What is a listenable AM signal?

[JeffDavis98]

Is 1 mv/m or 2 mv/m still a good listenable signal, or is it too noisy? I know it depends on conditions and interference, but is that still strong enough? I know the 0.5 mv/m is the protected contour, but it's not listenable that far out is it?

 

[rfry]

> Is 1 mv/m or 2 mv/m still a good listenable signal, or is it
> too noisy? I know it depends on conditions and
> interference, but is that still strong enough? I know the
> 0.5 mv/m is the protected contour, but it's not listenable
> that far out is it?
___________________

Yes, it is. And even less than that with good conditions. In the daytime I can listen to the groundwave of WBBM, Chicago in Quincy, IL on a Walkman radio in my house. On a car radio it is quite good, in fact. WBBM's daytime groundwave field strength in Quincy is about 0.15 mV/m.
//

 

[JeffDavis98]

Thanks for the input.

I wonder because a new station is coming into the Cincinnati market at 1270 AM and the .5 mv/m contour covers a good portion of the market. The 2 mv/m countour stretches right over downtown Cincinnati. I don't know if there's a way to estimate the 1 mv/m contour, but it probably sits right at the far eastern county line. Just wondering what kind of signal it's going to have. Radio-Locator is pretty generous, but the station's own engineering at the FCC's web site shows a pretty fair signal.

 

[rfry]

> a new station is coming into the Cincinnati
> market at 1270 AM and the .5 mv/m contour covers a good
> portion of the market. The 2 mv/m countour stretches right
> over downtown Cincinnati. I don't know if there's a way to
> estimate the 1 mv/m contour, but it probably sits right at
> the far eastern county line.
______________

Those are somewhat "wimpy" fields to serve a major metro market. Probably listenable in most places, but not real competitive.

If you post the station's radiated power in a direction of interest, I can tell you based on the FCC's propagation curves the distances to whatever contours you want, for that freq and ground conductivity.

Does the station have a CP? Call letters? I didn't find anything new in the FCC database (in a quick search).
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[JeffDavis98]

The station is WXGO, currently licensed to Madison, Indiana...but moving to Aurora, Indiana which is in the Cincinnati market.

I hope this is enough stuff for you. I know it's a ton!

Here's the CP granted on Monday 2/13:
htp://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/pubacc/Auth_Files/1090569.pdf

Here's a contour map: http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=346606

Here's the contour study:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=346607

Here's the pattern plot:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getattachment_exh.cgi?exhibit_id=346608

Here's another pattern plot from the FCC:
http://www.fcc.gov/ftp/Bureaus/MB/Databases/AM_DA_patterns/1090569-91857.pdf

 

[rfry]

> I hope this is enough stuff for you. I know it's a ton!
______________

Well, it's all there -- somebody did their homework on that one. Thanks for the links.

 

[sbe]

I have always used 10mv as the minimum signal level for good reliable "consumer grade" listening. That will overcome most buildings, powerline noise, lousy receivers etc. I know most of us would listen on far less signal, but not most people.




> > I hope this is enough stuff for you. I know it's a ton!
> ______________
>
> Well, it's all there -- somebody did their homework on that
> one. Thanks for the links.
>