Bad news for DXers: IBOC Back on 93.7 (also still on 105.7)

[Laurence Glavin]

>DATE: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 23:50:19 
>From: "Jeff Lehmann" <jjlehmann@comcast.net>
>To: "'BRI'" <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>

>Bad news for DXers. 
>IBOC, or as I like to call it "Incredibly Bad Outrageous Crap" is back
>on 93.7 WQSX. From my location here on the South Shore, loud white noise
>is completely covering 93.5 and 93.9. Luckily I have a selective tuner,
>or it'd probably be worse. I remember last time they tested it, I saw
>some reports of people having trouble hearing WHJY in places where it's
>normally fine, I guess that will be happening again.
>
>Jeff Lehmann
>Hanson, MA

I don't do real DX-ing with FM much anymore.  I remember
when the FM dial had empty patches, and some FM's signed off at
midnight (WCCM-FM,now WQSX, would sign off at about 9:00
PM except for an Irish music show.).
Then, even outside of atmosphereic or tropo bumps,
I could pick up FM's from NYC, even NJ actually transmitting 
from NJ.  In the transition from WXHR 96.9 to the original
WJIB-FM, 96.9 was silent for a few days and I could pick up the
96.9 in Verdun, PQ.  I had a doctor's appoinment today
(sorry humorless, feeble-minded holy rollers...it looks as though
I'll live a bit longer) and had the opportunity
to listen to Laura Ingraham live on WTPL-FM 107.7 in
Hillsboro, NH.  This is where the directional nature of
FM antennas comes in.  Of course KISS108 blasts over WTPL
with my antenna facing Boston.  Pointing it ESE weakens
 both 
outlets, but at an ENE orientation, I get WTPL very
well (stereo squelched).  I'm guessing the 93.5 FM you're
attempting to pick up is the one on Cape Cod, and 
a directional FM receiving antenna should squelch QSX's 
adjacents.  I don't know of any 93.9's ecept in Maine
and you'd be facing the 93.7 tower in Peabody...the 93.9 
in Franklin County, MA would probably be unreceivable anyway.
The other adjacency separation I utilize is to separate
Boston's WERS at 89.9, and NHPS's WEVO at 89.1.  On the
latter I tape NPR's "ON the Media" (no longer on WBUR;
there's a story that goes with that, but never mind)
Sundays just before LTAR.  All of this is to note that
sometimes reception problems on adjacent FM channels can be fixed with
the right receving antenna...on AM, sometimes you can
move a radio with a built-in antenna 45 degrees and separate
adjacent signals usually during the daytime, but results
are often less than satisfactory.  (As strong as WCEC-AM 1110
is at my home, judicious positioning of the portable
GE radio I use for LTAR is also able to pull in WBNW-AM 1120
days.)


Laurence Glavin
Methuen, MA



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