New translator at 103.9 for "Freeport" UT

[CAwasinNJ]

I didn't understand this when it was applied for. I still don't, but a translator for the COL of Freeport UT has been granted. The problem is that as far as I can tell there IS no community called Freeport. There's an area called Freeport Center over in the Clearfield/Layton area which I think is what they're referring to, but how does that qualify? Oh well. Communities of license are mostly an FCC fiction anyway. (I remember a "Provo" booster for KUDD when the main was still over by Promontory. The booster was north of Salt Lake and didn't go anywhere near Provo.)

In any case, if you're in southern Weber or in Davis County you can look forward to KUTR 820 on 103.9 in the future.

[David]

It's nothing that I'm looking forward to . . . I guess I can forget about hearing KGNT 103.9 once the translator for KUTR goes on the air. I know, I'm not located in the primary service area for KGNT, but that doesn't stop me from listening.

[friendlee]

I remember when KVEZ 103.9 signed on in 1983....there was a lot of upset over being so close to 103.5 both geographically and as second adjacent. How can anyone shoehorn a translator in that close to a full-power? What is that - maybe 15-20 miles as the crow flies? If that?

[CAwasinNJ]

David, you'll have to see. You're kindof in the middle between the two coverage areas. If you can't hear KGNT you can find a complaint and see if the new translator can be taken off the air. There's also the move that KGNT is supposed to make to 99.1 but who knows if that will ever actually happen.

Friend, you're talking about how the translator can be so close to KGNT, right? I'm not sure about the spacing requirements for translators and I can't find them right now. I think it's that the contours can't overlap and they don't even come close. The new translator (K280GX) is almost 50 miles from the KGNT transmitter and KGNT is only a class A. Back when KUDE was on 103.9 the area where K280GX is going would be about the area where you would lose KUDE heading north and KGNT would start coming in.

[friendlee]

I wasn't wondering about the math so much as I just recall the ruckus that was called up by CV 103.5 listeners and 103.5 station ownership (yes I know who it was at that time) when 103.9 signed on nearly 90 miles away. K280GX is much closer than that but most radios now are pretty good at second-adjacent rejection unless you are in the near-field so maybe it's not as much as an issue.

[CAwasinNJ]

I agree it isn't much of an issue. I can point to a translator that you know quite well. K244DH is less than a half mile from KZHT and only a few miles from KXRK. It's lower power but it seems to be doing just fine.