FM in mono

[CAwasinNJ]

I doubt KNRS-1 is actually pulling the signal from the main KNRS for a few reasons. One, that's technically very difficult to near impossible. They're broadcasting on the same frequency that they'd be picking up the source on. If the source and the output were 180 degrees apart then maybe. That's not the case here. Two, their FCC filings say they will feed it by microwave. I think just nobody bothered to turn it off.

The only discussions I've had have been with engineers who turned the pilot off due to distance requirements, not due to multipath, so I'll take your word that it makes a difference there. That would certainly be something to take into consideration in Summit County. Multipath must be hell there.

I think most people notice, but don't know even what it is they're noticing or know enough to ask for something specific to fix. For example, B98.7 has almost no separation at all yet does pretty well. The have the stereo pilot, so people probably assume it's stereo and that's just how it is, just like with your KUGR example. Another example was the radio of a friend of mine back some years ago. Sitting on the couch I could tell something was wrong with the sound from the stereo component system. Getting closer I could immediately tell that the speakers were wired out of phase. I said I could fix it pretty quickly and just flipped one set of wires. Friend was very happy and had no idea about how polarity worked or why it was important or whatever. There's also the issue of talk programming traditionally being mono. AM for most people is mono and always has been. If you're used to talk in mono, you wouldn't even notice that there's an alternative when you're on FM.

[CAwasinNJ]

The technical specifications for KSL-FM and KNRS-FM are exactly the same. They even use the same antenna, I think.

[David]

Oh boy . . . looks like I opened Pandora's Box with my comment about KNRS-FM broadcasting a mono signal now that they're a talk station.

As I recall, KYFO-FM has had a mono signal for years . . . at least since the early 1990's, perhaps even back in the days when the station was still known as KJQ-FM. And I seem to remember reading on one of the boards about Salt Lake/Ogden/Provo radio that the stereo pilot was switched off to give the station additional range. It seems to be working--I believe the KYFO-FM signal can be heard all the way to the Idaho boarder if you have a car radio with above average FM sensitivity.

[michaeljwyo]

Yeah KYFO has been mono since they took over in the early 90s. I was a KJQ listener...even once they changed to the Killer Bee (remember that??)....and they were stereo. The religious folks turned off the stereo pilot when they took over. KYFO's signal is subject to more multi-path because it's height isn't as high because of their site on Little Mountain west of Ogden. However it's pretty much an unobstructed path to the Idaho border. Even when it was KJQ and was in stereo you could get them way up to the Idaho border. Their problem was always getting into the Salt Lake valley....Antelope Island is in the way. Maybe the folks at KYFO figured turning off the stereo would help with that....they ARE 100,000 watts so there IS enough bounce off of the wasatch mountains to kinda get into the valley but there's a good deal of static and multi-path. They also always had a translator in Salt Lake .... not sure if that one is still on. I thought it was 92.7....that may have gone away when KUUU moved to 92.5.
And yes I stand corrected.....duh! The boosters are fed via microwave or some other means...they don't pick up an OTA signal like a translator. My bad. I still think the stereo generator on the booster on Lewis is on...because there's a stereo pilot on 105.7....whereas in the valley, it's not there.

Michael n Wyo

[CAwasinNJ]

The KYFO 92.7 booster was booted off when KUUU moved, except for a day or two a few months later when it mysteriously came back on for some reason. It disappeared again quickly though. It moved around a few times before settling on 91.3 (as K217FQ), where it's still mono. The odd part is that KYFO also has a booster on Ensign Peak to fill in to Salt Lake. They're running both. Theoretically the booster has more coverage, but it isn't by much. I would have thought they'd make the booster something else by now to eliminate the redundancy, but apparently not. A good choice might be to make a deal with 1010 KIHU.

[dxstuboy]

I would argue the translator (91.3) does a better job covering SLC then the booster. 95.5 comes in scratchy here, and I've never been able to get it to 3 bars on my radio (the highest signal). My receiver may be picking up the main though, not the booster, I can't tell. 91.3 on the other hand is clear as a bell from my location near Millcreek.

As far as multipath, this could be the reason the PC boosters sound off on my car's radio. I'll have to check 105.7 the next time I'm over that way, I don't recall it being in stereo or not but I believe Michael.

[CAwasinNJ]

At your location, you might actually be picking up both KYFO's main and booster, and with the differences in distances it might a case of destructive interference almost canceling each other out.

(Illustration below. The two waves at the bottom combine to form the "wave" on top. One would be the main and the other the booster. You see what happens. Photo stolen from Wikipedia.)

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