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Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago.

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 11, 2026, 9:41 am

I was a few miles from the AM1300 WRDZ transmitter, could see the antenna and the signal was not as solid as you would think it should be. Hopefully Scott can get an FM translator. To expand that AM stick is not feasible and let's hope he can rent the current arrangement for long term and the engineers can find a way to increase the wattage on it.

Heard Calvary 100.7 FM, the Sears tower 6 watt station, that is translating WHLP-FM Hanna Indiana and is on 7 other translators. For 6 watts it is a solid signal even at the outer contours.

102.3 not a hint of W272DQ-FM, I was in the primary signal contour, it was still Free Country territory. RadTech76 can hear it and direction identify it to the West. I guess it is on, but it must be super directional and I am not getting lucky????

The 94.3 WAWE-1 900 watt booster in Elmwood Park or the WAWE-4 99 watt booster on Belmont Ave is beyond kick ass. Really not sure which one it is or if it was flipping between both? Anyways, sounds solid. Makes it sound like a station off of the towers downtown.

103.9 W280EM-FM Chicago. 0 trace of it. Is it off air again due to interference?

95.1 W236CF-FM Chicago. Again no trace. I think this one is also really directional to the south and the predicted contours are not that accurate.

The fun and joy or low power, booster and translator signal chasing. AM stereo too!

Z

Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W280EM, W236CF

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on September 13, 2026, 10:19 pm, in reply to "Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago. "

I detected no trace of 103.9 W280EM anywhere south of Chicago yesterday. WXRD Crown Point is listenable throughout all of NW Indiana and along I-80 as far west as US-45.

I heard “Streetz 95.1” W236CF Chicago this morning, beating up WFAV Kankakee as far south as the Will/Kankakee Co. border, as usual. That translator is super directional, aimed right down the Dan Ryan / Bishop Ford / IL-394 corridor. More often than not, translators aim a protective null at a co-channel station. W236CF is the opposite, their peashooter is aimed directly toward the WFAV tower near Aroma Park IL 😬

Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W280EM, W236CF

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 14, 2026, 8:35 am, in reply to "Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W280EM, W236CF"

Ever since they shut off 95.1 W236CG-FM Elmwood Park, there is no trace of Streetz anywhere north of I290 and especially anywhere West of Harlem Ave.

Phil, do you have any copy on W236CG-FM down by you @ 107.1FM, where they proposed to move it (from 95.1 Elmwood Park) @ 75 watts and the Sears tower? It is supposed to mimic the 95.1 signal pattern.

Speaking of Streetz, listening to the 105.9, WCFS-HD2 signal, they are running National ads (they were not before) and they have cleaned it up to be a lot more mainstream sounding. It is definitely a lot less "street" sounding that WGCI is.

Z

Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W236CF to 107.1 vs WZVN

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on September 14, 2026, 10:14 am, in reply to "Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W280EM, W236CF"

I cannot find a trace of anything other than WZVN Lowell on 107.1 – however, WZVN's signal is very strong here, even stronger than 103.9 WXRD. I think I heard WSPY Plano maybe twice and WPGU Champaign once in the last 2 decades interfere with WZVN. I'll monitor for W236CF the next time I travel around the area. (I presume their callsign will change to W296?? when the move is official.)

I would be surprised if Adams Radio Group tolerates having a translator bite deep into their coverage for "Z-107.1 / Your Playlist." I hear that station playing in more businesses throughout Lake and Porter Counties than literally any other terrestrial station. They have advertisers from all over the area and their community event announcements target as far north as Hammond and Whiting. My guess is ARG pulls more ad revenue for WZVN than "X-Rock 103.9" WXRD and "Indiana 105" Country 105.5 WLJE. When they sell cluster ads, WZVN is the center of gravity.

This might become interesting.

Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W236CF to 107.1 vs WZVN

Posted by WYTZZ95FM User icon on September 14, 2026, 10:29 am, in reply to "Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W236CF to 107.1 vs WZVN"

Phil, I have a feeling this might be more of a paper fantasy translator than anything, trying to plot their next chess move. It is also to keep someone else from encroaching on their 95.1 perch. They can't feasibly run the 95.1 as it will interfere with the one on the air right now. So moving it to 107.1 pretty much renders it moot and they can move on.

SMH, the whole translator scene is a joke.

Z

Re: Scan of the AM and FM band, and translator talk

Posted by PhilJSmith User icon on September 14, 2026, 1:39 pm, in reply to "Re: Scan of the AM and FM band Thursday night in N/NW Chicago; W236CF to 107.1 vs WZVN"

Translators might make business sense for those AM stations trying to maintain relevance, outside of large cities.

However, in cities where FM is fully allocated, I don't see their financially viability, considering their limitations. What other waning industries have seen an inrush of activity like this? When the transition from horses to automobiles took hold, there was no influx of investors jumping into buggy whip manufacturing. Alright maybe malls went through a phase where big stores left and the little crappy discount stores moved in, before they also left and the bulldozers arrived. Maybe that's the metaphor here.

Joking aside, I think the translator scene will fade as more people realize they can't turn a profit with them.

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