W275BH Better Hurry Up With CP

[Laurence Glavin]

Sunday evening, July 21st, I noticed that several FM stations in Maine were coming in better than
usual. Several powerful FMs up there like WFNK 107.5 and WJJB 96.3 were quite strong, and I even picked
up WARX 93.9 by finagling my antenna slightly to minimize WEEI-FM 93.7. Even a weaker signal like
WSEW 87.7, which normally provides a sew-sew signal where I live was noticeably stronger than usual.
So I wondered if by chance WBLM 102.9 was interfering with WNNW 800's translator W275BH 102.9,
and it definitely was. Just a slight movement of the antenna I use on my main FM receiver for music
caused W275BH, whose antenna is only a couple of miles away, to disappear, replaced by WBLM.
I then tried a cheap radio with a rotary dial, and WBLM came in right over W275BH. WNNW's
owners have received a CP to boost W275BH's ERP to 250 watts H&V with a directional antenna
that nonetheless seems to put full signal strength due north all the way around toward Wilmington.
I'm assuming they'll have to install a brand-new antenna to do it and it seems to me that now is
the time to do it while FM signals from all over the place are enjoying extended coverage
during the hot weather months, including 102.9 FMs in Maine of course and Hartford, CT.