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WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by Bilbo User icon on July 3, 2026, 2:08 pm

The river is off the air after their tower (owned by vertical bridge) collapsed last night.

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/362584/werv-fm-loses-tower-in-storm/

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on July 3, 2026, 5:00 pm, in reply to "WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

353 ft tower, that sucks.

I was wondering why I couldn't get The River at all, along my drive down the entire length of I-294 today.

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 3, 2026, 7:10 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

Were you receiving the translators in Evanston? Or WEFM in Michigan City? Or nothing?

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on July 3, 2026, 7:47 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

I heard a silent carrier near Lake County, and eventually a mash of WEFM, a translator from near Crown Point, and WIQI Watseka.

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 4, 2026, 9:57 am, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

The silent carrier was probably W240EH-FM Evanston. The one that its pattern travels north.

If you are ever in Niles, IL move your car facing East then West (you can try North and South too) and chances are you will flip between the 2 translators in Evanston on 95.9 - you can also do this with a quality portable FM radio.

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by RadTech76 User icon on July 5, 2026, 6:17 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

WERV back on air at least as early as 5:15pm CDT 7/5/26 -- no idea what their backup facilities are, no RDS, about 20 dBu signal strength at Bartlett, IL so 10~12 miles away (?)

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 5, 2026, 6:22 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

Great observation. They either (temporary) procured tower space elsewhere & stuck up a temporary stick, or they are TX off of Joliet area towers? Doubt it is Crystal Lake.

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by RadTech76 User icon on July 5, 2026, 6:54 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

tried DFing (direction finding) - signal seems to be originating from the Aurora area. WSSR's TX in Lockport, actually is approximately 30 counter-clockwise degrees rotation from Aurora so I am guessing backup is not the WSSR 96.7 tower. In addition, that location would probably not be OK with the FCC due to co- and adjacent channel spacing, so backup/STA would need to be relatively close to the site where the tower fell

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on July 5, 2026, 7:13 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

Are there two towers near each other, Northeast of New York st & Farnsworth? They have an “FS” record showing a somewhat shorter HAAT/AGL aux from about the same location…

https://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WERV&filenumber=&state=&city=&freq=88.1&fre2=107.9&serv=&status=&facid=&asrn=&class=&list=0&dist=&dlat2=&mlat2=&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9&ThisTab=Results+to+This+Page%2FTab

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 5, 2026, 7:43 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

I could not hear it at all along 355 mobile. I could not hear it west of 355 on Army Trail Rd, except I heard a few seconds, a few times, of what sounded like WERV pop in as I was driving West. I am in Carol Stream close to Hanover Park right now. I am on the 3rd floor of a tall home, 2 different radios, nada, not even a trace. They must be low on elevation, super directional or on really reduced power and limited range, if RadTech76 can hear them and I can't.

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 5, 2026, 7:59 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

I should have read this closer. 🤦🏻‍♂️ Phil hit it on the spot.

Besides increased height at the main (now down) site, the Continental G5CPS antenna has more gain, more bays and if top mounted has the most gain. The JAM JSCP-2 backup antenna is mounted lower, it is a side mounted antenna (less gain that top mounted), looks like it has less gain than the G5CPS. It might even be directional away from I am at. Might not be maintained. As Jeremy has said recently, there is disrepair everywhere and stations just contract out when they need an engineer. Lot of variables.

Thanks for the info Phil!

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 6, 2026, 1:22 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

RadTech76, is it still on air? The only signal I can hear today is “La Mega” the Evanston translator. In the mobile Woodfield, along 53/355, Hanover Park, Glendale Hts, Carol Stream. It’s wavering in and out but it’s enough to be able to make a copy it’s Spanish and positioners.

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by CADXer User icon on July 6, 2026, 3:43 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

I can't hear WERV at my location either just west of O'Hare. Tried about 15 minutes ago with outdoor FM antenna and all I got was WIQI from Watseka with classic rock and an occasional Spanish speaking station coming in and out.

Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on July 6, 2026, 3:53 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

Posted on the Facebook page for 95.9 The River, there is a short reel of the damage and temporary tower sitting in a driveway.

Link (Facebook): "From tower down to temp tower up, we are 'on the air'."

Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 6, 2026, 5:36 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse"

Thanks for the link Phil. That antenna looks like a 2 meter directional Yagi or a Yagi from the old analog broadcast TV days. No shade, seriously, that is awesome what they did, very quickly.

I realize it is massively hampered due to height and they are a 2850 watt signal, but it is very possible the antenna is directional toward Aurora and Naperville their core listening areas, hence people N & NE can't hear it.

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse

Posted by AirCheckDude User icon on July 6, 2026, 9:14 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse"

Streamwood cant hear it. I hear that Spanish station. Why put an antenna up if most people cant hear it?

Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on July 6, 2026, 10:30 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse"

With this temporary setup, their COL can hear it.

Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 6, 2026, 11:23 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 makeshift tower after collapse"

Why put an antenna up if most people cant hear it?

Commercials and 💲💲💲

If they are off air, they are not airing commercials they are committed to and got paid for. They will not be telling advertisers 80% of our coverage area is gone or we are off the air, they can tell advertisers we are on the air. Make it rain!

Z

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on July 6, 2026, 5:22 pm, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

CADXer, that is pretty cool you can hear WIQI from your spot. That is a pretty long clip. Is it a beam or omni antenna?

You are probably hearing (La Mega) W240DE translator fed by WKTA-AM (link below), not WCGO, which is the other translator on 95.9, but is directional.

Z

Link: https://radio-locator.com/info/W240DE-FX

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by CADXer User icon on July 7, 2026, 9:21 am, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

WYTZZ95FM it's a beam on the roof of my house. Unfortunately the rotor on the antenna is dead, so I have no way of rotating it unless I get on the roof and do it manually. Right now it's pointed SW of me towards Peoria. There was some tropo enhancement yesterday, which would account for the WIQI reception. I can hear W240DE fairly well if I point the antenna straight north. No luck with W240EH (WCGO translator) so far.

Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by CADXer User icon on July 7, 2026, 11:38 am, in reply to "WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

WERV applied for STA with FCC to operate with effective radiated power of 0.37 KW from an antenna with a height above average terrain of 30 meters located at the station's studio:

https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/views/public/fmDraftCopy?displayType=html&appKey=25076f919f23c48f019f39610d247bd3&id=25076f919f23c48f019f39610d247bd3&goBack=N

re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms

Posted by RadTech76 User icon on July 8, 2026, 10:56 am, in reply to "Re: WERV 95.9 tower collapse in last night’s storms"

an alright signal for 370 watts at about 100' - I'm in Bartlett and the signal is approximately 20 dBu with a Qodosen portable with an automotive TEF-6686 chip and telescoping antenna - sounds like audio is monaural (not in stereo)

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