Tips for Better Reception

WDVX is a low-powered station with an effective radiated power output of only 200 watts from our tower situated on the Anderson-Campbell county line above Lake City. In a concerted effort to minimize potential interference to WATE6 television station, WDVX transmits in the vertical plane only - as mandated by the FCC. This type of transmission is a technical compromise; and works fairly well for those of us driving automobiles equipped with vertical rod antennas of 32" in length.

Most people living or traveling within 15 miles of our Cross Mountain transmitter site should receive a good strong signal from WDVX. However most listeners are in the outlying areas and may find it necessary to extend the range of their receivers.

Here's how to improve your reception:

1) If you listen to WDVX on a "boombox," extend the telescoping antenna to 32" and position it vertically. It is important to remember that the AC line cord internally forms the other half of a dipole antenna; and some movement and adjustment of its position can help. In some cases, re-location of this type of radio to another place in the room (or another AC outlet) can improve reception.

2) Component tuners and FM receivers usually require an external FM antenna. The most common type supplied is the "T" type made from "twinlead" (whose top of the "T" is approximately 64" long). Attach the 2 wires of the lower lead-in section to the "300 ohm" terminals of your tuner. When positioning this type of the antenna, remember that we discussed vertical polarization of the WDVX signal; invert the top of the "T" so that it is vertical; and try several places in your room. It would probably work better if mounted on or near a window that looks toward the direction of Lake City.

The best antenna is one mounted on a pole extending 20 feet or more above ground whose wire comes into the building and attaches to the terminals at the rear of the tuner.

Two hundred watts is the maximum amount allowed by the Federal Communication Commission. Although many listeners have asked if WDVX will be able to increase its power, that's probably not an option, based on technical standards and the potential interference WDVX could present to other stations that operate on or near 89.9 MHZ in neighboring states.

We highly recommend that people living in low-lying areas or urban areas further than 20 miles away from our tower site near Lake City install an outdoor antenna.

WDVX Coverage Map