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650 WSM

R

radiojay1

From WSM's website:
By late 1932, WSM had joined a small, elite group of maximum-power, Class 1-A, clear-channel broadcasters. The stations new 50,000 watt status, coupled with the low 650 kilocycle frequency, made WSM a nation-spanning giant. (Clear-channel status meant it was the only station in the entire U.S. permitted to broadcast on the 650 frequency.) At the heart of this expansion was a diamond-shaped, vertical antenna which was 878 feet high, the tallest tower in North America at the time.

Does having a low AM frequency increase skywave coverage?

Kilocycles, old school.

Also the diamond shaped antenna in Brentwood, Tennessee, is really cool to see from Google Maps Street View.
 
radiojay1 said:
Does having a low AM frequency increase skywave coverage?
Click to expand...

It doesn't. The lower frequencies have less skywave and more extended groundwave.

Also the diamond shaped antenna in Brentwood, Tennessee, is really cool to see from Google Maps Street View.
Click to expand...

There were quite a few of the Blaw-Knox towers at one time. Still standing I believe are ones at WFEA at Manchester, NH, WBT in Charlotte. One at WADO came down a few years ago. WLW has one and WBNS in Columbus does, too. Here is an article. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaw-Knox_Tower
 
radiojay1 said:
From WSM's website:
By late 1932, WSM had joined a small, elite group of maximum-power, Class 1-A, clear-channel broadcasters. The stations new 50,000 watt status, coupled with the low 650 kilocycle frequency, made WSM a nation-spanning giant. (Clear-channel status meant it was the only station in the entire U.S. permitted to broadcast on the 650 frequency.) At the heart of this expansion was a diamond-shaped, vertical antenna which was 878 feet high, the tallest tower in North America at the time.

Does having a low AM frequency increase skywave coverage?

Kilocycles, old school.

Also the diamond shaped antenna in Brentwood, Tennessee, is really cool to see from Google Maps Street View.
Click to expand...

As David says, a low frequency increases *groundwave* coverage. Skywave is better at the top of the band. (much to the chagrin of WSM's competitor WLAC, which is sometimes clobbered by out-of-town skywave signals at points *within Metro Nashville*... not to mention Cincinnati-1530's IBOC...)

It's now possible to safely park nearby and walk right along the fence at the site, getting a good look at the facility. There's a city park (w/parking lot) kitty-corner from the southeast corner of the WSM plant. The exit from I-65 is Concord Road. As will be obvious because the tower is right at the exit, easily visible (indeed, impossible to miss!) from the Interstate.

(you probably don't want to try this during rush hour, as you probably won't be able to walk across Concord Road. In the middle of the day it should be no problem.)
 
If you're trying for groundwave the low end of the dial is the G spot.
If skywave is to your liking the high end of the dial does better.
Years ago when all of the 4 Chicago 50KW were in the clear WLS had the consistently best skywave, but WMAQ & WGN were far better with the groundwave.
 
I drug my poor family to the WSM transmitting site during a weekend visit to Nashville. I tried to pump them up for the visit, but to no avail.

If a person ever gets to Cincinnati and they like radio enough that they take side trips to see transmitting towers, well a visit to WLW in Mason (a northern suberb) is a must. You hop off I-75 at exit 22 and go east about a mile or so and it's on your left. Used to be even better when the Voice of America short wave transmitters were still there.

The WCKY transmitter and towers are located on a hill just over the Ohio river on the Kentucky side very near the Greater Cincinnati airport. The historic Anderson Ferry still takes cars across the Ohio and as you cross, you can see the transmitting towers on a bluff just to the east of the ferry route.

To the east about a mile north of the I75 & I74 intersection you can see the unique WSTR TV tower. It's a self supporting tower of a unique design.
 
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