Two Milwaukee AM stations have signed-on FM translators.
Milwaukee Radio Alliance Soft AC/Standards “1290 Martini Radio” WZTI has launched 100.3 W262CJ Milwaukee. The signal operates with a directional 99 watts at 164 meters (Coverage Map).
Entercom’s “SportsRadio 1250” WSSP Milwaukee began airing on 105.7 W289CB earlier this month with 240 watts at 284 meters (Coverage Map) via 103.7 WXSS-HD2. The station is not yet promoting its new FM signal.
The 105.7 translator is pretty potent and I can actually pick it up (albeit weakly) most of the time at my home in northern Illinois. A very strong translator that comes in clearly with little interference in the city; however, asl you head north into Washington and Ozaukee Counties, co-channel WAPL quickly knocks it off the dial.
On the other hand, I was in Milwaukee just yesterday and did a bandscan when I was in area of the airport (far south side) and did not pull in W262CJ. I would think that this translator operates in a rough neighborhood (spectrally speaking), as you have co-channel WILV Chicago which can push it around when there’s any topospheric enhancement, and you have first adjacent WSJP-FM 100.1 from Port Washington, which also covers much of the Milwaukee area.
The whole translator concept is great, but the shoehorning of weak signals into areas where the laws of physics don’t appreciate it is not the best way to do this.
Add in 100.3 from Neenah-Menasha and 105.7 from Grand Rapids (265kW!)
101.5 would be a better frequency for the 100.3 translator, IMO