THOSE GREAT "CLASS 4" AM STATIONS

[Early Byrd]

Who remembers when AM stations on 1230, 1240, 1340, 1400, 1450 and 1490 were limited to 250 watts (at most) after sunset? Usually they were 1000 watts during the day and, as a general rule, non-directional. Some however, were 250 watts both day and night...and a very few operated at only 100 watts.

Does anyone remember if any of these "Class 4" stations in this area stayed at the 250 watt limit day and night?

 

[rjoc]

The late WBME-1230 Belfast Maine was a 250-watter day and night...Went on air in late 60s, went off in mid-80s after WWFX (I think those were the calls) 104.7FM "The Fox" came on the air. That's the only one in Eastern Maine I can recall. I know the late WMCS-1400 Machias and WQDY-1230 Calais were 1000daytime/250 night. I'm pretty sure the late WLKN-1450 Lincoln was the same.

 

[rjoc]

The late WBME-1230 Belfast Maine was a 250-watter day and night...Went on air in late 60s, went off in mid-80s after WWFX (I think those were the calls) 104.7FM "The Fox" came on the air. That's the only one in Eastern Maine I can recall. I know the late WMCS-1400 Machias and WQDY-1230 Calais were 1000daytime/250 night. I'm pretty sure the late WLKN-1450 Lincoln was the same.

woops, sorry, I thought this was on the Northern New England page, not Boston.

 

[Gadon]

1340 WWNH in Madbury is a 250watter.. There used to be a 1340 in Madawaska Maine that was 250 watts full time, and 1490 WUVR a newcomer in Lebanon NH sports 500 watts or so fulltime..1490 WLGW that was in Lancaster NH was a low watter with half an antenna back in the day.. Have fun..

 

[DanStrassberg]

1340 WWNH in Madbury is a 250watter.. There used to be a 1340 in Madawaska Maine that was 250 watts full time, and 1490 WUVR a newcomer in Lebanon NH sports 500 watts or so fulltime..1490 WLGW that was in Lancaster NH was a low watter with half an antenna back in the day.. Have fun..

Until sometime in the 1950s, I believe, ALL Class IV AMs were restricted to 250W-U. Some operated with 100W-U and if any used different day and night powers, it was a few of a very small number of Class IVs that operated on Class III (regional) channels. The FCC increased the allowable powers in steps. The first step was to 1 kW-D/250W-N. The next was to 1 kW-U. The first increase also allowed the stations that had been running 100W-U to go to 500W-D/100W-N.

It was only after the FCC abandoned AMs' use of a small number of fixed powers in favor of the current "pick-a-power, (almost) any power" scheme, that the system was further rationalized. The first Class IV power-increase schemes, which increased the stations' daytime primary service contours from the 0.5 mV/m used by all other station classes to 1 mV/m (thus, supposedly keeping daytime service areas constant), failed to recognize the impact on the Class I, II, and III stations on the first-adjacent channels (1220, 1250, 1330, 1350, 1390, 1410, 1440, 1460, 1480, and 1500). With the advent of pick-a-power, many Class IVs (by then, maybe they had become Class Cs) could adjust their daytime powers slightly downward to avoid prohibited overlap with adjacent-channel stations of other classes. Before that rule change, some Class IVs had to insert limiting resistors in series with their antennas to reduce their effective power without saying that they were, in effect, running odd daytime powers such as 841W.

To this day, many people insist that the increase in night power to 1 kW was counterproductive--that the higher night powers actually reduced nighttime service areas--but the formulas that the FCC uses for computing NIF contours do not recognize the existence of phenomena that attempt to explain the decrease in service areas with increased power. In any event, back when today's Class Cs were Class IVs, they had NO protected nighttime service. As Class C's, they are protected at night, and the typical Class C has an NIF just a bit below 25 mV/m.

 

[w9wi]

Until sometime in the 1950s, I believe, ALL Class IV AMs were restricted to 250W-U. Some operated with 100W-U and if any used different day and night powers, it was a few of a very small number of Class IVs that operated on Class III (regional) channels. The FCC increased the allowable powers in steps. The first step was to 1 kW-D/250W-N. The next was to 1 kW-U. The first increase also allowed the stations that had been running 100W-U to go to 500W-D/100W-N.

An EXCEEDINGLY quick overview of the Class IV/C power limits, from the Yearbooks and Radexes on David Eduardo's website:

- From 1928, when the clear/regional/local system was established: 100 watts day & night. Many stations were less powerful; there were two 5-watters!
- Sometime in 1935 the daytime limit was increased to 250 watts. Night power remained limited to 100 watts.
- Late in 1939 or early in 1940 the nighttime limit was increased to 250 watts.
- In 1961, stations were still limited to 250/250 but CPs for daytime increases to 1,000 watts were being issued.

I don't remember when the night power increase to 1,000 watts was permitted. Early 1980s?

 

[NHRadio]

Mid 80's, I think. I worked for WHAV in 1983-84 and it was still 1000 days/250 nights.

I don't remember when the night power increase to 1,000 watts was permitted. Early 1980s?

 

[NHRadio]

And in typical Commission fashion, the increase to 1000 watts was discussed as early as 1958.
http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/320/320.F2d.723.17310.html

Mid 80's, I think. I worked for WHAV in 1983-84 and it was still 1000 days/250 nights.

I don't remember when the night power increase to 1,000 watts was permitted. Early 1980s?

 

[davect]

Mid 80's, I think. I worked for WHAV in 1983-84 and it was still 1000 days/250 nights.

I was there briefly in 1984. Small world...

The AM was only 250 watts at night? I don't even remember doing transmitter readings so I suppose I wouldn't remember the power output either. We did do transmitter readings, right?

 

[dhoule]

I remember when WNEB in Worcester was limited to 250 watt a night. I think David O'Leary was teenager and working there in the evenings where he really couldn't be heard outside of downtown.

 

[Laurence Glavin]

About a year or so ago, WLLH-AM 1400's Lawrence transmitter was inoperative. The Lowell stick delivered a usable signal at night in Methuen. Decades ago, if the Lawrence antenna went down, WLLH Lowell was barely audible. On the other hand, in those days, WLLH Lowell had a similar short stick atop an office building downtown near the Lowell Sun Building (I think it was called the Rex Building).

 

[NHRadio]

We took readings every 2 or 3 hours...I forget which. If you worked overnights you probably replaced me. I know the AM was 250 watts because most of the year the switch to day power was on my shift.

Mid 80's, I think. I worked for WHAV in 1983-84 and it was still 1000 days/250 nights.

I was there briefly in 1984. Small world...

The AM was only 250 watts at night? I don't even remember doing transmitter readings so I suppose I wouldn't remember the power output either. We did do transmitter readings, right?