WJLI 98.3 tx site

[NN2E]

Here we are, 8 months later and the tower lights are still working... A new world record.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

*GASP!*... The tower light is back on, again! It's in 'blink' mode now but, al least it's working... How long will it last, this time?

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

When driving around shooting holes in road signs just isn't enough...

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[antennanut]

Shooting at tower lights??? That's an odd pastime!

[NN2E]

Well, that didn't take long... The tower light is out, again... Why am I not surprised.

I think I know the trouble...

It's kinda hard to tell from this distance (abt 4 mi) but the tower light appeared to be 'modulated' (the light was flickering) by the FM RF. I suspect the high power RF was causing the light to operate way over it's intended voltage thus causing the premature failure of the bulb(s). I think some RF chokes, on the ac line going into the light assembly, would cure the problem.

But then... It could be one of the local white-trash meth-heads put a bullet through it... In my years of climbing towers I've seen a few marker light assemblies just riddled with bullet holes. :-(

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

Breaking News !... Rare sighting !...

Pictures 004.jpg

... The little red dot, you see in the middle of this picture, is actually WJLI's top tower light... It hasn't been on since April of 2016... Nearly 2 & 1/2 years... The last time it went out it took about 5 years before it was fixed... Any bets on how long it lasts?... My bet is: Not very.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

"The River Region's Rocker, Rock ninety-eight point three, WJLI"...

...Is the ID I heard this morning.

I really don't spend much time listening to this station. As with so many stations, you can tell they're working from a 'play list' that their 12 year old program director has gotten from his radio demographic research consultant nerds. Listen, for a few days, and you'll hear everything they're ever going to play. It's just too predictable.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

WJLI went back to normal operation a few hours after my last post. I checked it today (on a receiver with no antenna) and I can hear it, just fine.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

Is WJLI up like normal, I think I may have heard them today, I had a station ID as "Rock 98" and this is what I think it may be but its not too close to where I had tropo to.

[NN2E]

As I type WJLI is in the midst of a seizure... No audio, distorted audio, snap-crackle-pop, psssst, crunch, burp, pow, bzzzzt, etc... Wonder how long this is gonna go on. Still not surprised.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

Just a quick update... Well, here we are nearly a year later and the top tower light is still out. Are we surprised? Probably not.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

WJLI has been back to full power since the end of April. The top tower light, however, is still out and, if history is any indication, it'll be years before it's fixed.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[Rrrrzzzz419]

Have they fixed WJLI as of yet? Fairly recently I have heard WJLI in NE MS but now that WLXA(also on 98.3) has moved its tower further south, WJLI has more competition, though I have still heard it at least some there.

[NN2E]

Uh-oh... I looked to the south, last night, and guess what?... Yup, you're right, the tower lights are out, again. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted. I wonder if it'll take another five years to fix them, this time.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds

[NN2E]

That's funny... Running an FM station on an extension cord... That's a good one. :-)

Many years ago, I was involved in de-bugging an FM tx.... It kept tripping the circuit breaker on the power amp side of the cabinet. We determined the HV transformer had a primary that was shorted to ground. So, replace the xformer, right?... well, um, no... We unbolted the xformer from the chassis, jacked it up, stuffed a slab of wood in under it, plopped it back down, and left the mounting bolts out of it. Problem solved. I'll bet that tx is still running just the way we left it.

73, Ed NN2E
Owner / Operator - Murphy's Law Test Site & Thunderstorm Proving Grounds