Anonymous editorial on the FCC approval of HD Radio

[PocketRadio]

"Editorial on the recent approval of HD Radio (IBOC) in the USA"

http://www.am-dx.com/amiboc.htm

Someone just set this to me via email. Interesting to note, the author heard that Australia recently ceased digital broadcasting on AM, due to interference to New Zealand stations. The author offers three scenarios for the future of HD/IBOC - the most notable, that HD/IBOC will eventually be shut off to protect the analog signals, due to lack of consumer interest in HD Radio.

Also, this may be a better place to ask this again:

If I am equal-distant between two 50kw AM-HD stations, say 400 miles at 800 and 810 khz, should I be more concerned with their nighttime IBOC signals cancelling/interfering each other out, by the time the skywaves arrive, or should I be more concerned with a nearby 50kw AM-HD station on an adjacent-channel, interfering with the skywaves, as they arrive ? Anyone - thanks !

 

[paul vincent zecchino]

Dear Pocket Radio -

Encouraging news from Australia. Let's hope is spreads.

Re: 800 - 810 slugfest, who can say? iNiquity's wunderkind, who ever so courteously lets interviewers know he's all about money first, radio last, and citizens, never, foolishly claims 'HD is the most thoroughly tested broadcast system in history'.

Didn't this strain of overblown self-serving nonsense so well define the 90s, HD's seminal era? Of course, for reasons most mysterious, iNiquity won't release test data.

Choose the likely outcome. 800 & 810 analog and digital components will interact destructively w/one another, resulting in a draw, all players down for the count.

Those within daytime range of adjacent HDs state, as much as HD jams up to 60 KHz of spectrum, it is as well very easily jammed by other HD signals and even slight atmospheric and mechanical noise of the sort which analog signals easily trounce.

What a grand innovation, eh?

BigKorpseKasters kept consumers in the dark, the better to spring HD upon them once they had enough jammers on-air. As with all who stupidly corner their prey, superficial strength is betrays deeper weakness, one which penetrates to the marrow.

They told us naught, in hope we'd forget, they need us far more than we need them.

In fact, who needs them at all? I don't. You don't. Neither consumers nore broadcasters do.

Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
25 March, 2007

 

[4dude]

VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!

VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VERY GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[R.F. Burns]

"Those within daytime range of adjacent HDs state, as much as HD jams up to 60 KHz of spectrum, it is as well very easily jammed by other HD signals and even slight atmospheric and mechanical noise of the sort which analog signals easily trounce."



60 Khz? Hey as long as we're lying let's not stop there. How about one HD station jams the entire RF spectrum. Why I can't even use my microwave any longer.

 

[PocketRadio]

Here is more possible good news:

"FCC Adopts IBOC Ruling"

http://beradio.com/currents/radio-currents-031907/#iboc

One notable quote:

"Because the ruling does not include mandates for stations to commence IBOC operations, it's allowing the market to decide. Stations that oppose the system still have the choice not to adopt the technology."

When they refer to "market", whether it be consumers or broadcasters, consumer apathy/accecptance should drive any further move by broadcasters - I hope.

 

[R.F. Burns]

Here is more possible good news:

"FCC Adopts IBOC Ruling"

http://beradio.com/currents/radio-currents-031907/#iboc

One notable quote:

"Because the ruling does not include mandates for stations to commence IBOC operations, it's allowing the market to decide. Stations that oppose the system still have the choice not to adopt the technology."

When they refer to "market", whether it be consumers or broadcasters, consumer apathy/accecptance should drive any further move by broadcasters - I hope.

Exactly, no one is forcing anyone to adopt IBOC. However the fact that the predictions are that by the end of 2007 there will be nearly 2,000 IBOC stations on the air. Hey, in NY alone there are over 18 HD FM stations I can receive as I write this and most of them multi cast. On AM we have 4, 50 KW stations running HD exciters and all of this was while HD was still an experimental technology. More stations are on the way as I write this. At best we had maybe 5 AM stereo stations at its peak and they ran the gamut from C-Quam to Kahn. Lets see what happens over the next five years or so before we pull the shroud over this technology. To all you chicken littles out there, the sky isn’t falling.

 

[paul vincent zecchino]

Dear Pocket Radio -

Thank you, on behalf of all lovers of legitimate radio, for this encouraging news. Might this inconvenient revelation, among others, explain why HD cheerleaders are still angry, quarrelsome, and palpably nervous, despite their allegedly stellar victory?

"Let the market decide"!!!! Yikes!!! The Horror!!! The Horror!!!

Wasn't Stooge-radio's deliberate jamming supposed to BLOC inconvenient market forces?


Another revelation, another beautiful day.


Dr. Paul Vincent Zecchino
Manasota Key, Florida
26 March, 2007

 

[PocketRadio]

Here is more possible good news:

"FCC Adopts IBOC Ruling"

http://beradio.com/currents/radio-currents-031907/#iboc

One notable quote:

"Because the ruling does not include mandates for stations to commence IBOC operations, it's allowing the market to decide. Stations that oppose the system still have the choice not to adopt the technology."

When they refer to "market", whether it be consumers or broadcasters, consumer apathy/accecptance should drive any further move by broadcasters - I hope.

Exactly, no one is forcing anyone to adopt IBOC. However the fact that the predictions are that by the end of 2007 there will be nearly 2,000 IBOC stations on the air. Hey, in NY alone there are over 18 HD FM stations I can receive as I write this and most of them multi cast. On AM we have 4, 50 KW stations running HD exciters and all of this was while HD was still an experimental technology. More stations are on the way as I write this. At best we had maybe 5 AM stereo stations at its peak and they ran the gamut from C-Quam to Kahn. Lets see what happens over the next five years or so before we pull the shroud over this technology. To all you chicken littles out there, the sky isn’t falling.

There are approximately 13,500 AM/FM stations, and approximately 1,200 IBOC licenced stations; adding another 800 IBOC sations by year's end, may be a bit hopeful. I wonder, how station owners are keeping track, if they are, of the number of HD radios sold ? Of course, we can run Web statistics and browse articles, blogs, and consumer sites to get a idea - could they be getting inflated numbers from the HD Radio Alliance/iBiquity ?

 

[Kelly]

Here is more possible good news:

"FCC Adopts IBOC Ruling"

http://beradio.com/currents/radio-currents-031907/#iboc

One notable quote:

"Because the ruling does not include mandates for stations to commence IBOC operations, it's allowing the market to decide. Stations that oppose the system still have the choice not to adopt the technology."

When they refer to "market", whether it be consumers or broadcasters, consumer apathy/accecptance should drive any further move by broadcasters - I hope.

Exactly, no one is forcing anyone to adopt IBOC. However the fact that the predictions are that by the end of 2007 there will be nearly 2,000 IBOC stations on the air. Hey, in NY alone there are over 18 HD FM stations I can receive as I write this and most of them multi cast. On AM we have 4, 50 KW stations running HD exciters and all of this was while HD was still an experimental technology. More stations are on the way as I write this. At best we had maybe 5 AM stereo stations at its peak and they ran the gamut from C-Quam to Kahn. Lets see what happens over the next five years or so before we pull the shroud over this technology. To all you chicken littles out there, the sky isn’t falling.

There are approximately 13,500 AM/FM stations, and approximately 1,200 IBOC licenced stations; adding another 800 IBOC sations by year's end, may be a bit hopeful. I wonder, how station owners are keeping track, if they are, of the number of HD radios sold ? Of course, we can run Web statistics and browse articles, blogs, and consumer sites to get a idea - could they be getting inflated numbers from the HD Radio Alliance/iBiquity ?

Actually, you make a good point. A representitave from Ibquity stopped by my corporate H.Q. the other day to talk with the CEO and myself about changing our stations over to IBOC. During the Powerpoint presentation they came up with a quote claiming that something in the neighborhood of "hundreds of thousands" HD radios were sold in 2006. So I asked her the question.."Are those figures representing the number of Ibquity RX chips sold to the manufacturer's, or is that the number of radios actually sold to consumers?" The answer was she didn't know. How in God's green Earth can you not know how many radios have been sold?? So I asked the question a different way.."So Crutchfield has been a sales partner for HD radio from the beginning. Have you tracked the number of HD radios has been sold by Crutchfield alone?" The answer was no. Really?? Yet they make the claim of how many "radios" have been sold, but have no statistics?? So I suggested they better start tracking that number.

In the end even my CEO who had been frustrated that I was not in a hurry to be an early adopter of HD Radio, was somewhat skeptical. That being said however, we are changing one of our AM conservative talk stations to IBOC, because of the loyal audience would probably be more likely to purchase a HD radio to hear better at the fringe with less terrestrial noise. We've chosen to hold off on the FM IBOC installations.

 

[Chuck]

That being said however, we are changing one of our AM conservative talk stations to IBOC, because of the loyal audience would probably be more likely to purchase a HD radio to hear better at the fringe with less terrestrial noise. We've chosen to hold off on the FM IBOC installations.

I'll be curious to hear your results. I live in an area where the only HD stations (FM) are not powerful enough to be received in HD on a Sangean HDT-1 Tuner with an outdoor antenna. The analog signals work fine on the same tuner. From this casual observation I suspect that your fringe listeners will be disappointed, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

 

[EasyPeazy]

I'll be curious to hear your results. I live in an area where the only HD stations (FM) are not powerful enough to be received in HD on a Sangean HDT-1 Tuner with an outdoor antenna. The analog signals work fine on the same tuner. From this casual observation I suspect that your fringe listeners will be disappointed, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

Now be honest Chuck.

You live in an area with one licensed HD station and you speculated in another thread that it may not be broadcasting HD yet.

The other stations you said you were trying to receive were in Shreveport, which is over 60 miles away. The transmitters could be further away than that.

 

[PocketRadio]

During the Powerpoint presentation they came up with a quote claiming that something in the neighborhood of "hundreds of thousands" HD radios were sold in 2006. So I asked her the question.."Are those figures representing the number of Ibquity RX chips sold to the manufacturer's, or is that the number of radios actually sold to consumers?" The answer was she didn't know.

My guess, is the number of Ibquity RX chips sold to the manufacturers - of course, if hundreds-of-thousands of HD radios were being sold, the HD Radio Alliance/iBiquity would be touting those figures, instead of keeping it a closely guarded secret. It is also interesting, that Tweeter is closing a bunch of stores - so much for the I-Sonic. Will other stores follow suit, and stop stocking HD radios - our local Radio Shack stated that they have sold very few HD radios. Since iBiquity has been processing the HD radio rebates, they surely have an idea of the number sold (or, a relative idea).

 

[Chuck]

I'll be curious to hear your results. I live in an area where the only HD stations (FM) are not powerful enough to be received in HD on a Sangean HDT-1 Tuner with an outdoor antenna. The analog signals work fine on the same tuner. From this casual observation I suspect that your fringe listeners will be disappointed, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

Now be honest Chuck.

You live in an area with one licensed HD station and you speculated in another thread that it may not be broadcasting HD yet.

The other stations you said you were trying to receive were in Shreveport, which is over 60 miles away. The transmitters could be further away than that.

You could be right, but I get the analog versions of these stations on the Sangean tuner, and not the HD versions.

Ibiquity's web site shows KLJT is transmitting in HD. I do know that they have recently installed a new HD transmitter. I haven't had time to call them yet to see if the exciter is actually on. I'll let you know.

I believe the KDAQ transmitter site is in Vivian, LA, co-located with a lot off other stations, including TV. I get the TV stations fine with a very minimal antenna. (HDTV too). Perhaps a better antenna on my end would yield better results. Will your average listener go that far?

 

[R.F. Burns]

I'll be curious to hear your results. I live in an area where the only HD stations (FM) are not powerful enough to be received in HD on a Sangean HDT-1 Tuner with an outdoor antenna. The analog signals work fine on the same tuner. From this casual observation I suspect that your fringe listeners will be disappointed, but I'll be happy to be proved wrong.

Now be honest Chuck.

You live in an area with one licensed HD station and you speculated in another thread that it may not be broadcasting HD yet.

The other stations you said you were trying to receive were in Shreveport, which is over 60 miles away. The transmitters could be further away than that.

Now c'mon Easy, how can you take the word of someone who posts actual real world demos of IBOC in action over someone who can speculate so well? Oh, and what type of outside antenna are you using? How about feedline, how far above ground is your antenna? You say the analog is clean but you can't receive the digital signal. I also have the Sangean radio and have no trouble hearing radio stations in HD from well over 60 miles away. There are too many variables in your comments to determine what the reasons for your receptions issues are. I'd also ask the station if they are using a single antenna for HD transmission or the same one used for analogue. Is the HD stick mounted lower or higher then the analog antenna?

 

[EasyPeazy]

You could be right, but I get the analog versions of these stations on the Sangean tuner, and not the HD versions.

Ibiquity's web site shows KLJT is transmitting in HD. I do know that they have recently installed a new HD transmitter. I haven't had time to call them yet to see if the exciter is actually on. I'll let you know.

I believe the KDAQ transmitter site is in Vivian, LA, co-located with a lot off other stations, including TV. I get the TV stations fine with a very minimal antenna. (HDTV too). Perhaps a better antenna on my end would yield better results. Will your average listener go that far?

To be honest, I wouldn't expect listeners from 60 miles away to try. In your town, I'd expect people to be listening to any one of the local frequencies.

I am curious about your antenna though. You said its primary purpose is capturing a NOAA station for EAS purposes. Is your yagi tuned to 160 MHz weather radio or the FM band? What exactly is this yagi?

Since the average weather radio transmitter has an ERP of 1,000 watts and you're able to receive it (cleanly I hope) you should be able to receive the HD channels of at least the class C FMs in Shreveport.

 

[Chuck]

Now c'mon Easy, how can you take the word of someone who posts actual real world demos of IBOC in action over someone who can speculate so well?

I'm not speculating.

Oh, and what type of outside antenna are you using? How about feedline, how far above ground is your antenna?

It's a 6 element Yagi from Radio Shack. I believe Antennacraft made it. It feeds several receivers through a Radio Shack 4 way active splitter with the FM trap off. All the radios connected to it work as you would expect them to. The antenna is 20 feet off the ground. Feedline is Belden RG-6.

You say the analog is clean but you can't receive the digital signal. I also have the Sangean radio and have no trouble hearing radio stations in HD from well over 60 miles away. There are too many variables in your comments to determine what the reasons for your receptions issues are. I'd also ask the station if they are using a single antenna for HD transmission or the same one used for analogue. Is the HD stick mounted lower or higher then the analog antenna?

I don't know the answer to that, and I doubt that anyone who purchases one of these radios would go as far as I have to make it work. It is hard enough to find the phone number of a radio station, much less find anyone at the station who will either answer the phone or give you technical information.

It is also possible that I have a defective radio. I hope not. It does work fine in analog, and the RDS display works OK too, so I think the problem is signal strength at my location. I am at a radio station, so it is possible that our transmitter is blanketing the front end of the tuner, but other tuners do work OK at this location and this one is fine in analog.

 

[Chuck]

I am curious about your antenna though. You said its primary purpose is capturing a NOAA station for EAS purposes. Is your yagi tuned to 160 MHz weather radio or the FM band? What exactly is this yagi?

Since the average weather radio transmitter has an ERP of 1,000 watts and you're able to receive it (cleanly I hope) you should be able to receive the HD channels of at least the class C FMs in Shreveport.

Although it is intended to be an FM antenna, it seems to work more than adequately for our NWS feed which comes from Shreveport.

I realize your situation is different where you live, but KDAQ is the only NPR station in the area. We don't think 60 miles is exactly a DX catch. It's just the way things are here in Texas. People do listen to that NPR station; especially since the only local classical music station was sold and replaced with K-Love.

 

[R.F. Burns]

I am curious about your antenna though. You said its primary purpose is capturing a NOAA station for EAS purposes. Is your yagi tuned to 160 MHz weather radio or the FM band? What exactly is this yagi?

Since the average weather radio transmitter has an ERP of 1,000 watts and you're able to receive it (cleanly I hope) you should be able to receive the HD channels of at least the class C FMs in Shreveport.

Although it is intended to be an FM antenna, it seems to work more than adequately for our NWS feed which comes from Shreveport.

I realize your situation is different where you live, but KDAQ is the only NPR station in the area. We don't think 60 miles is exactly a DX catch. It's just the way things are here in Texas. People do listen to that NPR station; especially since the only local classical music station was sold and replaced with K-Love.

See if they are running their IBOC exciter? I'm guesing you are listening to 89.9 and not 90.7. Call this number 1-800-552-8502 and ask whether they are running IBOC. You might want to ask for their chief engineer and you might have to leave a message. It's an 800 number, no charge!! Or contact these people, Rod Matthews (eng consultant) or e-mail this fellow Rod Mathews [email protected]. He's operations manager and an engineer. There you go, I gave you some information to get you started. Good luck!!

 

[Chuck]

[See if they are running their IBOC exciter? I'm guesing you are listening to 89.9 and not 90.7. Call this number 1-800-552-8502 and ask whether they are running IBOC. You might want to ask for their chief engineer and you might have to leave a message. It's an 800 number, no charge!! Or contact these people, Rod Matthews (eng consultant) or e-mail this fellow Rod Mathews [email protected]. He's operations manager and an engineer. There you go, I gave you some information to get you started. Good luck!!

Thanks for the phone number. I had a nice conversation with the folks at KDAQ. It seems we have several mutual friends. If nothing else it was a good bonding experience.

The HD exciter is on. They thought I'm probably too far away to receive the HD signal. The first reply out of the receptionist's mouth was "The HD signals don't go as far as our normal signal." I knew that. She then turned me over to their engineer.


It seems they are on the same tower as the Shreveport PBS station, and I have trouble with it too. I get a snowy picture on analog and usually nothing in digital. I get my PBS by satellite. Sorry, I forgot to ask if they were combining their signal or using separate antennas.

The engineer I spoke with also has the same Sangean tuner. He says it works fine at his house, but he has trouble with the HD in his office which is on the university campus. The brick and steel buildings present a challenge to the HD signal.

It is very possible that moving my antenna a just a few feet, or maybe raising it a bit will help. I also have a Winegard FM only antenna sitting around that is supposed to have 10 db of gain. These antennas work well with our translators, so maybe that is worth a try for this. I'm trying to be very objective here. Since I have $216 ($199 plus tax) of my own money tied up in this adventure, I'd be happy if it works. Right now it seems that for people who live on the fringes, it doesn't appear to be a plug and play solution.

 

[Ray22]

The IBOC FM signal was never engineered to serve anything other than "city grade contour." This is stated several times in their own PR pieces. Later, when full digital signals are on the air and analog shutdown, then coverage will be about equal with present analog. The was the original plan, no matter how they spin it now.