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Largest AM day to night power drop

J

jimbo

Living in the Dakotas I note that WZFG operates with 50,000 watts during the day and 440 watts at night. Aside from a 50KW daytimer does anyone know what 50KW station operates with the lowest night time power?
 
I remember 810 in Magee, Mississippi used to run 50kw daytime...and often failed to
lower power at susnset (or in they were daytime only...pull the plug).
When they stayed at 50kw after sunset, they were a local here in Nashville...I'm sure WGY was unhappy.
BTW...they've been dark for a very long time.
 
From 50,000 to 35 watts, it's almost a case of why bother? And that one in PA, 2 watts at night? A kid's nightlight probably has better coverage.

thanks for the info.
 
As of my last pass through the area, 50 KW WSJC is still alive and splattering across the band from the big half-wave stick in Magee, MS. Two 1/4-wave towers offer an alleged 500 watts at night, by the way.
 
anotherguy said:
WMQM 1600 in Lakeland, TN (Memphis area) drops from 50,000 watts daytime to 35 watts nighttime.
Click to expand...

While it doesn't beat WMQM, KGOW in Houston has 50kw day, but cuts to 100 watts at night. However, they have a CP for 15kw at night.
 
IIRC, WCAW Charleston, WV used to be 50,000 watts non-directional days and 250 watts directional at night. I believe their daytime power was reduced to 10,000 non-directional days after WCBM boosted their power. I believe WHFS (ex WPGC-AM) is 50,000 watts directional days and 270 watts directional at night.
 
Doctor_Technical said:
As of my last pass through the area, 50 KW WSJC is still alive and splattering across the band from the big half-wave stick in Magee, MS. Two 1/4-wave towers offer an alleged 500 watts at night, by the way.
Click to expand...

you're correct: after posting I looked around the FCC database. appears they were dark for a while during a bankruptcy,
but came back with the current 'preacher features' under current ownership...Family Radio Network
 
WAGL in Lancaster, SC goes from a 50kw day signal that's so directional that it can't cover 30 miles north in Charlotte, but booms in along most of the South Carolina coast, to going off the air at night.
 
If my failing memory serves me right, KUAZ 50KW days, non D was offered a very low power i.e.5-10 watts at night. After a quick experiment with a test transmitter, the authorization was turned back in. The TX is located north of Tucson and with that low power could barely be heard in the city limits. That was 15 years ago and the Engineer who did those tests has passed on so I can't confirm it.
Bill
 
Like WOW.

And I thought KBRC 1430 in Mount Vernon, WA had a hell of a nighttime drop (5,000 day to 27 night.)

What's even the point of staying on at night at THAT low power?......
 
Bongwater said:
And I thought KBRC 1430 in Mount Vernon, WA had a hell of a nighttime drop (5,000 day to 27 night.)
What's even the point of staying on at night at THAT low power?......
Click to expand...

It would depend on where the transmit site is located with respect to the population in the groundwave service area.

Per the FCC's applicable MW propagation curves, a net r.m.s. power of 27 watts radiated by the two 105-degree monopoles shown in the FCC files for the directional nighttime pattern of KBRC linked below would produce a groundwave field intensity of about 10 millivolts/meter at a distance of ~2.4 km, which is a rather healthy signal.

It would be greater than that in the directions of maximum radiation. The population count enclosed by that coverage contour might make such a nighttime operation economically viable.

However the FCC data linked below shows a nighttime power of 1,000 watts for KBRC, NOT 27 watts -- in which case KBRC will have a much greater nighttime coverage area within their 10 mV/m groundwave signal contour than if they used 27 watts.

http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=39496

RF
 
Although not a huge drop story, there was a small station in Morris, Il that had 250 watts day, 6 watts night. Had a very loyal and successful morning drive show, even with only 6 watts.
 
In my experience, power under 50 watts, even at the top of the dial, can serve small cities fairly well at night.
 
In percentage, a drop of 99.9%. WENG 1530 Englewood, Fl 1kw day, .001kw night. Thats 1 watt! I have a nightlight more powerful than that.
 
klutch00 said:
IIRC, WCAW Charleston, WV used to be 50,000 watts non-directional days and 250 watts directional at night. I believe their daytime power was reduced to 10,000 non-directional days after WCBM boosted their power. I believe WHFS (ex WPGC-AM) is 50,000 watts directional days and 270 watts directional at night.
Click to expand...

They were directional as 50KW. I remember the phaser of that station was built on the wall of a seperate room. They had the thickest pair of rubber gloves I ever saw laying there on the shelf. You HAD to wear those gloves to adjust anything.

They were also an EBS LP-1 station, and FCC rules said you could remain on the air at full power for an emergency. So every time there was a severe thunderstorm at night, they ran 50KW.

The site had seperate transmitter for day and night, as they couldn't get the Harris MW50 to run at 250watts. So there was an MW1 for nighttime.

The site was leased with something like a 50 year lease, and when the lease ran out, the land owners wouldn't renew it. Instead it became a nice subdivision, and they made a fortune on it.

The new transmitter site only had two towers rather than the three towers that the old site had. I don't remember if that was the reason they lowered the power, or if they just didn't want to pay the electricity on a 50KW AM. By that point they had already started simulcasting the AM on V100, so I'm not sure they cared.
 
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