GeoPlanner™
AM and FM Radio Report
H and SB Line Rebuild Project
Prepared on Behalf of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation
December 26, 2017
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
Table of Contents
1. Introduction - 1 -
2. Summary of Results - 1 -
3. Impact Assessment - 6 -
4. Recommendations - 9 -
5. Contact - 9 -
Comsearch Proprietary - 0 - December 26, 2017
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
1. Introduction
Comsearch analyzed AM and FM radio broadcast stations whose service could potentially be affected by the H and SB Line Rebuild Project in Greene and Ulster Counties, New York.
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation (CHG&E or the Client) is proposing to rebuild the existing 69 kilovolt (kV) H and SB transmission lines (H and SB Lines) located between Catskill in Greene County and Kingston in Ulster County, New York. Rebuild of the H and SB Lines (the Project) will generally occur within an existing 150-foot-wide right-of- way (ROW), be built to 115 kV requirements, and spans approximately 23.6 miles through the City of Kingston, the Towns of Ulster, Saugerties, and Catskill, and the Village of Catskill. Approximately 1.2 miles of the H Line route is proposed to be relocated to avoid a sensitive environmental resource area designated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as the Great Vly Wildlife Management Area. Throughout the remainder of the H and SB lines, the rebuild project will remove and replace all structures, insulators, electrical conductors, associated transmission components of the existing H and SB 23.6-mile long ROW with the exception of 24 structures that will be retained. These 24 structures were either recently replaced on an emergency basis (“high priority repair”) or were determined to be structurally sound. There are currently 256 existing transmission structures within the H and SB Lines ROW, which will be replaced with 253 new/replacement structures.
2. Summary of Results
AM Radio Analysis Comsearch found ten database records1 for AM stations within approximately 30 kilometers of the project transmission line, as shown in Table 1 and Figure 1. These records represent six distinct licensed stations. Four of these stations, WGHQ, WHVW, WEOK, and WKIP, are licensed separately for daytime and nighttime operations.
Required Transmit Distance to Frequency Operation Latitude Longitude Separation ID Call Sign Status2 ERP3 Nearest (kHz) Time (NAD 27) (NAD 27) Distance4 (kW) Tower (km) (km) 1 WKNY LIC 1490 1.0 Unlimited 41.936389 -74.008333 0.20 2.30 2 WGHQ LIC 920 1.0 Daytime 41.886944 -73.971389 0.33 7.97
1 Comsearch makes no warranty as to the accuracy of the data included in this report beyond the date of the report. The data presented in this report is derived from the AM/FM station’s FCC license and governed by Comsearch’s data license notification and agreement located at http://www.comsearch.com/files/data_license.pdf.
2 LIC = Licensed and operational station; APP = Application for construction permit; CP=Construction permit granted; CP MOD = Modification of construction permit.
3 ERP = Transmit Effective Radiated Power.
4 The required separation distance is based on the lesser of 10 wavelengths or 3 kilometers for directional antennas and 1 wavelength for non-directional antennas. Comsearch Proprietary - 1 - December 26, 2017
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
3 WGHQ LIC 920 0.035 Nighttime 41.886944 -73.971389 0.33 7.97 4 WHUC LIC 1230 1.0 Unlimited 42.253611 -73.762500 0.24 9.02 5 WHVW LIC 950 0.5 Daytime 41.746111 -73.912778 0.32 23.82 6 WHVW LIC 950 0.057 Nighttime 41.746111 -73.912778 0.32 23.82 7 WEOK LIC 1390 5.0 Daytime 41.720556 -73.908056 2.16 26.57 8 WEOK LIC 1390 0.106 Nighttime 41.720556 -73.908056 2.16 26.57 9 WKIP LIC 1450 1.0 Daytime 41.705000 -73.887778 2.07 28.84 10 WKIP LIC 1450 1.0 Nighttime 41.705000 -73.887778 2.07 28.84
Table 1: AM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Transmission Line
Figure 1: AM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Transmission Line
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Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
FM Radio Analysis Comsearch determined that there were fifty-five database records for FM stations within 30 kilometers of the transmission line, as shown in Table 2 and Figure 2. Only forty-eight of these stations are currently licensed and operating, twenty-three of which are low-power or translator stations that broadcast with limited range.
Due to their close proximity to the proposed transmission line, Comsearch used aerial imagery to verify the location of FM translator stations W266BX and W290BE, as well as broadcast stations WBPM, WDST, and WFRH5. While the locations of the three broadcast stations were found to be accurately reported, the actual location of translator stations W266BX and W290BE was identified at 42.209508° N, 77.899258° W (NAD 83), southwest of the location defined by the coordinates listed on the stations’ FCC licenses (see Figure 3). This places W266BX and W290BE within 500 meters of seven towers in the H and SB Line Rebuild Project.
Transmit Distance to Frequency Latitude Longitude ID Call Sign Status6 Service7 ERP8 Nearest (MHz) (NAD 27) (NAD 27) (kW) Tower (km) 1 W266BX LIC FX 101.1 0.01 42.209722 -73.898333 0.22 2 W290BE LIC FX 105.9 0.25 42.209722 -73.898333 0.22 3 WBPM LIC FM 92.9 6.0 41.988889 -74.018889 0.56 4 WDST LIC FM 100.1 3.0 41.990000 -74.018611 0.57 5 WFRH LIC FM 91.7 1.2 41.987222 -74.020278 0.62 6 NEW APP FX 107.9 0.25 41.936389 -74.008333 2.30 7 WCTW LIC FM 98.5 4.7 42.200833 -73.835833 4.34 8 W295BN LIC FX 106.9 0.125 42.200833 -73.835833 4.34 9 WKHV-LP LIC FL 103.9 0.1 41.918611 -73.987500 4.70 10 W230CM CP FX 93.9 0.15 41.895556 -73.992778 6.10 11 WKXP LIC FM 94.3 2.25 41.895556 -73.992222 6.12 12 WKXP LIC FS 94.3 0.88 41.895556 -73.992222 6.12 13 W287BG LIC FX 105.3 0.01 41.895556 -73.992222 6.12 14 W279AL LIC FX 103.7 0.01 42.186944 -73.811667 6.84 15 W246BJ LIC FX 97.1 0.2 42.254722 -73.776667 7.93 16 W223CR LIC FX 92.5 0.13 41.886944 -73.971389 7.97 17 WLPP-LP LIC FL 102.9 0.1 42.175000 -74.021389 7.98 18 WZCR LIC FM 93.5 5.8 42.253611 -73.762500 9.02
5 A small amount of variance between a station’s actual geographic coordinates and those reported on the station’s license is fairly typical.
6 LIC = Licensed and operational station; APP = Application for construction permit; CP=Construction permit granted; CP MOD = Modification of construction permit.
7 FM = FM broadcast station; FX = FM translator station; FL = Low-power FM station; FS = FM auxiliary (backup) station; FB = FM booster station.
8 ERP = Transmit Effective Radiated Power.
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Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
Transmit Distance to Frequency Latitude Longitude ID Call Sign Status6 Service7 ERP8 Nearest (MHz) (NAD 27) (NAD 27) (kW) Tower (km) 19 WIOF-LP LIC FL 104.1 0.1 42.056250 -74.113944 9.88 20 WFGB LIC FM 89.7 3.1 42.076389 -74.107222 10.33 21 WAMK LIC FM 90.9 0.94 42.076389 -74.107222 10.33 22 WHVC CP FM 102.5 1.3 41.840833 -73.991389 11.59 23 W230CM LIC FX 93.9 0.25 41.840972 -73.990389 11.60 24 W292CM CP FX 106.3 0.058 41.840972 -73.990389 11.60 25 WJVQ-LP LIC FL 94.7 0.003 41.840833 -73.990278 11.62 26 WGNY-FM LIC FM 98.9 1.35 41.840722 -73.990361 11.63 27 WGXC LIC FM 90.7 3.3 42.328611 -73.970833 13.50 28 WFSO LIC FM 88.3 0.08 41.908333 -74.246111 16.79 29 WFSO CP FM 88.3 0.578 41.908333 -74.246111 16.79 30 WLHV LIC FM 88.1 0.91 42.098611 -73.730556 17.16 31 W290BZ LIC FX 105.9 0.25 41.990833 -73.773889 18.74 32 W282BI LIC FX 104.3 0.01 42.421944 -73.854167 20.94 33 NEW APP FX 107.9 0.25 41.896389 -73.776111 21.71 34 W247CW LIC FX 97.3 0.25 41.746028 -73.912639 23.84 35 W292CM LIC FX 106.3 0.008 41.721667 -73.993611 24.36 36 WCZX LIC FM 97.7 0.3 41.719722 -73.995833 24.54 37 W271BF LIC FX 102.1 0.01 41.719444 -73.995833 24.57 38 WRHV LIC FM 88.7 0.23 41.719167 -73.996389 24.60 39 WFNP LIC FM 88.7 0.23 41.719167 -73.996389 24.60 40 WRNQ LIC FM 92.1 0.52 41.719167 -73.996389 24.60 41 WRRB LIC FM 96.9 0.31 41.719167 -73.996389 24.60 42 WPDH LIC FM 101.5 4.4 41.719167 -73.996389 24.60 43 W213AC LIC FX 90.5 0.017 41.718333 -73.996944 24.68 44 WPKF LIC FM 96.1 3.5 41.737778 -73.905556 24.92 45 WRIP-FM1 LIC FB 97.9 0.035 42.201111 -74.229167 24.98 46 W282AD LIC FX 104.3 0.002 42.339167 -74.154722 25.29 47 W239BL LIC FX 95.7 0.25 41.699444 -74.003333 26.67 48 W279AJ LIC FX 103.7 0.01 41.699444 -74.003333 26.67 49 WBWZ LIC FM 93.3 0.33 41.699444 -74.003056 26.67 50 W295BK LIC FX 106.9 0.007 41.699444 -74.003056 26.67 51 WRWD-FM LIC FM 107.3 0.33 41.699444 -74.003056 26.67 52 WPKF LIC FS 96.1 0.125 41.705000 -73.887778 28.84 53 WPKF LIC FS 96.1 1.7 41.705000 -73.887778 28.84 54 W253BV LIC FX 98.5 0.2 41.704917 -73.887639 28.85 55 W253BV APP FX 99.7 0.25 41.704917 -73.887639 28.85
Table 2: FM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Transmission Line
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Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
Figure 2: FM Radio Stations within 30 Kilometers of Transmission Line
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Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
3. Impact Assessment
The exclusion distance for AM broadcast stations varies as a function of the antenna type and broadcast frequency. For directional antennas, the exclusion distance is calculated by taking the lesser of 10 wavelengths or 3 kilometers. For non-directional antennas, the exclusion distance is simply equal to 1 wavelength. Potential problems with AM broadcast coverage are only anticipated when AM broadcast stations are located within their respective exclusion distance limit from the transmission line towers. The closest AM station to any tower in the transmission line project is WKNY at a distance of approximately 2.3 kilometers. Since the station’s antenna is non-directional and transmits at a relatively high frequency, the exclusion distance for WKNY is only 0.2 kilometers, placing it outside the potential range of impact. The next closest AM station is WGHQ at a distance of more than 7.9 kilometers. As there were no other stations found within 3 kilometers of the project, which is the maximum possible exclusion distance based on a directional AM antenna broadcasting at 1000 KHz or less, the project towers should not impact the coverage of local AM stations.
The coverage of FM stations is generally not susceptible to interference caused by large objects, such as transmission line towers, especially when they are sited in the far field region of the radiating FM antenna, which mitigates the risk of distorting the antenna’s radiation pattern. However, at distances less than 500 meters, radiation pattern distortion could become a factor. Signal attenuation is also possible, but can be difficult to quantify without precise field measurements. The 500-meter distance assumes the presence of a full-power FM broadcast antenna consisting of multiple bays that extends about 90 feet.
The nearest operational stations to the H and SB Line Rebuild Project, W266BX and W290BE, are located within 500 meters of seven proposed transmission line towers (H-106, H-107, H- 108, H-109, H-110, H-111, and H-112) and as such, would have been subject to interference. These two stations and their proximity to the towers are depicted below in Figure 3. However, given that the H and SB Line Rebuild Project is simply replacing an identical transmission line in the same location, it is therefore unlikely to introduce any new interference to the FM stations that does not already exist, if any. The next closest FM stations to the project, WBPM, WDST, and WFRH, are all greater than 500 meters away from the transmission line and just out of range of potential impact, as shown in Figure 4.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from a transmission line is caused by an induction field, which is created by the 60 Hz electrical power carried on the transmission line conductors and the harmonics of the 60 Hz fundamental waveform. Interference can also result from arcing that occurs at high-voltage interconnect points on the transmission line. In either case, the interfering signal is amplitude-modulated (AM), and the propagation of the interference occurs over very short distances. These distances are generally around 500 feet or less, and the frequency of the electromagnetic interference does not normally extend above 50 MHz.
Accordingly, the only reception devices that could be affected by EMI would be AM radios, which operate between 0.5 and 1.6 MHz. The degree of degradation to AM reception would be a function of the separation distance of the AM radio from the transmission line and the strength of the received signal. Generally speaking, however, this degradation would be no different
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Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project than what occurs when a car radio passes under or near existing high voltage transmission lines that interconnect utility companies and their sub stations throughout the state.
The planned increase in the operating voltage of the transmission line from 69 kV to 115 kV does not change the impact assessment in this report.
Figure 3: FM Stations W266BX and W290BE and Adjacent Transmission Line Towers
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Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
Figure 4: FM Stations WBPM, WDST, and WFRH and Adjacent Transmission Line Towers
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Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation GeoPlanner™ AM and FM Radio Report H and SB Line Rebuild Project
4. Recommendations
Since no harmful impact on the licensed and operational AM or FM broadcast stations was identified in our analysis, no recommendations or mitigation techniques are required for this project.
5. Contact
For questions or information regarding the AM and FM Radio Report, please contact:
Contact person: Denise Finney Title: Account Manager Company: Comsearch Address: 19700 Janelia Farm Blvd., Ashburn, VA 20147 Telephone: 703-726-5650 (office) / 703-726-5595 (fax) Email: [email protected] Web site: www.comsearch.com
Comsearch Proprietary - 9 - December 26, 2017