A couple of nights ago WTNI 1640 AM was received in the Chicago area with an extremely strong signal-- almost "bulletproof"-- with virtually no fading over an extended period of time. Although there is no way to be sure, this did not sound like what one would expect from a 1 kW omni stick. Did anyone else observe this? As it happens, they were broadcasting a baseball game. Is it fairly common for X-band stations to "forget" to power down? Going from 10 kW to 1 kW at night is a big jump. Maybe some station owners don't like to do it.
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X-Band Stations That "Forget" To Power Down At Night
- Thread starter audioguy
- Start date
In the early days of the X-Band some ran 10 kw 24/7 since there was nobody else to protect.
Don't know if it was officially sanctioned or not.
Don't know if it was officially sanctioned or not.
It used to be that you could do this during the "Experimental Period", particularly if it was "maintenance" related. Not sure if that still applies today. It happens with all classes of stations, but most aren't as obvious as if certain former Class II-A stations stayed on day pattern and power. That is the most obvious type of situation, if daytime or reducing power and going directional stations on the former Class I-A and I-B frequencies don't change at night. Former Class IIIs are tricky. There are so many stations with the same syndicated program or format on the same frequency, usually one of the Talk or Sports formats, that it is difficult to tell. Even if they stream, the digital delay makes it trickier to identify. If the day and night pattern is the same or similar, and there is a five fold power change or less, there are probably only one or two well protected stations that would receive interference that would be noticeable. 10 kW to 1 kW nondirectional would be quite noticeable to nearby stations that have reduced power though. And if a 5 kW nondirectional station that reduces power and or goes directional at night, it is very noticeable. A good rule of thumb for those Friday Night Lights "STA" operators would be to go no higher than presunrise pattern and power. Otherwise, it will be obvious. Not to recommend it, but it would be an improvement over the current situation in many cases. I don't care what power anybody says they are operating, but unless you are virtually alone on a frequency, you won't ID a station operating at below about 50 watts hundreds of miles away. I am very skeptical of any reports of stations operating below about 100 watts PSSA and being heard hundreds of miles away. It's all statistical, and the probability of those being heard without a Beverage antenna is near zero.
If you have to, for those managers, sales people, and PDs inclined to stay on day pattern and power, so they keep themselves out of trouble, make it impossible for them to operate it outside of specifications, like the engineers that have a fake audio processor and the real one somewhere else.
If you have to, for those managers, sales people, and PDs inclined to stay on day pattern and power, so they keep themselves out of trouble, make it impossible for them to operate it outside of specifications, like the engineers that have a fake audio processor and the real one somewhere else.
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Aside from some grizzled DX purists who might consider both the X-band and the '28-watt' regional nighttimers 'cheating', what's the big deal ? Is the AM DXing gentry tuned in to hear stations or to avoid hearing them?
And outside of sales staffs at the former-daytimer-with-20-watts-nighttime keeping on a high school football game at full wattage -- and really, how many can there be on that sales staff? -- where is the real harm? The big, protected, traditional full-power regional is likely to be airing some syndicated dreck as 'entertainment' anyway.
I'm not promoting illegal broadcasting here, by omission or commission. With the meagre staffing nowadays at radio stations, the slipup can be just as much an intern staffer's 'Ooops' as it can be that of some lookout at a gang-bang, whistling and looking nervous.
Am only asking why DXers get hissy over these evolved conditions.
Besides, some of these power-down lapses can contribute to making Friday night radio interesting again. It's been decades since Friday night AM listenership has been enjoyable. I've logged here a dozen or so of these stations playing Robin Hood. And if these X-Banders or 22-watters achieve more listenership and relative revenue than do the listening mortuaries of the privliiged do-nothings, whose fault is that exactly ?
And outside of sales staffs at the former-daytimer-with-20-watts-nighttime keeping on a high school football game at full wattage -- and really, how many can there be on that sales staff? -- where is the real harm? The big, protected, traditional full-power regional is likely to be airing some syndicated dreck as 'entertainment' anyway.
I'm not promoting illegal broadcasting here, by omission or commission. With the meagre staffing nowadays at radio stations, the slipup can be just as much an intern staffer's 'Ooops' as it can be that of some lookout at a gang-bang, whistling and looking nervous.
Am only asking why DXers get hissy over these evolved conditions.
Besides, some of these power-down lapses can contribute to making Friday night radio interesting again. It's been decades since Friday night AM listenership has been enjoyable. I've logged here a dozen or so of these stations playing Robin Hood. And if these X-Banders or 22-watters achieve more listenership and relative revenue than do the listening mortuaries of the privliiged do-nothings, whose fault is that exactly ?
Maybe you have something there. I was driving to work (Detroit) Thursday morning and was surprised to hear WTNI alone on the frequency. I dismissed it as being due to conditions (there was no trace of CJBC on 860 at the time, and WCBS was weak, with an urban oldies station (who?) in the mix on 880
Audioguy might have been referring to ESPN Radio's World Series Game 6 coverage last Wednesday--was that what you heard on WTNI?
Yes, that's what it was!
I don't know why people here seem to feel that it's "more interesting" for DX'ers if stations run on daytime power and patterns when they're not supposed to (and I'm not talking about the "experimental period" after midnight). Stations that run excessive power block other, weaker stations. And by the way, they also hurt other stations' coverage areas and revenues, don't they?
If following the rules is not important, then I guess we don't really need them.
IF the FCC researches a station operating with incorrect power, it will act. This instance, back around '94 when the night power
level was 36 watts, cost KURS owner a small fortune. The fine wasn't paid until renewal time, years later:
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1919 M STREET N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554
News media information 202/632-
5050.
Recorded listing of releases and texts
202/632-0002.
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes
official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1975)
CIVIL FINE OF $20,000 PROPOSED TO AM BROADCASTER IN
CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, FOR EXCEEDING POWER LIMITS.
Quetzal Bilingual Communications, Inc., licensee of Radio Station
KURS (AM), 1040 kHz, Chula Vista, Cal., has been issued a Notice of
Apparent Liability to Monetary Forfeiture for $20,000 for repeated
violations of the Commission's Rule relating to operating power
limitations. The Notice was issued by the FCC's San Diego Office
under delegated authority.
The Commission's San Diego Office and the Mass Media Bureau in
Washington, D.C., received an anonymous complaint which alleged
that the management of KURS had instructed station personnel to
reduce their operating power at sunset, but to increase the power
back to the daytime level after the local FCC office, in San Diego,
had closed for the day. An investigation, that included field
intensity measurements on ten dates, was subsequently conducted by
the San Diego Office. It revealed that, during the nighttime on
each of the ten dates, KURS was, in fact, operating at
approximately their authorized daytime power level. KURS is
required to reduce their operating power at sunset to protect other
co-channel stations at nighttime.
For further information contact Public Affairs Specialist, June
level was 36 watts, cost KURS owner a small fortune. The fine wasn't paid until renewal time, years later:
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1919 M STREET N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554
News media information 202/632-
5050.
Recorded listing of releases and texts
202/632-0002.
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes
official action. See MCI v. FCC, 515 F.2d 385 (D.C. Cir. 1975)
CIVIL FINE OF $20,000 PROPOSED TO AM BROADCASTER IN
CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, FOR EXCEEDING POWER LIMITS.
Quetzal Bilingual Communications, Inc., licensee of Radio Station
KURS (AM), 1040 kHz, Chula Vista, Cal., has been issued a Notice of
Apparent Liability to Monetary Forfeiture for $20,000 for repeated
violations of the Commission's Rule relating to operating power
limitations. The Notice was issued by the FCC's San Diego Office
under delegated authority.
The Commission's San Diego Office and the Mass Media Bureau in
Washington, D.C., received an anonymous complaint which alleged
that the management of KURS had instructed station personnel to
reduce their operating power at sunset, but to increase the power
back to the daytime level after the local FCC office, in San Diego,
had closed for the day. An investigation, that included field
intensity measurements on ten dates, was subsequently conducted by
the San Diego Office. It revealed that, during the nighttime on
each of the ten dates, KURS was, in fact, operating at
approximately their authorized daytime power level. KURS is
required to reduce their operating power at sunset to protect other
co-channel stations at nighttime.
For further information contact Public Affairs Specialist, June
I agree, and they should post the fact here before doing so. They can trust us to keep it a secret.
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