Posted by Matt Locker on October 09, 2009 at 16:26:24:
In Reply to: WQXR 105.9 signal quality posted by Paul Feldstein on October 09, 2009 at 11:17:11:
I did a little before/after experiment with 105.9 and 96.3.
Prior to the flip - did a drive listening to high power/ low modulated classical 96.3 and lower power/ high modulated 105.9.
The area tested is Northern NJ: Paramus/ Oakland/ Franklin Lakes/ Ringwood/ Wanaque/ Wayne/ 287 down to Boonton.
Surprisingly, 105.9 maintained a listenable Signal to noise ratio with fairly little tearing.
96.3, as expected, had it's share of tearing, picket fencing, etc etc.
After the flip, the programming on 96.3 is clear all the way around, and the purist approach is really taking a toll on Classical 105.9.
Out here, the soft passages are lost in carrier noise. The carrier breaks, previously buried in the hot processing of spanish 105.9 are violently loud.
In the house, where I could listen to spanish 105.9, now the noise just drowns out all but the loudest portions of Classical 105.9.
Without compressing to the point of a pop station, The new 'QXR may have to tighten the dynamics just a bit and raise the mod level...just a bit to help offset some of the power loss and boost the sig to noise ratio...
With today's digital boxes...it is doable without the dreaded processed sound that conflicts with the format...
In the meantime, looks like I need to run some more RG-6 from the roof... :-)
Aisde from that- Glad to see WQXR is still with us! :-)
MattLocker @ a o l