AC Broken at Transmitter Site = No HD

[nd2023]

94.3 WJLK in Asbury Park, NJ is currently not broadcasting in HD because the AC is broken at its transmitter site. The HD transmitter generates a lot of heat. So rather than fix the AC and be able to broadcast in HD, they're opting to leave the AC broken.

 

[Kent]

It's not just HD that does it. Too many transmitters at any site will raise the temperature too high. I worked at a top-40 about 10 years ago that allowed NOAA to install a new transmitter at its site. The average temperature in the transmitter building went from about 75 to 95-100 even with the AC on! There were some days when I'd log a temperature close to 110 when checking readings, and that was just with the two transmitters.

 

[satech]

WJLK is also transmitting mono audio over a stereo signal, reportedly due to STL problems. They might as well turn off the stereo pilot, to improve their fringe coverage!

 

[Tom Wells]

WJLK is also transmitting mono audio over a stereo signal, reportedly due to STL problems. They might as well turn off the stereo pilot, to improve their fringe coverage!

By FCC law, if the audio provided to the transmitter is/has become default mono, and there is no expectation of a sudden
desire/need to run stereo, the 19 khz pilot MUST be turned off.

If that law dropped, someone ought to give us the update on that.
And the requirement really was intended to give improved range on the signal.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

By FCC law, if the audio provided to the transmitter is/has become default mono, and there is no expectation of a sudden
desire/need to run stereo, the 19 khz pilot MUST be turned off.

If that law dropped, someone ought to give us the update on that.
And the requirement really was intended to give improved range on the signal.

The regulation you cited (the FCC is not empowered to make laws) was dropped in 1986. The FCC technical standards for stereo transmission are found at 47 CFR §73.322 and can be read here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2010-title47-vol4/pdf/CFR-2010-title47-vol4-sec73-322.pdf

 

[Tom Wells]

Thank you for that. When I was in school we called it "laws" class, even though they were regulations.
And that was 1980...

 

[Ai4i]

When I was in school we called it "laws" class, even though they were regulations.

And then there are rules?

 

[Tom Wells]

When I was in school we called it "laws" class, even though they were regulations.

And then there are rules?

Well, yes there are RULES.

I remember the prof asking in second semester transmitters class how many people were interested in an FCC laws class,
which would not be scheduled unless enough people were interested, and about 80% of the class held up their hands to indicate they were
interested in an FCC "Laws" class.

Many other aspects of being a CE were also covered.
I really enjoyed the "where's the spurious response coming from" scanarios, and how to do engineering studies for
new station considerations.

Another great aspect was learning how to tell whether spurious responses were "really" in the air, or just in a (particular) radio.

 

[dumber than a box of hair]

When I was in school we called it "laws" class, even though they were regulations.

And then there are rules?

The term is used interchangeably with "regulations."