This is a clip of the Wyoming DOT/Carbon County Visitor Council Highway Advisory Radio WPTC509 on 1610 AM along I-80 at Walcott Jct, WY. There are currently two locations one at Rawlins and Walcott (the one I captured here). Apparently these two stations started out as a radio service along I-80 installed by Information Station Specialists of Zeeland, MI in the late 1990s to early 2000s for the Carbon County Visitor Council for broadcasting local tourism information (probably back then just broadcasted a recording on a tape loop) and was later integrated into the fully automated and higher tech WyDOT HAR network (as heard today!). Currently it serves as an outlet for Wyoming DOT HAR mainly as there is no message at all from the visitor bureau. This was captured August 2019 and this transmitter was functioning very nicely and the message is very clear (as good as could be expected)!
Wyoming DOT operates 20 HAR sites throughout the state at key decision points in addition to a few portable transmitters as well licensed statewide for 530/1610 AM. The present HAR system was apparently implemented in the mid 2000s. Most of the sites are found at 1610 AM. Flashing signs exist on roads near each of the HAR sites. The flashing signage is apparently still DTMF tone operated to this day as I have heard these stations break into DTMF tones before. Some of these station also can carry local tourism information. The programming was different at one point. WyDOT originally had some pre recorded segments with the station ID, tourist messages or construction advisories and text to speech with real time road condition reports, some also had segments that told you the current time and date as well (in vintage speech synthesis) and then they would cut into local NOAA Weather Radio every couple cycles. Between voice segments would be the audible ear piercing DTMF tones to ensure communication with the advisory signage. The service is fully automated and originally ran by an inexpensive "Raspberry Pi" computer interface in the day.
As of 2017, they integrated the programming of the HAR into the 511 system so now programming is all in the same automated voice as when you dial 511 (this apparently means they retired using "Raspberry Pi" in favor of a newer system). Unfortunately I do not have recordings of the original "Raspberry Pi" set up sadly but I do have stuff with the DTMF tones audible in the present set up (yes they still have to broadcast DTMF tones to activate the advisory flashers on the signs).Wyoming DOT found through surveys in 2022 that an older population still uses HAR in the state and tune it in from their homes. Because of this, they feel their HAR is unaffected by the AM radio access being dropped in EVs putting Wyoming in the "leans strongly in favor of HAR" category. If the AM band is entirely dropped, then HAR any place would go away and WyDOT would premote 511 and its mobile app but HAR will remain a choice in Wyoming at this time!
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1 окт 2024
