WRNR 740 AM's New FM transmitter (Martinsburg, Charles Town: station, radio, best)

[venture2000]

This Martinsburg radio station announced that they are about to launch an FM translator on 106.5 to compensate for their crappy AM signal.

Anyone have any info on this? Will the signal reach into Leesburg or Northern VA?

[venture2000]

I called the station today and the new transmitter will go online this fall. The station is using it to augment their AM frequency that is worthless after sundown. Unfortunately the new 106.5 frequency will have the same footprint as the AM signal which means it won't extend much into northern VA because there is a FM station on the same frequency in Baltimore.

[venture2000]

Monday afternoon at 5PM WRNR activated their 106.5 translator. Allowing Martinsburg listeners to hear the station after sunset. Apparently the signal strength for the translator is not that strong because Charles Town and Ranson residents in Jefferson county can still hear Mix 106.5 from Baltimore MD on that frequency.

In retrospect, they should have found an unused FM frequency that would have given them a better listening radius.

[snorpus]

Originally Posted by venture2000

Monday afternoon at 5PM WRNR activated their 106.5 translator. Allowing Martinsburg listeners to hear the station after sunset. Apparently the signal strength for the translator is not that strong because Charles Town and Ranson residents in Jefferson county can still hear Mix 106.5 from Baltimore MD on that frequency.

In retrospect, they should have found an unused FM frequency that would have given them a better listening radius.

Most translators have low power levels, and are intended to cover only a limited geographic area; a radius of 10-15 miles is typical.

Siting of broadcast stations is very complex. The FCC has rules as to allowable power levels, signal strength, antenna directivity, and so forth, in order to protect existing licensees. Not only must co-channel interference be avoided, but also first and second adjacent channels.

In the DC exurbs, I doubt that there's such a thing as an unused frequency. They probably did the best they could, under the circumstances.