Persistence? Would appreciate advice

Okay, I have an UID that is bugging the heck out of me and I can't get station ID. I still live in Falls Church, VA- right outside DC. Anyway, in the 6-7 am hour, 91.3 is a mix of two stations- usually only when I'm driving around my parking lot. When I drive a couple blocks down for my morning coffee at MCDonalds, the interference remains. When I drive to Fairfax around 7:30, I only get the Christian station and static. In the evening, after sun down, there's no interference- only Christian.


The Christian station is confirmed through call letters- WAFN from Warrenton, Va. The other is playing an oldies/classic rock format. I would say more oldies because it's light on the rock- James Taylor, Warren Zevon, Elton John, Creedence Clearwater. It's driving me crazy. What do you all do when this happens? I wiki'ed possibilities on 91.3 , but nothing in Virginia, WV, parts of NC, NJ, Maryland, parts of PA or Delaware matches up. Should I widen the radius of possibilities on 91.3? Could it be pirate? Is it possible 91.1 or 91.5 is bleeding to 91.3?

Since the oldies station is strongest in my parking lot, should I consider that it's a really weird occurrence and it's a station more distant than I thought? There's one from Ontario that's a possibility, but the interference is too consistent. Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions, I'd appreciate!

[Jim1348]

Persistence? Would Appreciate Advice

I doubt that it is bleed over. I think most modern FM receivers have decent enough specifications that the station is probably on the frequency you are tuning it on. Pirates are always a possibility. This is just me, but I prefer to use the actual FCC website to identify licensed radio stations.

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsS...Geographic.jsp

[marylynn]

The radio I'm using is from a 2002 Toyota Prius. Would you consider that modern?
I do have confirmed bleed overs in higher frequencies, but it's usually a super powerful station (ex. WTOP 103.5 going over to 103.7, which is static.)

Thanks so much for the FCC link. I will explore!

[Jim1348]

Persistence? Would Appreciate Advice

Yes, from my perspective, that is modern.

[cd637299]

If it helps any, I know that we have a part time pirate on 107.3 which never announces---only music---and, it only operates nights/weekends. This 2nd station you only hear in mornings?? That's odd!

cd

[marylynn]

Okay, I am sitting in my car in my parking lot with 91.3 on. The oldies station started coming in loud and clear a few blocks from home. So I am now sitting here in hopes of getting a station id.

And I get one.... Sixties on Six, then Seventies on Seven. Sirius Satellite Radio....

So, am I accidentally picking up someone's Sirius or is someone local pirating theirs?

[Jim1348]

Persistence? Would Appreciate Advice

Good job. It might not necessarily be a "pirate" in the truest sense of the word, either. I broadcast at home with a transmitter that I bought second hand from someone that did equipment pulls from a fitness club. I did my research at the time and determined it would be legal for me to do. It is simply audio, from a legacy Zentih DTT901 digital converter box, into the transmitter. I can hear it fine throughout my house. If I go to the end of my short driveway, I can still hear it on a vehicle radio, but after that it drops of dramatically, very quickly.

Click on the below URL and see what the latest is. I suspect that legal, low power FM broadcast is still permitted.

https://www.fcc.gov/media/radio/low-...al-information

Oh, and there well me be people here wondering why in the world I would do this. When TV broadcast in the United States was still NTSC, I had a few receivers over the years that would tune in the audio portion of the local TV channels. Why, you ask, I suppose it is a couple of reasons. The ham radio operator in me likes doing something that not everybody does. And, I am something of a news junkie and I ahve liked to be able to listen to local TV news broadcasts in my vehicles.

I still have one the CC Radios, that has analog VHF TV audio channels. I still use it for FM broadcast.

I also has a dandy converter called Auto Talk. I bought several at the time because they were so cheap when I found them on-line. They were pretty simple. It plugged into your AM-FM vehicle radio antenna and they vehicle antenna plugged into this. It needed 12 volts power, too, of course. There was a small keypad that was mounted on the dash. Then, when this thing was power up, you tuned to a specific place on the FM dial and then could tune any VHF or UHF NTSC channel. It worked great.

[cd637299]

Ahhhhh <facepalm> Sirius. We were on vacation almost 2 years ago, and heard Sirius on 87.9 around WV.

cd

[spunker88]

Okay, I am sitting in my car in my parking lot with 91.3 on. The oldies station started coming in loud and clear a few blocks from home. So I am now sitting here in hopes of getting a station id.

And I get one.... Sixties on Six, then Seventies on Seven. Sirius Satellite Radio....

So, am I accidentally picking up someone's Sirius or is someone local pirating theirs?

Sirius/XM make receivers with built in FM transmitters for cars without built in satellite radio. Perhaps its a car in your parking lot and the user forgot to turn off the satellite radio unit. If its a car that keeps the 12V jacks powered after the key is removed this could be the case. But the range shouldn't be that far on these.

[marylynn]

I will ask my husband what thinks the distance is between the places I can pick up the Sirius with WARN interference.

Sadly, DC DXing may soon be gone, as we have fewer and fewer vacant frequencies. Spanish, Christian, political and NPR have taken up everything! And they repeat the same programs, so it's pointless to have all of them.