680 Signal Question

[RoddyFreeman]

I live in Atlanta and don't usually read the Memphis board so maybe this has been discussed.

But I noticed that WMFS/680 has a construction permit to lower daytime power to 8,000 watts and tighten its nighttime directional pattern even though it would eliminate one tower.

Does anyone know the reason for this?

 

[mikl73]

scrap metal prices at an all time high?

Actually that seems to be where this started with copper theft at at the tower site in March 2011. Look like they want to dismantle tower 5 and move the station to tower 4. Then rebuild tower 5.

I would guess since 680 is simulcast on 92.9 they are looking to maintain 1 less tower and cut the light bill a little and not replace all the copper under 5 towers every time an opportunist strikes.

I'd think the daytime power change isn't going to affect the 680 signal all that much within the city. The night pattern plots look the same to my eyes.

Here is the story as I find it from the applications:

"ON MARCH 9, 2011, ONLY FIVE DAYS AFTER THE GRANT OF THE CURRENT STA, LICENSEE WAS GRANTED A CP (BP-20101022AAH) TO CONSTRUCT A NEW TOWER FOR STATION THAT HAD BEEN PENDING WITH THE COMMISSION SINCE OCTOBER 2010. BUILDING OUT THIS CP ALREADY CONTEMPLATED MODIFICATIONS TO THE NIGHTTIME ARRAY, SO IT MADE SENSE TO MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS REQUIRED AFTER THE COPPER THEFT AT THE SAME TIME. HOWEVER, THE COPPER THEFT CAUSED LICENSEE TO CHANGE ITS ORIGINAL MODIFICATION PLANS TO THE NIGHTTIME ARRAY AND DELAYED CONSTRUCTION. CONSTRUCTION ON THE TALL TOWER WAS ALSO FURTHER DELAYED DUE TO CONTINOUS RAIN AND FLOODING FROM THE MIDDLE OF MARCH UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF JUNE CAUSING THE TOWER SITE TO BE SATURATED AND SURROUNDED BY WATER FOR WEEKS. SHORTLY AFTER THE FLOODING SUBSIDED, THE NEW PLAN AND NEW DESIGNS FOR DIFFERENT CABLE AND PHASING EQUIPMENT WERE DEVELOPED AND EQUIPMENT TO IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN WAS ORDERED.

TOWER FOUNDATIONS WERE POURED THE WEEK OF JUNE 12TH, BUT UNDERGROUND BORING AND TOWER INSTALLATION WAS FURTHER DELAYED DUE TO NECESSARY NEW PLANNING TO EFFECTIVLY REBUILD THE DESTROYED ARRAY AND EXCESSIVE HEAT CONDITIONS IN MEMPHIS DURING THE MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST. THE EXCESSIVE HEAT CONDITIONS HAVE SINCE SUBSIDED AND UNDERGROUND CABLING IS NOW WELL UNDERWAY. AS OF AUGUST 25TH, ALL OF THE 5 TOWER BORES WERE COMPLETED AND THE TOWER IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN BEING ERECTED BY THE END OF SEPTEMBER. AROUND THAT TIME, LICENSEE WILL ASK THE FCC TO MODIFY THE CURRENT STA TO AUTHORIZE LICENSEE TO OPERATE THE STATION FROM ANOTHER TOWER WHILE LICENSEE BUILDS THE NEW TOWER AND DISMANTLES THE OLD ONE. "

so here is the latest as expected:

"WMFS(AM)680KHZ MEMPHIS,TN FACILITY ID #34374('STATION')IS LICENSED TO ENTERCOM MEMPHIS LICENSE, LLC ('LICENSEE'). THE STATION IS CURRENTLY OPERATING UNDER THE TERMS OF BESTA-200110826ADE. THE INSTANT STA APPLICATION IS TO REQUEST THE COMMISSION'S PERMISSION TO MOVE OPERATIONS FROM TOWER #5 OF THE STATIONS ARRAY (ASR #1044695)AND COMMENCE OPERATIONS FROM TOWER #4 (ASR #1044694)OF THE ARRAY. SPECIFIC OPERATING POWERS AND MODES ARE CONTAINED IN THE SUBFORMS OF THE INSTANT APPLICATION. GRANT OF STA TO MOVE OPERATIONS TO TOWER #4 WILL ALLOW STATION TO REMAIN ON AIR AND FOR LICENSEE TO BEGIN DISMANTLING TOWER #5 PRIOR TO THE ERECTION OF A REPLACEMENT FOR TOWER #5."

 

[K4WRF]

I apologize for long reply of how the watch was made rather than just saying what the current time is.

(Short read)
Its only a paper reduction in power and they are replacing the tall tower due to its poor condition.

(Long in-the-weeds explanation)
680 was always limited in field because the height of the day tower was over the maximum for that class of operation. Up until the mid 1980's, power levels were set at defined levels such as 250,500, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 25,000, 50,000 watts respectively. If your tower was too efficient and exceeded the RMS field intensity for that class of operation, the station had to limit that field by placing a series resistor in-line with the antenna. In 680's case up until the FCC moved away from set levels, they most likely used a dropping resister to absorb 2,000 watts. At some point in time years ago, they decided to add the tall tower to support the FM and use it for daytime and gain some control of it by adding it to the night time array as what is described as a negative tower. In these cases the tall tower is very efferent but the lowest contributor to the distant field RMS. In this power flow scheme, the tall tower receives its excitation from the other elements in the array and that is power returned in-phase to the phasor common point to make up for the loss in field. Today, with the non-standard power levels, the resister is not needed and you can simply license the thing for 8,000 watts. With the night directional situation, the tall tower was likely a minor contributor to pattern shape given its low field contribution, but an array stability issue. With today's RF molding capabilities utilizing electromagnetic incremental analysis, it is relatively easy to factor out the unused tower and perhaps de-tune it to where it is invisible during directional operation. Feeding negative towers back into the phasor is also a detriment to a linear transmitter load impedance bandwidth.

Best regards.

w/

 

[mikl73]

There we go.. some folks have large brains.... Thank the lord for that.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Thanks, gentlemen.

 

[sidchase]

After reading this post I could only hear the jet sound as the information flew past me! ;D

 

[K4WRF]

After reading this post I could only hear the jet sound as the information flew past me! ;D

Sorry about that! Over several decades I have worked on or built a hundred or so of these. In today's media technological explosion, the description of AM directional antenna engineering is rapidly undergoing a transformation into what could be categorized as "useless information".....

All the best,

w/

 

[radiosaur]

After reading this post I could only hear the jet sound as the information flew past me! ;D

Sorry about that! Over several decades I have worked on or built a hundred or so of these. In today's media technological explosion, the description of AM directional antenna engineering is rapidly undergoing a transformation into what could be categorized as "useless information".....

All the best,

w/

Watt, your forgot to mention that a “barely negative” tower like that one was is a pain in the butt.

One of the things I wish we had gotten around to doing before music died on AM was to wideband the tall tower. The daytime tower was quite narrow, a fact which became apparent when a high frequency spike would hit the system and dump the Nautel. A nearby thunderstorm would also do it. The components were there for decades in a back room, but as far as I know it never got done. Now it doesn’t matter, but I suppose the new tower might be better.

I remember standing in the back door of the transmitter building on numerous occasions just before thunderstorms. Right before the lightning flash, all of the guy insulators would flash over, almost all at the same time. It sounded like popcorn.

It sounds like they are replacing the transmission line as well. I sure miss the late night alarms when the old lead line expansion joints pulled apart in 20 degree temps. But the above ground troughs were sure easy to work on.

Ah, the memories…

But that is still a site full of history and the best AM signal in Memphis day or night.

 

[K4WRF]

Do you recall if that #5 power was returned to the phasor or was it dissipated in a resistor? Back in the middle 90's I researched that thing and developed a proposal to replace all that old concentric transmission line after being dispatched to rescue the RCA and fix one of those @!$# expansion sections. The Keymarket DOE almost fainted when he saw the cost. I also recall one engineer quit over Keymarket sending that Nautel to New Orleans. Also, please tell me they are *NOT* just now getting around to replacing that old RCA line....

Best regards...
w/

 

[tomservo]

But that is still a site full of history and the best AM signal in Memphis day or night.

I would have thought WCRV's daytime signal would be better. Even though Radio-Locator shows a huge lobe right over Oxford, Miss. for 680 at night, I never heard the station there after dark. It wasn't much during the day, either. Only 640 seemed to be a "scan stopper" that far out. But then I got it to stop the radio seek not far from Canton, Miss. and it was totally clear for the most part!

 

[briancraig]

640 is obviously the best daytime signal but is a lightbulb at night.

Wouldn't 600 be the best overall signal day and night?

Daytime, they are about equal.

But at night, while I know they are both directional, it has always seemed to me that WREC gets out stronger in all directions.

 

[robgrayson]

It seems to me some significant antenna system or transmission line work was performed circa the mid 2000's. I recall meeting a consultant engineer friend out there and seeing the old Gates board and carts left from when Harry Simpson did the overnights from the transmitter site.

 

[radiosaur]

Do you recall if that #5 power was returned to the phasor or was it dissipated in a resistor? Back in the middle 90's I researched that thing and developed a proposal to replace all that old concentric transmission line after being dispatched to rescue the RCA and fix one of those @!$# expansion sections. The Keymarket DOE almost fainted when he saw the cost. I also recall one engineer quit over Keymarket sending that Nautel to New Orleans. Also, please tell me they are *NOT* just now getting around to replacing that old RCA line....

Best regards...
w/

I *think* it was returned to the phasor…unless it was drifting and the tower went positive: See “pain in the butt” in my previous post. That center tower was always a bane at night. I left in 1986 and we still had the old line, and I wondered aloud as well who decided to move that Nautel to NO. I think they finally got another solid state transmitter, but I’ve been out of the loop for a while. I spent many a winter night with a flashlight and one of those @!$# expansion sections. I miss that site, though. It had a personality.

If you were there for any length of time, you probably remember the “audible telemetry” from the phasor. If you didn’t hear 4 clicks and 1 clunk, it didn’t switch properly. The relays were all daisy chained.

As for coverage, yeah, 640 is probably better during the day, but 680 still has the best metro coverage at night.

 

[radiosaur]

It seems to me some significant antenna system or transmission line work was performed circa the mid 2000's. I recall meeting a consultant engineer friend out there and seeing the old Gates board and carts left from when Harry Simpson did the overnights from the transmitter site.

I think you're right but I can't remember when. I do remember scratching my head because they redid the monitor points. The existing points had been there since the 1950's and were all on this side of the river. For some reason they moved some of them over to Arkansas.

 

[sjs1959]

It seems to me some significant antenna system or transmission line work was performed circa the mid 2000's. I recall meeting a consultant engineer friend out there and seeing the old Gates board and carts left from when Harry Simpson did the overnights from the transmitter site.

Rob, this may have been covered in a much earlier thread, but why did Harry do his overnights from the transmitter instead of the studio?

 

[KennyBosak]

FCC rules at the time required an engineer with a first-class license to be at the transmitter 24/7. Since Harry was both an announcer and had a first ticket, WMPS could do overnights with one person instead of two.

In 1976, WMPS hired Ronnie Todd (The Night Crawler) to do overnights. He did his show from 112 Union, and I assume Harry still fulfilled the engineer requirement at the transmitter.

Everything changed in 1977, when the FCC relaxed the rule, allowing jocks with third-class tickets to take meter readings and make adjustments from a remote control panel in the studio.

 

[robgrayson]

disclaimer... this post is about OLD stuff. I know "radio isn't done this way anymore," "it's different now," blah blah blah. If you don't like it skip it and go listen to some Lady Gaga.

I found a Memphis composite aircheck from 1972 on airchexx.com, and it made me solve, to a point, a mystery. I had run across the WMPS "Rock Of The River" jingle package in someone's collection, and one of the jock sings was for Gary Smith. Growing up 150 miles south of here down in Greenville, I guess I didn't really get heavily into Memphis radio until I could drive, and therefore had complete control over the radio. By the time I was paying any attention, Bob McClain was doing mornings, so I missed out on Gary.

Well, in this composite I'm listening and I'm thinking this Gary Smith sounds really smooth, why haven't I heard more from him? (Somewhere out there, someone is going "I know I know... call on me... call on me!!")

Googling didn't tell much. It looks like Mr. Smith didn't particularly want to be found. Until, I hit one post on, of all things, New Albany, MS musicians. There was one mention of "Gary Smith (aka Bro Jon Rivers)!" I do remember listening to him on mornings at WHBQ. So, he went from mornings at WMPS to mornings at WHBQ with, I would assume, a stop between and the change of name. Once again, really old coots would remember him hosting the "Powerline" show stations ran to help defray their public-service programming commitments. So I solved one thing, but it opened up other questions. Kenny? Craig? Tom G?

 

[TheBigDaddy]

I remember Bro. John Rivers hosting Powerline. It was 30 minutes & was very well producced at the time by the Southern Baptist Convention. We use to run Country Crossorads hosted by Jerry Clower & Bill Mack back to back with Powerline. Those were the days. First radio gig (just like we all had) was working weekends. Truth is that I really enjoyed those two shows.

 

[cscott]

Sorry Rob but I cant help out on anything regarding MPS until a bit later than that. I joined Plough in 73 but that was in Chicago. I think I gave the chronology on here once before but it was a couple of years before I was involved from a corporate role. Unforftunately my first significant assignment was to find a new PD and a replacement for Dees!! Not that anybody has to be told but I failed miserably and repeatedly. I had some exposure to Roy Mack, Bill Murray, Ron Jordan and Bud and Dan in news....but I had not moved to Memphis so my dealings were casual. Gary Smith is not part of my memory but certainly Brother Jon was. I had never heard of him working at MPS prior to Bob and Rick but could be......cs

 

[robgrayson]

Thanks for the info, CS. It was news to me, also, but when you listen to the Gary Smith tape it could conceivably be Bro Jon. I know there were a number of folks who worked both sides of the street at different times, including me. It was a great rivalry in the day.

Speaking of rivalries with jocks trading sides seemingly at whim, I was amazed when I went to Chicago a couple of years back and realized that you could actually see WCFL from WLS (in their respective locations in the 70's) and vice versa, diagonally across the river. At least here, you had a few streets and trees to keep the sides seperated.