think his promo card about the Def Leppard/ZZ Top "win it before you can buy it" activities had the wrong show date, right one's Friday, Oct. 9) signal improved.

Much better by 6 Mile Road, or 131's mile marker 129. That's compared to the fuzz that came through on this frequency in that vicinity prior to the power-up. Will try to verify all these contentions on tonight's ride home, on the Lumina's stock Delco.
I appreciate the report.

A lot Chevy sedans from back in the day (and even some very recent ones) have stock radios with just "OK" reception sensitivity. Some folks may be able to get the signal decently for an extra four or five miles. I do agree that reception in Big Rapids proper will be a big challenge for just about everyone.

A number of GR area FM signals always seem to crap out somewhere between mile marker 131 and 136. B93 always used to be listenable to the Mecosta - Osceola border without issue until WKAD came on the air. Star 105.7? Ditto, until they moved to a different tower and lost about 250 feet worth of elevation. Now, Star 105.7 usually craps out in the same mile marker 131 to 136 zone. WGRD and WFGR both crap out in that zone. WMRR does, too!

Big Rapids gets a lot of pop music from GR & Muskegon area stations - 95.7, 104.5 & 105.3 all make it up there. I'm guessing 101.3, 106.9 and 107.3 are the only other three commercial FM stations from GR / Muskegon that can be heard up there halfway reliably. 93.7, too, if listening indoors.

I'm sure Rewind 99.1 is pretty happy about WLAV no longer being receivable up that way. They likely have already picked up plenty of new listeners.



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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by CK-722 » Tue Feb 18, 2020 6:19 pm

"Uncle Paul" Harvey was a favorite in Big Rapids on WLAV-FM back in the day. Students in the high rise dormitories may have been able to hear it pretty well.


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: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by Trophyhead » Wed Feb 19, 2020 11:37 am

I was surprised how well the Delco held "Rewind 99.1" on my travels south, Tuesday. It was listenable down to the Howard City exit, about six miles further south than my Prius' reception. LAV presented very similar signal parameters to what I had noticed on Monday.

Still no meat on the bone, funny-wise in the Tony Gates Morning Show promo I heard yesterday. I'm not against anyone earning a check down the stretch of their radio careers, most pleased to hear Diamond Dave Murray in voicework on KLQ ads during the evening.



statmanmi
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - Complete Feb. 2020

Post by statmanmi » Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:35 am

Hi All,

Saturday morning (2/22) LAV had the recorded promotional sounders between many songs touting that this relocation effort is complete. Examples (all provided by the same female voice):

We're back, and at 100% power.

Loud and proud, and back at 100% power baby!

Tell your friends--LAV is back, and at 100% power.


Indeed, I was receiving them without any glitches while driving past the Greenville Meijer (just west of downtown--had no reason to be further east this trip), all the way into the north and east sides of Grand Rapids. RDS was always being received as well, with accurate artist and song information. (Prompting me to realize that the new-to-us commuter/teen car has a better stereo than my usual daily driver.)

Cheers! ~~ Statmanmi



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MWmetalhead
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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:44 am

It's good that they're finally letting listeners know on their airwaves, but why is there zero mention on their Facebook page and web site?

Once again, HORRIBLE OPERATIONAL EXECUTION from Cumulus. (Did I mention that they were operating at well below maximum Class B power for 19 straight months despite initially promising listeners that the signal would be back to normal within a few short months?)

I guess they are too busy putting their eggs in the basket of touting 105.3's low rated morning show.



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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by cckadlec » Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:13 pm

Trophyhead wrote:
Wed Feb 19, 2020 11:37 am
I was surprised how well the Delco held "Rewind 99.1" on my travels south, Tuesday. It was listenable down to the Howard City exit, about six miles further south than my Prius' reception. LAV presented very similar signal parameters to what I had noticed on Monday.
It's not listenable here in Fremont at all, but that station gets out really far everywhere else with the higher elevations and the flatter terrain inland. I can hear it on the portable if I'm aiming in that direction, but on the car radio, it can't get through WMYX, aside from on crappy winter days when conditions are bad and it has more of an opening to peek through. No problem with 107.7 here though, if one were to turn off the 107.9 IBOC to make it clear. 96.5 (//107.7) was the same - very reliable - for the brief time they were on the air last year, and without IBOC issues.


[ Radio and weather geeks, beware! Coastal tropo studies, the 3-hr. Seoul AM Radio Listening Guide, 6-hr. 500 Top-of-Hour IDs, and Chinese FM at www.chriskadlec.comTuner: Grundig G8 • Location: Fremont, Mich. ]

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Re: WLAV Tower Relocation - new update 7/29

Post by weathernut » Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:38 am

Reception of WLAV to the SW: Driving north on 196 started to notice them at M-140 about 3 miles due south of South Haven. Signal gained strength quickly and by the time I was driving past the Phoenix Street exit(bus196), it was fairly clear with sporadic static. To the NW strong signal to about the New Era exit. Static makes an appearance between New Era and Shelby, but not too noticeable. From Shelby to just south of Hart/Mears exit, static becomes common. And just like most GR stations, drops at Hart.



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