Improve your reception of RevFM 89.1 / 99.9 / 102.7

The main transmitter site for WRXV 89.1 is located northwest of Tyrone, PA at a height of 2795 feet above sea level. This site allows RevFM to cover a large area with a signal equivalent to more than 30,000 watts of power.  RevFM is now broadcasting over 2 translator stations.  99.9 RevFM in the Clearfield / DuBois region and 102.7 RevFM in the Altoona/Hollidaysburg region.

The best areas  for using an indoor "clock" type radio to receive RevFM on 89.1 are in towns which are in a 10-15 mile radius of the WRXV tower site (Philipsburg, Bellwood, Tyrone, etc.)  In areas within a 15-20 mile radius, a boombox with an external antenna generally will pick up the signal on 89.1 FM. There are several mountain ridges that cause reception problems (called "Terrain Blocking") in State College and Altoona as well as certain areas in Clearfield and Huntingdon counties. If you live in the Clearfield/DuBois region and are having problems hearing RevFM on 89.1, try tuning in RevFM on 99.9 FM.  If you live in the Blair county region, try tuning in RevFM on 102.7 FM.

Here are a few things you can do to try to improve reception in poor signal areas. RevFM on 89.1 FM broadcasts primarily with a vertical signal.  This means an antenna that is oriented up/down (floor to ceiling) should work better than an antenna oriented left/right (wall to wall).

• Use a radio that has an attached external rod antenna, such as a boombox. Extend the rod to various lengths and move it to different positions. You may need to experiment by moving the radio to a different area in the room or the building.
• If your radio doesn't have an external antenna, it may have terminals to connect one. These terminals may look like 2 screws that have the words "300 Ohms" or "External Antenna" near them. The terminal may also look like a typical "Cable TV" connection and might have the words "75 ohms" next to it. If you have the owners manual for your radio, it should have a section which explains how to connect an external antenna to the radio. You can try connecting a "rabbit ear" antenna or purchase a "di-pole" antenna from most electronic and home supply stores and connect it to your radio. You may have to experiment with positioning the antenna and/or radio in different locations for the best reception.
• An external (or outdoor) antenna can be extremely effective in areas where reception is difficult using the above mentioned methods. Antennas can be purchased at electronic and home improvement store for $30 or less. We recommend a directional antenna, which should be pointed towards one of the RevFM tower sites.  The tower site for 89.1 RevFM sits on "Ice Mountain" near the intersections of Blair, Centre, Cambria, and Clearfield counties northwest of Tyrone. The tower site for 102.7 RevFM sits on Brush Mountain south of Altoona.  The tower site for 99.9 RevFM sits on Rockton Mountain between Clearfield and DuBois. 
• In some cases, you may be able to mount the antenna in an attic. In other cases, it may be necessary to mount it outside on a roof or chimney. You will need to purchase enough cable to connect the antenna to radio. Be sure you have the proper adaptors to connect the cable to both the antenna and the radio. If you already have an outdoor antenna to receive VHF TV channels (such as Channels 3, 6, 8, or 10) you may be able to use it to receive RevFM if it can be rotated towards one of our tower sites. You will need an FM/TV splitter. The directions on the splitter should show you how to connect your radio and TV to the antenna. If you use an amplifier on your TV antenna, it may be necessary to turn off the "FM Trap" on the amplifier in order to receive RevFM.  Ideally, for best reception, the antenna would need to be oriented up/down and not left/right for the best possible reception on 89.1, since 89.1 FM broadcasts a primarily vertically polarized signal.