Nighttime WPGA Blues

[kturnerga]

I go home at night and from Eisenhower Parkway south the two WPGA AM's, 980 and "Big X" 1400, are static-laden and low-powered. Is there any plan to get a CP for a signal boost?

Lowell's got a swingin' joint there, babe! I wish he'd had made better choices for some programs but I love Dave Ramsey! I also love Kenny Bee and Charles. Yes, Chris Krok is brutally honest but Kenny is much more professional.

 

[fussbudget]

Don't know much about WPGA's stick but has WNEX's ever been anything but static laden and low powered?

 

[kyscott]

Both stations have what they have. Getting a better signal would require a move for both stations. Costing mucho dinero. Something Lowell hates. Remember, our ground conductivity isn't the best in the world down there. And I'm sure that the old WNEX ground system itself isn't in very good shape, either. If he wanted to, I'm sure there is a location down near Warner Robins both stations could be moved to and share a common site. Again, it comes to money.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

1400 is a Class C, as is 1230, 1240, 1340, other 1400s, 1450 and 1490.............all of them are limited to 1KW Day and night, Class C's can be directional by day, but not at night and thats that.

However, there are no Class C's or D's in Alaska and Hawaii.... stations there on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490 could all run 50KW Day and night if they wanted to!

 

[jmtillery]

1400 is a Class C, as is 1230, 1240, 1340, other 1400s, 1450 and 1490.............all of them are limited to 1KW Day and night, Class C's can be directional by day, but not at night and thats that.

However, there are no Class C's or D's in Alaska and Hawaii.... stations there on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490 could all run 50KW Day and night if they wanted to!

Why can't a class C AM operate with a directional pattern at night?

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

1400 is a Class C, as is 1230, 1240, 1340, other 1400s, 1450 and 1490.............all of them are limited to 1KW Day and night, Class C's can be directional by day, but not at night and thats that.

However, there are no Class C's or D's in Alaska and Hawaii.... stations there on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490 could all run 50KW Day and night if they wanted to!

Why can't a class C AM operate with a directional pattern at night?

Mark Tillery,
Ocala, Florida
[email protected]

CLass C AMs can't operate directional at night because of the way the interference/power levels are measured... I don't know the exact reason, but thats what it has to do with as i recall.

There are like 1 or 2 directional Class Cs (by day) left in America.

 

[BSteve]

Once upon a time....back in the day(50s and 60s)......both WNEX 1400 and WBML, broadcasting on 1240 in those days, both had good signals and good audio. They also had good engineers, Max Harper and Stubby Wilder, respectively. I'm not knocking anybody, just saying things used to be different. Today I don't think any AM signal covers like they used to before there was so much interferrence. Maybe not as much pride is put into keeping AMs operating in top condition now.....just get it on the air. Back then the FCC checked on performance...now they don't.

 

[billelder]

I was told recently that car AM tuners in radios are not as good as they once were. Something about using a chip now instead of a specific tuner? Anyone of our "brain trust" want to add any info on this?

I'm old, but it seems I remember getting calls at the Big X from Warner Robins at night in the '70's. (I also remember the Copper Penny and the Capricorn Summer Games...but that's all.)

Remember when you actually had silence when tuning between stations? ;D

 

[kyscott]

Steve and Bill both hit on something here. There are a whole lot more station on the air now (thank you docket 80-90). When the crossroads of Omega Georgia can get an FM, something is wrong. Anyway, back to AM. There are more stations on the air now. And with all class C AM's operating 1kW day and night everyone is stepping on everyone else. For example, in Georgia alone, WNEX has six other co-channel stations it's fighting with. All of them are a kilowatt day and night. 1240 has seven stations in Georgia. This is not counting all the other co channels and adjacent channels that are fighting amongst each other.

Receivers are made cheaper these days, too. I have a 40 year old Zenith radio in my office that I can pull AM daytimers in from 65 miles away with no problem. The radio in my Jeep is another matter. And the radio in my shop has a problem pulling in MY 500 watt station on 1600kc with the transmitter 15 miles away.

AND you need to take into account the effect time and age has on an AM antenna ground system. The last time I was at WNEX's tower (15 years ago), it looked bad. I can't imagine that Lowell has put much more money into checking the antenna system.

 

[kenglish]

I have always heard (back in the 60's and 70's, even) that the street and road construction around Lake Lowe destroyed the 1400 ground system long ago. They said that WNEX always came in better in Australia than in Macon.

Anyone have a Denon TU-680NAB, the "NAB Supertuner", and a good loop antenna? That would be the "Gold Standard" to see how something sounds on AM.

 

[kturnerga]

KY:
I guess if having 980 and the Big X make money for Lowell, that's the thing. But he can either turn 100.9 into a talker or let South Bibb/WR become Radio 940 Territory. Then again I can't get 940 all that easily across Echeconnee Creek.

You're right about radios; they are cheesy when it comes to receiving AM. If you have an old Trans-Oceanic (like I bet you have) the situation changes. And to think my parents could hear the Grand Ol' Opry in Macon back in the Depression. Ick.

Just that Lowell could earn more money if he spent more money on gear. But hey, again, if he has enough money, that'll make him happy.

Maybe if satellite radio gets to 5.00/mo for a subscription....

 

[BarryATL]

Class C stations used to all be 1000 watts day and 250 watts night. At some point the FCC changed the class to 1000 watts 24 hours and of course that created all kinds of night problems that did not exist before.

 

[fussbudget]

Re: Nighttime WNEX Blues

There are a # of factors impacting WNEX. Lake Lowe has basically ceased to exist. It looks like no work has been done at the transmitter site and/or on the tower in a very long time. I have no idea what it looks like inside the transmitter building but if the outside is any indication it is not pretty. Even "back in the day" the night signal was never great. The station could not be heard beyond I-475 and there were spotty problems even in the heart of the city. Now, it seems as though the station can barely be heard
north of I-475 in the daytime. Steve is right, Great engineers like Max Harper and Stubby Wilder could do a lot with very little. Too bad those days are long gone.

 

[kyscott]

Re: Nighttime WNEX Blues

Steve is right, Great engineers like Max Harper and Stubby Wilder could do a lot with very little. Too bad those days are long gone.

That was back before transmitters were appliances. I called Broadcast Electronics regarding one of their newer transmitters last summer, trying to fix a power amp in it. I was told "we don't design them to be repaired in the field". They design them to swap boards that they send. This was also back before engineers were nothing more than glorified IT techs. I know several "engineers" that have never seen the inside of a transmitter. And forget about any of them knowing anything about RF theory. I had a guy call me several years ago. His transmitter was on, but the station was off the air. The exciter had freaked out after a power failure and come up one channel below his assigned frequency. he had been working on this problem for four hours. I had him going in 10 minutes.

Station owners do not want to pay for good help. They pay a guy just above minimum wage to work on the computers and never give the transmitter a second thought. Until it goes off the air. I have told several owners "you can pay me what I want and I'll have you back on the air in 15 minutes, or you can pay some kid $20 an hour and maybe get back on the air in a day or two. I'm not tooting my own horn, it's just that I have been doing this since I was 13."

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

Re: Nighttime WNEX Blues

Steve is right, Great engineers like Max Harper and Stubby Wilder could do a lot with very little. Too bad those days are long gone.

That was back before transmitters were appliances. I called Broadcast Electronics regarding one of their transmitters a couple of years ago, trying to fix a power amp in it. I was told "we don't design them to be repaired in the field". They design them to swap boards that they send. This was also back before engineers were nothing more than glorified IT techs. I know several "engineers" that have never seen the inside of a transmitter. And forget about any of them knowing anything about RF theory. I had a guy call me several years ago. His transmitter was on, but the station was off the air. The exciter had freaked out after a power failure and come up one channel below his assigned frequency. he had been working on this problem for four hours. I had him going in 15 minutes.

Station owners do not want to pay for good help. They pay a guy just above minimum wage to work on the computers and never give the transmitter a second thought. Until it goes off the air. I have told several owners "you can pay me what I want and I'll have you back on the air in 15 minutes, or you can pay some kid $20 an hour and maybe get back on the air in a day or two".

$20 an hour? Shit, I wish I made $10 an hour as a DJ!

 

[kyscott]

Re: Nighttime WNEX Blues

$20 an hour? ***, I wish I made $10 an hour as a DJ!

The great Charlie Hill at WCEH told me back in the mid 80's that being a DJ is a dead end job. Jocks would soon be replaced by automation (like what we were running in Hawkinsville). He advised me to be an engineer. I did, and I'm forever grateful for his advice.

 

[radioguybroadcasting]

Re: Nighttime WNEX Blues

$20 an hour? ***, I wish I made $10 an hour as a DJ!

The great Charlie Hill at WCEH told me back in the mid 80's that being a DJ is a dead end job. Jocks would soon be replaced by automation (like what we were running in Hawkinsville). He advised me to be an engineer. I did, and I'm forever grateful for his advice.

Eh, I agree to a point.. but I love what I do. However, I'm slowly but surely learning little bits and pieces of engineering know-how in addition to being an on air/production guy.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Class C stations used to all be 1000 watts day and 250 watts night. At some point the FCC changed the class to 1000 watts 24 hours and of course that created all kinds of night problems that did not exist before.

You left the front end off your history lesson. Before they were allowed 1kw day /250 night, they were 250 day/250 night. (The 1kw day came about 1961, maybe 1962?) And, there were a few that were only 100 watts.

 

[billelder]

Great comments, all. And, Kyscott is spot on with this. Max Harper and I were personal friends and he was brilliant to do what he did with what he had. I'd also like to "Shout Out" (in an MTV, now canceled, TRL fashion) Oscar Leverette and John Timms. In my opinion, two of the best engineers and ears in the business.

This could border on a thread jack so I apologize. Oscar did several things that combined engineering and programming. One of the most impressive was the unassisted remote that would throw a 60 second break and take it back and start the next function in the automation. It made for some hysterical moments. The best being a remote with "T-Buff" at Hunt Regan Appliance. When you were 'intro-ed' you had exactly 60 seconds. "Mr. Buff" was being on every break which was fine, but he couldn't get his head around the :60 break. One time he was in mid-soliloquy and was saying something like "They tell me I have a minute but I refuse to stop stalking...." At which the automation started the next commercial which was the sound of a loud sfx of a door slamming and a lady saying, "Glad we got rid of them." T-Buff spoke for another three minutes and the client never knew any different.

 

[kyscott]

Great comments, all. And, Kyscott is spot on with this. Max Harper and I were personal friends and he was brilliant to do what he did with what he had. I'd also like to "Shout Out" (in an MTV, now canceled, TRL fashion) Oscar Leverette and John Timms. In my opinion, two of the best engineers and ears in the business.

In addition, I'd add Lacy Worrell, the chief at channel 13 and my boss when I was there. I loved Lacy like a father....hated taking him out on remotes with us! Lacy taught me alot about how to deal with people. Lacy was always the outspoken one while John just sat at his desk and nodded his head. I know Lacy is back in Moultrie, do you know where John is, Bill? I think he's still there in Macon somewhere.

When you were 'intro-ed' you had exactly 60 seconds. "Mr. Buff" was being on every break which was fine, but he couldn't get his head around the :60 break. One time he was in mid-soliloquy and was saying something like "They tell me I have a minute but I refuse to stop stalking...." At which the automation started the next commercial which was the sound of a loud sfx of a door slamming and a lady saying, "Glad we got rid of them." T-Buff spoke for another three minutes and the client never knew any different.

That's a good 'un. I remember hearing some of those Hunt Regan spots, don't recall hearing any remotes. Those and the Ken's Stereo Junction ("Rodney, take this man's Porsche around back and see what you can do to it.") were works of art.