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670 Question

1) Early in the history of IBOC, WJR 760 and WABC 770 recognized that IBOC was a problem for even daytime and critical hours GROUNDWAVE service. Especially where CBS has an FM simulcast, like WBBM, why do they continue using IBOC?

2) Why leave KHGZ on when they have an FM translator?
 
If they shut KHGZ down, they will lose the station license and will not qualify to operate the translator.
 
If you will look at the FCC Rules, Daytime AM stations are permitted to operate their translators during nighttime hours when the AM station is off the air.
Shutting the AM station down completely is a whole different story.
If KHGZ is operating their AM transmitter during nighttime hours .... they are doing it illegally.
 
I meant at night.

I think both the PSSAs and the FM translators lend themselves to "forgetting" to go off the air and/or change to night facilities.

Back in the era covered by the "History Cards" now available online, there are records of stations actually requesting STAs to stay on past sunset, most often for Sports PBP. But I doubt there has been such a request for a LONG time. There seems to be quite a number of stations using day or more power than PSSA power for such events, though.

I do know of one person who called such a station operating past sunset, and were basically told that they weren't going to shut it off, and asked why they cared that they were operating anyway. It wasn't me who called, BTW.
 
Schroedingers Cat said:
I do know of one person who called such a station operating past sunset, and were basically told that they weren't going to shut it off, and asked why they cared that they were operating anyway. It wasn't me who called, BTW.
Click to expand...

When living in Phoenix, I liked a show on XEDM-1580 in the evenings. But frequently local KTUF-1580 would "forget" to turn the transmitter off at sunset and continue on witha simulcast of KNIX (FM). On one occasion I called and mentioned their little mistake and got a "so, you are one of them!" response. The carrier cut about 30" later.
 
frankberry said:
Without an adequate ground system, the base impedance of the tower would likely change every time it rained.
Click to expand...
I worked at a station with its four-tower directional transmission site in seawater off the coast of Miami. They had two ground radial systems, one was above the water at its highest tide and the other was below the water at its lowest tide. Predictably, some of the phase and current readings swung back and forth because the radial systems were not solid discs, but not as much as one might expect. I thought the system was well engineered to handle the tides.
 
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Looks like they're still operating at night. A friend from the area asked me to check since I'm south Alabama and sure enough, KHGZ is audible under WSCR.

I often wonder if these small town daytimers that stay on all night are doing it out of ignorance or stubbornness. Here in my area WDXZ 1000 AM for a while was staying on all night, also with 5 kW. It was just canned sports programming, nothing important. I think they finally realized the mistake but it lasted for a week or two.

For all the talk of the FCC wanting to help the AM band, they don't seem to care about interference issues like this. I know of at least two more AMs in Mississippi that have been off the air for at least 10 years and kept their licenses active without filing any STAs or anything. And one in Alabama that is doing the same thing but also has an FM with a different antenna (12 bay versus a 6 bay, I believe) at a different tower site, with higher power and elevation that licensed. But no one seems to care because it's "small town radio".
 
Most of the Regionals are a mess at night too. All it takes is one station operating with nondirectional day facilities to push the effective NIF of well protected stations up to 15-20 mV/m.

And the FM translators are starting to make a mess too. In Michigan, you used to get Class As 30 miles away with no problem. Now, there are areas that are totally trashed about 25 miles away, especially when the 250 watt translator 25 miles away is line of sight, and the 3000 watt Class A 25 miles away is terrain shadowed.
 
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