MHVRadiofan said:
What is or was the normal daytime coverage area for WCKL? Is the station still on the air now? If so, I may try to see if I can manage to hear some resemblance of a weak signal back towards the Utica area on Thursday.
They are 1000 watts day 43 nights, directional with different constraints day and night. Here isthe related page
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?stat...&slat2=&NS=N&dlon2=&mlon2=&slon2=&EW=W&size=9[url They were still on the air as of Wednesday.
This brings up a related question, since you are an engineer perhaps you could answer it .While researching the data on WCKL, I noticed they had received (as did other AM stations) a letter from the FCC last February regarding their PRSA and PSSA. I always thought previous daytime only stations that are now allowed to stay on all night ,had to make a hard cut to the reduced power and night time pattern at sunset .This letter seems to show a gradual reduction in power , that varies depending on the time of year . Am I reading this right? Is this new or as I first thought an update due to the change in daylight savings time?
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/corrp_list.pl?Facility_id=63526
Well first of all, if they are indeed still on, they are buried in a high static level here...which I think I am just barely able to tell that something is there. I'll check the car radio in just a bit..hopefully I'll remember to check this time around.
As for stations like WCKL and their PRSA and PSSA's, it used to be that when the FCC did their thing back in the 80's and gave many daytimers some degree of low night time power to apply a license for, it used to be that most of the stations went from their daytime power to their newly granted flea power levels at sunset and then went back to day power at sunrise. OF course some stations had what they called critical hours power levels...which look very much like what all of the "daytime" only stations got during the recent time change and paper work shuffle at the FCC...those that already had some type of low powered night time authority.
Actually I like this new way better. Imagion listening to the station in a fringe area, WCKL one minute then *poof* next you are listening to WFIL the next because the station dropped from 1kw to 43 watts.
At least this is a some what gradual drop in signal. Most if not all modern solid transmitters and remote control device will allow stations to drop and raise power automatically like this...so that isn't an issue.
Of course, looking at the times given on the PRSA and PSSA's in relation to power levels, a station could propbably forego the gradual power drop and just go to flea power at sunset and back to full power at sunrise....all to keep things simple.
Of course Jo Jo mentions the power levels verse coverage. With 3 towers..a 3 tower full time directional array, the station by design can not throw a lot of signal towards the east/northeast [protection of a co-channel station WGAN Portland Maine] and little signal towards the west to protect adjacent channel WSYR 570. So the major lobe would be away from Albany...decent signal would be had down towards the southeast..an ok listenable signal in Albany during the day. Nighttime at 43 watts...my best guess in the major lobe of the pattern, 43 watts would carry at the most, 15 miles. At 15 miles the signal would be noisey...but it would be ok enough for coverage of HS sports and other speciality programming.
