1550 in IBOC day and night and other AM ABQ news

[ABQTom]

"Joy AM 1550" has been in IBOC, day and night, the last day or so. Is this a test, or permanent? Will they turn it off at night?

AM 1050 power still down...and what's going on with AM 1350, they are not always at full power during the day? FCC report says 1350 has/had damaged transmission lines? 1350 certainly during very well in the ratings for occasionally operating at reduced power daytime!

Could 1350 apply to go directional 10,000 watts day, and 1,000 night?!

 

[uncledon]

Lately, the KTBL 1050 signal does seem weak during the day and basically unlistenable at night with the Monterrey, MX signal hammering at it. 1350 is often at low power all day over the weekend. Then 1190 and 1600 are putting out a decent night signal to the NW recently. Before I couldn't pick up KXKS much past the I-25 & Paseo area, and the KRKE night signal would get crowded out on Coors south of Cottonwood.

 

[EDwalker]

"Joy AM 1550" has been in IBOC, day and night, the last day or so. Is this a test, or permanent? Will they turn it off at night?

AM 1050 power still down...and what's going on with AM 1350, they are not always at full power during the day? FCC report says 1350 has/had damaged transmission lines? 1350 certainly during very well in the ratings for occasionally operating at reduced power daytime!

Could 1350 apply to go directional 10,000 watts day, and 1,000 night?!

I can't imagine the return on investment on that one.

 

[JMpstar]

"Joy AM 1550" has been in IBOC, day and night, the last day or so. Is this a test, or permanent? Will they turn it off at night?

Do you happen to have an HD Radio, ABQTom? If so, are there any other AM HDs operational besides what is listed on Ibiquity's website? They only have Radio Disney and 1350 listed as broadcasting digitally, but apparently this has changed. Does 1350 still broadcast in HD despite problems with its analog signal?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kent]

Could 1350 apply to go directional 10,000 watts day, and 1,000 night?!

Not easily. 1350 is a regional channel, which means 5,000 watts day/night is the maximum power in the lower 48 states.

There are a few exceptions where regional channels have more than 5,000 watts of power (WTMJ 620 in Milwaukee and WXYT 1270 in Detroit are two examples), but I believe they have to prove they need to operate at those higher powers due to interference. As 620 and 1270 are clear channels in Canada, I'm sure that was how WTMJ and WXYT were able to increase their powers. Both are also highly directional with WTMJ having 6 towers and WXYT having 9 so as to accomodate the clears in Canada.

If KABQ 1350 were somehow able to convince the FCC of the need for a higher power due to Mexican interference, it would almost certainly be a major investment as it would likely require substantially more than the present 2 towers it uses, one of which is only used at night.

 

[w9wi]

Not easily. 1350 is a regional channel, which means 5,000 watts day/night is the maximum power in the lower 48 states.

Not anymore. 50,000 watts is now generally permissible on regional channels. However, in most cases the potential of interference to other stations makes it impossible for existing stations to increase power. You might notice that most regional stations with more than 5,000 watts are beaming that power out of the country at the nearest seacoast or border. (by carefully selecting a transmitter site they can ensure the city of Milwaukee or New York or whatever just happens to lie between the transmitter and the border!)

This is probably more difficult to do in New Mexico since Old Mexico has made much greater use of the AM band than Canada, it's difficult to beam that power out of the southern border because it's more likely there'll be someone down there to interfere with.

due to interference. As 620 and 1270 are clear channels in Canada, I'm sure that was how WTMJ and WXYT were able to increase their powers. Both are also highly directional with WTMJ having 6 towers and WXYT having 9 so as to accomodate the clears in Canada.

620 and 1270 are regional channels in Canada as well. 620 is still in use by a powerful station in Regina, Saskatchewan (and I believe others); I'm sure the 1270 station in Trenton, Ontario is still notified (and must be protected) even though it's moved to FM.

 

[Kent]

Not anymore. 50,000 watts is now generally permissible on regional channels. However, in most cases the potential of interference to other stations makes it impossible for existing stations to increase power. You might notice that most regional stations with more than 5,000 watts are beaming that power out of the country at the nearest seacoast or border. (by carefully selecting a transmitter site they can ensure the city of Milwaukee or New York or whatever just happens to lie between the transmitter and the border!)

Thanks for the info. Any idea when this changed? You're right that a lot of those stations are beaming power straight into the ocean. I guess, though, as metro areas have begun to expand in the days of the interstate highway and the automobile, it makes it worth their while!

This is probably more difficult to do in New Mexico since Old Mexico has made much greater use of the AM band than Canada, it's difficult to beam that power out of the southern border because it's more likely there'll be someone down there to interfere with.

That would be almost a certainty. There's also no ocean in and/or around Albuquerque to beam the signals into. Granted, the city wouldn't have to be right on the ocean (San Antonio is a good example of a city that has a lot of stations that beam their signals into the ocean at night, even though it's slightly more than 100 miles away), but I still doubt it would be doable from Albuquerque! Also, 1350, at least on paper, does a good enough job of covering metro Albuquerque in the daytime, and the nighttime signal covers most of the metro area. However, that could be a problem in the near future as the metro expands northward past Rio Rancho. Of course, that's been the problem for AM in a lot of places. It's kind of funny as I have a co-worker who also used to live in Albuquerque, though he lived their in the early 50's, and I lived there in the mid-70's. During the times we lived in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Corrales weren't much (though it was at least an up-and-coming area when I was there). He also had no idea where I-25 and Montgomery was, and that was where I used to live, which is now in the middle of town!

620 and 1270 are regional channels in Canada as well. 620 is still in use by a powerful station in Regina, Saskatchewan (and I believe others); I'm sure the 1270 station in Trenton, Ontario is still notified (and must be protected) even though it's moved to FM.

OK. I was thinking of that powerful station in Regina and thinking 620 had to be a clear. I haven't had to do much dealing with Canadian radio, and I think that's probably a good thing!

 

[Art Carlson]

770.
610.

All that matters. Other AM signals just don't cut it.

 

[w9wi]

Thanks for the info. Any idea when this changed? You're right that a lot of those stations are beaming power straight into the ocean. I guess, though, as metro areas have begun to expand in the days of the interstate highway and the automobile, it makes it worth their while!

WTMJ's increase was one of the first, and the license-to-cover was issued in 1995. So the underlying rule would be a year or two older than that.

Unfortunately, a big problem with the expansion of metro areas is that often they expand in the direction of other stations on the same frequency - stations can't increase power in those directions because of the interference risk. When WTMJ went from 5kw fulltime to 50kw day/10kw night, they also had to modify their directional pattern. (they hadn't been directional at all during the day) Their coverage to the south has not increased significantly with the power increase - it would have interfered with stations like Louisville and St. Petersburg.

I'm sure in that case the goal was to increase the intensity of the signal within the city of Milwaukee and the immediately adjoining suburbs - within an area the station already covered. With computer noise etc., what the FCC regards as a "city grade" AM signal may no longer be enough to actually make the station listenable.

OK. I was thinking of that powerful station in Regina and thinking 620 had to be a clear. I haven't had to do much dealing with Canadian radio, and I think that's probably a good thing!

I think the excellent ground conductivity up there is what makes those stations "get out" forever. I was in Regina two weeks ago, driving across the Prairies. 620 certainly is listenable on a car radio across most of all three Prairie Provinces and most of North Dakota and Montana. Likewise for many other stations in that region.

The clear/regional/local channel designations are in the NARBA international treaty. If a channel is designated as a "clear" in the United States then it's a clear in Canada and Mexico as well - and if it's designated as "regional" then it's regional in all three as well. Clear channels were designated as clear for a specific country but that means that country had priority to authorize a station to use that channel. It doesn't mean that channel isn't also considered clear in the other NARBA countries.

 

[ABQTom]

"Do you happen to have an HD Radio, ABQTom? If so, are there any other AM HDs operational besides what is listed on Ibiquity's website? They only have Radio Disney and 1350 listed as broadcasting digitally, but apparently this has changed. Does 1350 still broadcast in HD despite problems with its analog signal?"


1350 was in IBOC, not anymore, although they do narrow band (as does 1050). 1240 was in IBOC - no longer. 1550 is not yet listed on the ibiquity web site. I don't own an HD radio - lots of old analog ones.

As for channels that can be B or D, many on B have gone up to 50,000 watts like KKOL 1300 in Seattle. KPOJ 620 in Portland is 25kW day 10kW night. Formerly they were 5,000 watts DA-N. KLSD San Diego has an APP for 6 towers for 50,000 watts both day and night to shoot the signal out to sea. Right now they are only 5,000 watts, DA-N.

1550 is a unique station and it seems that there are few A/C stations with ABC news and local personalities left these days. That's unfortunate, considering that they can get ratings and TSL as Don Davis has done.



http://www.ibiquity.com/hd_radio/hdradio_find_a_station/NM/StnMarket

 

[hdradioeng]

WOW 1550 in IBOC, I am jealous! LOL Don can you confirm? I knew 770 was trying but has had the same issues we have with 1350's lack of bandwidth and symetry. Damn tall towers.

 

[amfmhd]

1240 KALY had an issue with it's new JAZZ 1000 solid state transmitter. It was puttng out a bit of garage and has gone back to Nautel to be tweaked. So the HD is off the air until the transmitter is returned. In the mean time the station is on the with it's ND1 in analog only. It should be back on in HD soon.