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Technical Question

Since WLIP broadcasts day and night at 250 watts, can someone please explain to me why the signal is so weak at night? From what I know about AM signals (and I don't know it all) shouldn't they be able to propigate FURTHER at night if the power remains unchanged? Just curious, and hoping the info will help me improve reception.

And on a similar note, does anyone know what happened to Christopher Tarr? I don't see any posts from him anymore.

Thank You for your time in this matter.
Chris from Milwaukee
 
There's far better but more technical answers to this - but as you can receive distant AM signals much better at night (as AM signals travel farther at night); those frequencies that have lots of night signals on them are more prone to interference from those distant signals coming in. Thus WLIP's "daytime" coverage area - during the post sunset hours - receives a lot of incoming interference from stations on the same frequency traveling farther - and making their night coverage appear to be worse than the day.

In reality, it is the same "coverage" contour. But the "interference free" contour is greatly reduced.

I'm not familiar with WLIP's technical parameters - they may or may not run the same directional (not not) day and night. But at night, they're subject to a lot of interference from stations on their frequency as those signals will travel farther during the post-sunset hours.

You also might check out the AM class C frequencies - the former class IVs - 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490. There's hundreds of stations on each of these frequencies - most stations on those frequencies run 1000 watts 24/7 - but each must accept interference from each other at night - and thus night coverage on each of those frequencies rarely matches their daytime non-interference coverage.



> Since WLIP broadcasts day and night at 250 watts, can
> someone please explain to me why the signal is so weak at
> night? From what I know about AM signals (and I don't know
> it all) shouldn't they be able to propigate FURTHER at night
> if the power remains unchanged? Just curious, and hoping
> the info will help me improve reception.
>
> And on a similar note, does anyone know what happened to
> Christopher Tarr? I don't see any posts from him anymore.
>
> Thank You for your time in this matter.
> Chris from Milwaukee
>
 
Basically because at night you can "receive" more stations the noise floor of that frequency starts to over take the local station. They are about the same strength, buit the noise is higher, thereby giving the appearance that it is weaker.

WLIP is 250 watts omni directional (one tower) day and night.

> There's far better but more technical answers to this - but
> as you can receive distant AM signals much better at night
> (as AM signals travel farther at night); those frequencies
> that have lots of night signals on them are more prone to
> interference from those distant signals coming in. Thus
> WLIP's "daytime" coverage area - during the post sunset
> hours - receives a lot of incoming interference from
> stations on the same frequency traveling farther - and
> making their night coverage appear to be worse than the day.
>
>
> In reality, it is the same "coverage" contour. But the
> "interference free" contour is greatly reduced.
>
> I'm not familiar with WLIP's technical parameters - they may
> or may not run the same directional (not not) day and night.
> But at night, they're subject to a lot of interference from
> stations on their frequency as those signals will travel
> farther during the post-sunset hours.
>
> You also might check out the AM class C frequencies - the
> former class IVs - 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490.
> There's hundreds of stations on each of these frequencies -
> most stations on those frequencies run 1000 watts 24/7 - but
> each must accept interference from each other at night - and
> thus night coverage on each of those frequencies rarely
> matches their daytime non-interference coverage.
>
>
>
> > Since WLIP broadcasts day and night at 250 watts, can
> > someone please explain to me why the signal is so weak at
> > night? From what I know about AM signals (and I don't
> know
> > it all) shouldn't they be able to propigate FURTHER at
> night
> > if the power remains unchanged? Just curious, and hoping
> > the info will help me improve reception.
> >
> > And on a similar note, does anyone know what happened to
> > Christopher Tarr? I don't see any posts from him anymore.
>
> >
> > Thank You for your time in this matter.
> > Chris from Milwaukee
> >
>
 
> And on a similar note, does anyone know what happened to
> Christopher Tarr? I don't see any posts from him anymore.

He's still around.

-A<P ID="signature">______________

</P>
 
> Basically because at night you can "receive" more stations
> the noise floor of that frequency starts to over take the
> local station. They are about the same strength, buit the
> noise is higher, thereby giving the appearance that it is
> weaker.
>
> WLIP is 250 watts omni directional (one tower) day and
> night.
>
> > There's far better but more technical answers to this -
> but
> > as you can receive distant AM signals much better at night
>
> > (as AM signals travel farther at night); those frequencies
>
> > that have lots of night signals on them are more prone to
> > interference from those distant signals coming in. Thus
> > WLIP's "daytime" coverage area - during the post sunset
> > hours - receives a lot of incoming interference from
> > stations on the same frequency traveling farther - and
> > making their night coverage appear to be worse than the
> day.
> >
> >
> > In reality, it is the same "coverage" contour. But the
> > "interference free" contour is greatly reduced.
> >
> > I'm not familiar with WLIP's technical parameters - they
> may
> > or may not run the same directional (not not) day and
> night.
> > But at night, they're subject to a lot of interference
> from
> > stations on their frequency as those signals will travel
> > farther during the post-sunset hours.
> >
> > You also might check out the AM class C frequencies - the
> > former class IVs - 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490.
>
> > There's hundreds of stations on each of these frequencies
> -
> > most stations on those frequencies run 1000 watts 24/7 -
> but
> > each must accept interference from each other at night -
> and
> > thus night coverage on each of those frequencies rarely
> > matches their daytime non-interference coverage.
> >
> >
> >
> > > Since WLIP broadcasts day and night at 250 watts, can
> > > someone please explain to me why the signal is so weak
> at
> > > night? From what I know about AM signals (and I don't
> > know
> > > it all) shouldn't they be able to propigate FURTHER at
> > night
> > > if the power remains unchanged? Just curious, and
> hoping
> > > the info will help me improve reception.
> > >
> > > And on a similar note, does anyone know what happened to
>
> > > Christopher Tarr? I don't see any posts from him
> anymore.
> >
> > >
> > > Thank You for your time in this matter.
> > > Chris from Milwaukee
> > >
> >
>
Thanks, everybody. Info noted....
 
And, there are a ton of stations on 1050 including WJOK in Kaukauna, and nearby on the dial, a powerful station in Iowa. That adds to the mix, too.
 
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