Questions about AM Synchronous Transmitters.

[semoochie]

It was Laughlin, that's right, thanks David!

 

[w9wi]

KOB didn't want ND at night. They just wanted to keep the existing night pattern. They lost the battle and the FCC forced them to tighten the night pattern so as to provide more protection to WABC.

There were a number of issues involving KOB.

Basically, they had a fulltime frequency until a treaty changed that frequency to a Mexican clear channel in 1941. They got flipped to 1030 with Boston's WBZ -- for reasons I haven't yet learned, that didn't last very long & they got an STA to use 770.

Interference wasn't the only reason for WABC to want KOB off their channel. There had come to be two kinds of clear channels -- those which were truly clear (with only one station operating at night) and those that were "almost" clear. (with additional stations operating at night but at such a distance and with such facilities that no harmful interference should result)

Those in the first category were being considered for a possible power increase to as much as 750kw. Those in the second category would be "stuck" at their existing 50kw.

WABC didn't want KOB to force them into the second category. I'm sure WBZ didn't want KOB back on 1030 for the same reason.KOB remained licensed on 1030 for decades but operating on 770 under Special "Temporary" Authority.

Why the FCC moved KOB from 1030 in the first place, and why they didn't force them back to 1030, I have no idea. Of course, the groundwave would be a lot better on 770 and maybe, with the sparse population in New Mexico (especially in the 1940s) that's what swayed them?

 

[boiseengineer]

KOB's pre-downgrade null towards WABC wasn't much. Wish I could find that pdf. The new pattern made a big difference in Santa Fe and resulted in the syncro. The Santa Fe transmitter is now a nice little BE 500A.

 

[davideduardo]

David, are you sure about those WBTA calls? WBTA started in Batavia, NY around 1949.

I heard the WBT repeater in Shelby went down and nobody noticed so they took it off permanently.

I think you are right. I always assumed it had calls, like WBZA. But looking closer, it was apparently a directional 1k operation that ran nights only. WBZA met the minimum operating hours for a "real" radio station, but the 1110 one did not.

When WJNO West Palm Beach was on 1230 in the 90's they had a repeater in Pompano on 1230 and simulcasted on 1330 in Fort Pierce. I don't know if it really did them any good.

I remember driving I 95 and listening to the twins on 1230. There was an ugly piece of road where the two had really noxious interaction, but it did extend the coverage of WJNO a lot other than the interference zone.
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[Tom Wells]

>DrEaM mOdE oN<
So if I advertise for others to put up repeaters for my AM 1620 signal, and space them properly, and can synch them,
supposing enough people want to put up a few dollars, I could cover 50% of the metro with a repeater-ed but synched
Part 15 signal over a wide area, becaue they're all individual operators, or would a common feed for them
break some law I'm not yet aware of?