Antelope Island TIS @ 530

[x]

How long has there been a TIS station for Antalope Island on 530? I just found it tonight. There's a few interesting tidbits about the Great Salt Lake on the loop tape.

[Andy]

How far can you receive the TIS? I can't receive it here in Sandy, so it's definetly not as strong as the airports TIS @1200...

[x]

I copied it somewhere in the general area of Centerville and again in Ogden, thought it was noticeable weaker in Ogden.

Just found the TIS search at the FCC site. The transmitter is at mile marker 3 on the island causeway and it runs 10w. (That would be WPWA752 for those keeping score.)

FWIW, you'd have a hard time getting that station. There are three other TIS stations on 530 in the valley. One is in Alta, one is run by the U in Salt Lake and one is run by the DOT in Orem.

The power of the airport TIS is also 10w, by the way.

More fun tidbits at: www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/tis.html

[Michaeljwyo]

I listened too when I was in Ogden one day. Listening to it in downtown Ogden. Dare I say I actually enjoyed it. You're right, CA....lots of interesting tidbits
Hard to believe that it's only 10 watts. It gets out! REALLY hard to believe the airport TIS is also only 10 watts. I have a friend on a DX list that tells me he got a QSL card from the Salt Lake Airport Authority that tells all about it and that he actually talked to the guy. He said that they actually put a lot of time and money into that one.....that it actually has metallic ground radials and a really nice antenna so that it works like AM is supposed to. Most of your TIS stations are just a little box on wheels that has a whip antenna similar to a CB antenna. You sometimes see them on the side of the road. We have one here in Evanston that's just off the first Evanston exit. Box on wheels with a whip antenna. WPLP689 is the call.....broadcasting on 1610. WYDOT has had it on during the day since last fall, but has failed to do anything with it.....even this past winter with the winter weather and road closures and such. They haven't even posted the usual "For Highway info tune to 1610 AM" signs yet. I guess that's all in the works. For now (and since last fall) all it does is play a loop tape that says "You are listening to WPLP689. Wyoming Department of Transportation Highway Advisory Radio system." over and over. I remember when it came on the air because they were running it 24/7 and it hampered my DXing capabilities for 1600, 1610 and 1620.

Michael n WYO

[David]

x said:

How long has there been a TIS station for Antalope Island on 530? I just found it tonight. There's a few interesting tidbits about the Great Salt Lake on the loop tape.

I believe the station has been on the air for about two or three months now. I was listening to my scanner one weekend and heard a couple of the Antelope Island park police officers talking about the TIS station on 530, so I switched on my RCA boombox to see if I could hear the station. There it was, loud and clear. I'm located close to 12th Street in Ogden and can hear the Antelope Island TIS clearly even at night.

Part of the reason the Antelope Island and SLC Airport TIS stations get out so well (at least during the day) is because of where they are located on the dial. Any AM station close to the low end of the band (say, below 1300 kHz) has better groundwave coverage than stations at the high end of the band.

By the way, if anyone is in the market for a radio with very good AM DX reception capability, the RCA RCD-110B boombox has one of the best AM tuners of any solid state radio I've used. And with an FM tuner, CD player, and cassette player to boot, it's a real bargain for $40.00.

[Andy]

So, you say that the transmitter for the TIS is actually on the narrow, small road onto the island?

[x]

The FCC thinks so. I can't comment personally. It doesn't need to be large. A full blown station that wants monster coverage would build a half wave antenna with a nice ground system, but that thing really doesn't need to get out more than a dozen miles at best, IMHO.