WKBC

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I have been meaning to ask this for a few months.

Coming home from the ArkSt football game I was able to listen to the post-game show and then music all the way home. I generally lose the station around the Forsyth/Guilford county line on either Bus-40 or I-40. Sometimes I can pick the station up until around the PTI area. I live near the I-40/I-85 split on the east side of Guilford County. That was at the time a record for distance from their transmitter.

Then early in the basketball season I had the station reasonably clear into Alamance County and I think I was nearly to Holly Hill Mall. It was cutting in and out but I still could follow the game. I know the evening/nighttime hours helped and the atmospheric conditions aligned both days. Yesterday I was trying to get the game on the radio heading home from Lawndale in Greensboro and - nothing but static.

So what are the extremes in picking up the flagship station in our radio network?

Here is their transmitter for the curious. Zoom out to get an idea of the location.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/36%C2 ... :0x0?hl=en

[Dmanuhone]

would be great if they would go iheart or something similar

[NewApp]

I have been meaning to ask this for a few months.

Coming home from the ArkSt football game I was able to listen to the post-game show and then music all the way home. I generally lose the station around the Forsyth/Guilford county line on either Bus-40 or I-40. Sometimes I can pick the station up until around the PTI area. I live near the I-40/I-85 split on the east side of Guilford County. That was at the time a record for distance from their transmitter.

Then early in the basketball season I had the station reasonably clear into Alamance County and I think I was nearly to Holly Hill Mall. It was cutting in and out but I still could follow the game. I know the evening/nighttime hours helped and the atmospheric conditions aligned both days. Yesterday I was trying to get the game on the radio heading home from Lawndale in Greensboro and - nothing but static.

So what are the extremes in picking up the flagship station in our radio network?

Here is their transmitter for the curious. Zoom out to get an idea of the location.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/36%C2 ... :0x0?hl=en

To sum it up, it's just spotty. I can pick it better in my cheap little truck than I can in my car and can pick it up in my house crystal clear all the time, but of course my radio is pretty special although cheap. S350DL by Grundig. When I am in Randolph County, I can get it clearly until I get to my son's house then there is only one or so spots in the driveway that I can pick it up.
Being in science I'm sure you know that FM is line of sight thus it doesn't bounce off clouds very readily nor man made objects and/or terrain. That makes a huge difference regarding reception.
An aside, when just a kid, we could pick up a Florence TV station although it was farther than Greensboro's WFMY. The reason being, there was a water tower in the way and it blocked and/or distorted the FM sound transmission of the TV station.

[appst89]

I picked it up here

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I picked it up here

That is impressive. They advertise the signal goes into 5 states or some such, thought that would have to be the very corner of Kentucky. Maybe they mention 4 states being Tenn, Va, NC and SC.

I have seen maps online of their signal area at different times of the day. I am not part of that area. Normally I get something on 97.3 that might be 97.5 out of Carrboro or 97.1 out of Greensboro. I am hearing something at times that is my WKBC on their frequency. Often it is just static.

[asu66]

Living in Wilkesboro for more than 30 years, this has come up quite a bit in local discussions. The engineers at WKBC say that interference from stations with the same or adjacent band assignments is the cause for the KBC signal to fade in and out or to get blocked completely in fringe areas for their transmissions. Check the stations just in NC for those broadcasting at or near 97.3 FM. I haven't even checked similar broadcast bands in VA, TN and SC.

WKKT 96.9 FM Statesville Capstar TX LLC Country
WWPL 96.9 FM Goldsboro New Age Communications, Ltd. Top 40 (CHR)
WICE-LP 97.1 FM Hendersonville Ebenezer Pentecostal Radio Service Religious
WQMG 97.1 FM Greensboro Entercom License, LLC Urban AC
WYND-FM 97.1 FM Hatteras Educational Media Foundation Contemporary Christian
WBIC-LP 97.3 FM Wilson Tabernacle Baptist Church of Wilson, North Carolina
WFHC-LP 97.3 FM Hendersonville JBN Inc. Religious
WKBC-FM 97.3 FM North Wilkesboro Wilkes Broadcasting Company, Inc. Hot AC
WMNX 97.3 FM Wilmington Cumulus Licensing LLC Mainstream urban
WQOK 97.5 FM Carrboro Radio One Licenses, LLC Mainstream urban
WGTI 97.7 FM Winfall Educational Media Foundation Religious
WZKT 97.7 FM Walnut Creek New Age Communications, Inc. Country
WBYJ-LP 97.9 FM Burlington Burlington Christian Radio, Inc. Christian
WJOF-LP 97.9 FM Liberty Health and Liberty, Inc. Religious
WNBB 97.9 FM Bayboro Coastal Carolina Radio, LLC -
WPEG 97.9 FM Concord WPOW License Limited Partnership Mainstream urban
WTRG 97.9 FM Gaston First Media Radio, LLC Oldies & Beach Music
WOBX-FM 98.1 FM Manteo Est Carolina Radio, Inc. Sports
WQSM 98.1 FM Fayetteville Cumulus Licensing LLC Hot AC
WDLZ 98.3 FM Murfreesboro First Media Radio, LLC Adult contemporary
WEHB-LP 98.3 FM Wadesboro First United Methodist Church Religious
WIST-FM 98.3 FM Thomasville WEAM Quality Radio Corp. Spanish Language/Latino
WLGT 98.3 FM Washington Media East, LLC Christian radio
WUIN 98.3 FM Oak Island Davis Media, LLC Adult Alternative
WDWG 98.5 FM Rocky Mount First Media Radio, LLC Country
WRMR 98.7 FM Jacksonville Sunrise Broadcasting, LLC Modern rock
WSMW 98.7 FM Greensboro Entercom License, LLC

[hapapp]

I picked it up here

Tazewell County or Buchanan County?

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Living in Wilkesboro for more than 30 years,

I had no idea where you live, but for some reason I was not imaging Wilkesboro.

[appst89]

I picked it up here

Tazewell County or Buchanan County?

Buchanan.

[NewApp]

Living in Wilkesboro for more than 30 years, this has come up quite a bit in local discussions. The engineers at WKBC say that interference from stations with the same or adjacent band assignments is the cause for the KBC signal to fade in and out or to get blocked completely in fringe areas for their transmissions. Check the stations just in NC for those broadcasting at or near 97.3 FM. I haven't even checked similar broadcast bands in VA, TN and SC.

WKKT 96.9 FM Statesville Capstar TX LLC Country
WWPL 96.9 FM Goldsboro New Age Communications, Ltd. Top 40 (CHR)
WICE-LP 97.1 FM Hendersonville Ebenezer Pentecostal Radio Service Religious
WQMG 97.1 FM Greensboro Entercom License, LLC Urban AC
WYND-FM 97.1 FM Hatteras Educational Media Foundation Contemporary Christian
WBIC-LP 97.3 FM Wilson Tabernacle Baptist Church of Wilson, North Carolina
WFHC-LP 97.3 FM Hendersonville JBN Inc. Religious
WKBC-FM 97.3 FM North Wilkesboro Wilkes Broadcasting Company, Inc. Hot AC
WMNX 97.3 FM Wilmington Cumulus Licensing LLC Mainstream urban
WQOK 97.5 FM Carrboro Radio One Licenses, LLC Mainstream urban
WGTI 97.7 FM Winfall Educational Media Foundation Religious
WZKT 97.7 FM Walnut Creek New Age Communications, Inc. Country
WBYJ-LP 97.9 FM Burlington Burlington Christian Radio, Inc. Christian
WJOF-LP 97.9 FM Liberty Health and Liberty, Inc. Religious
WNBB 97.9 FM Bayboro Coastal Carolina Radio, LLC -
WPEG 97.9 FM Concord WPOW License Limited Partnership Mainstream urban
WTRG 97.9 FM Gaston First Media Radio, LLC Oldies & Beach Music
WOBX-FM 98.1 FM Manteo Est Carolina Radio, Inc. Sports
WQSM 98.1 FM Fayetteville Cumulus Licensing LLC Hot AC
WDLZ 98.3 FM Murfreesboro First Media Radio, LLC Adult contemporary
WEHB-LP 98.3 FM Wadesboro First United Methodist Church Religious
WIST-FM 98.3 FM Thomasville WEAM Quality Radio Corp. Spanish Language/Latino
WLGT 98.3 FM Washington Media East, LLC Christian radio
WUIN 98.3 FM Oak Island Davis Media, LLC Adult Alternative
WDWG 98.5 FM Rocky Mount First Media Radio, LLC Country
WRMR 98.7 FM Jacksonville Sunrise Broadcasting, LLC Modern rock
WSMW 98.7 FM Greensboro Entercom License, LLC

There used to be an ethnic station near Concord or so which bled over onto 97.3 which knocked the signal in and out. Finally the FCC clamped down on them.

[asu66]

Living in Wilkesboro for more than 30 years,

I had no idea where you live, but for some reason I was not imaging Wilkesboro.

Guilty and happy about it. Born and raised in Rowan County. Still have family property and kin there. Have spent most of my adult life in Wilkes and Watauga. ASU and The High Country will always be my second home.

BTW, when you get into a discussion with a couple of engineers from KBC-FM about their station's "reach" or its fringe, they quickly get into physics and terms like frequency response, ham and CB radio bleed-over, sensitivity, selectivity and such. That gets over my head in a hurry...more in your realm. I do understand that the FM tuner can lock in on the strongest FM signal available and completely block a weaker signal on the same frequency. The FM antenna on one's receiver is a really big deal. The overall quality of one's receiver is also.

All App fans should be highly appreciative of KBC's support for our athletic program. Having a flagship station broadcasting at 100,000 watts with its tower anchored at an elevation approaching 2,800 ft asl is to die for. Many, perhaps most, east coast D-I programs have no hope for ever having that sort of sports network advantage. And to think--it was once an all-Woody-Durham/UNC-all-the-time-station. We have our now-deceased former AD, Jim Garner, to thank for brokering the earliest changes in the station ownership's loyalties. God rest his soul.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Living in Wilkesboro for more than 30 years,

I had no idea where you live, but for some reason I was not imaging Wilkesboro.

Guilty and happy about it. Born and raised in Rowan County. Still have family property and kin there. Have spent most of my adult life in Wilkes and Watauga. ASU and The High Country will always be my second home.

BTW, when you get into a discussion with a couple of engineers from KBC-FM about their station's "reach" or its fringe, they quickly get into physics and terms like frequency response, ham and CB radio bleed-over, sensitivity, selectivity and such. That gets over my head in a hurry...more in your realm. I do understand that the FM tuner can lock in on the strongest FM signal available and completely block a weaker signal on the same frequency. The FM antenna on one's receiver is a really big deal. The overall quality of one's receiver is also.

All App fans should be highly appreciative of KBC's support for our athletic program. Having a flagship station broadcasting at 100,000 watts with its tower anchored at an elevation approaching 2,800 ft asl is to die for. Many, perhaps most, east coast D-I programs have no hope for ever having that sort of sports network advantage. And to think--it was once an all-Woody-Durham/UNC-all-the-time-station. We have our now-deceased former AD, Jim Garner, to thank for brokering the earliest changes in the station ownership's loyalties. God rest his soul.

I think someone in the past you mentioned Rowan County.

I like that area. Spencer and the trains. Lots of Lutherans in Salisbury. My first teaching job was down the road at A L Brown.

I like the station, and enjoy listening to it as much as anything else if I am not in the mood for NPR if I am in the area that gets the signal.

[wncapp78]

Love 97.3. Comes in on I-40 all the way to Haywood County, and although comes and goes, along the I-81 corridor well into East Tenn. App is indeed fortunate to have WKBC as our Flagship.

[asu66]

I think in the past you mentioned Rowan County.

I like that area. Spencer and the trains. Lots of Lutherans in Salisbury. My first teaching job was down the road at A L Brown.

I like the station, and enjoy listening to it as much as anything else if I am not in the mood for NPR if I am in the area that gets the signal.

Yep. Small world. Spencer is my home town. Graduated from North Rowan. My Dad and Granddad worked for Southern Railway in the Spencer Railyard--hub of the Southern System during the last days of the steam locomotive era and early days of the diesel engine era. [This is now, I'm sure you know, the location of the NC Transportation Museum.] I had no interest in working for the railway, so I moved away after finishing undergrad at App. I really dig trains and still collect SR memorabilia. And, yep, I'm one of those Lutherans, also.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I had a parent at open house about 15 years ago ask me where I was from and then stopped me before I could answer. He guessed between Albemarle and Hickory. I grew up just north of Conover. He had an ear for dialects. I was impressed.

I love Spencer and the NCTM and I think most on here know my being a railfan. I have not been in a few years. Time for a return visit.

[NewApp]

I had a parent at open house about 15 years ago ask me where I was from and then stopped me before I could answer. He guessed between Albemarle and Hickory. I grew up just north of Conover. He had an ear for dialects. I was impressed.

I love Spencer and the NCTM and I think most on here know my being a railfan. I have not been in a few years. Time for a return visit.

McL, I have taken Robert to the Spencer Shops at least a dozen times, starting with the Thomas the Train events when he was a toddler. The last time was when they had the 15 locomotives from rail roads all over the country. Too, I paid extra and we got to ride up front with the engineer (train driver they call them these days.) We also got to fly in a small helicopter.

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

I had a parent at open house about 15 years ago ask me where I was from and then stopped me before I could answer. He guessed between Albemarle and Hickory. I grew up just north of Conover. He had an ear for dialects. I was impressed.

I love Spencer and the NCTM and I think most on here know my being a railfan. I have not been in a few years. Time for a return visit.

McL, I have taken Robert to the Spencer Shops at least a dozen times, starting with the Thomas the Train events when he was a toddler. The last time was when they had the 15 locomotives from rail roads all over the country. Too, I paid extra and we got to ride up front with the engineer (train driver they call them these days.) We also got to fly in a small helicopter.

I missed all the heritage units at Spencer. Both NS and CSX are hurting a bit with the downturn in coal. That may never happen again, since those units are working engines in service around the NS system. It would take some effort and cost to get them all back to Spencer.

I did the ride up front for my birthday back a few years ago. By few years I bet over a decade ago actually.

There is a smaller train museum just south of Durham

http://www.triangletrain.com/

and you can actually drive the train. I have not done this yet, but sounds fun.

[NewApp]

I had a parent at open house about 15 years ago ask me where I was from and then stopped me before I could answer. He guessed between Albemarle and Hickory. I grew up just north of Conover. He had an ear for dialects. I was impressed.

I love Spencer and the NCTM and I think most on here know my being a railfan. I have not been in a few years. Time for a return visit.

McL, I have taken Robert to the Spencer Shops at least a dozen times, starting with the Thomas the Train events when he was a toddler. The last time was when they had the 15 locomotives from rail roads all over the country. Too, I paid extra and we got to ride up front with the engineer (train driver they call them these days.) We also got to fly in a small helicopter.

I missed all the heritage units at Spencer. Both NS and CSX are hurting a bit with the downturn in coal. That may never happen again, since those units are working engines in service around the NS system. It would take some effort and cost to get them all back to Spencer.

I did the ride up front for my birthday back a few years ago. By few years I bet over a decade ago actually.

There is a smaller train museum just south of Durham

http://www.triangletrain.com/

and you can actually drive the train. I have not done this yet, but sounds fun.

CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Southern Railways were represented by classic engines, just like everybody else. It was great even though they had them roped off so you couldn't touch them.

[appmaj]

I think in the past you mentioned Rowan County.

I like that area. Spencer and the trains. Lots of Lutherans in Salisbury. My first teaching job was down the road at A L Brown.

I like the station, and enjoy listening to it as much as anything else if I am not in the mood for NPR if I am in the area that gets the signal.

Yep. Small world. Spencer is my home town. Graduated from North Rowan. My Dad and Granddad worked for Southern Railway in the Spencer Railyard--hub of the Southern System during the last days of the steam locomotive era and early days of the diesel engine era. [This is now, I'm sure you know, the location of the NC Transportation Museum.] I had no interest in working for the railway, so I moved away after finishing undergrad at App. I really dig trains and still collect SR memorabilia. And, yep, I'm one of those Lutherans, also.

West Rowan grad here. Lived in Spencer (West 17th St) until I was 7.