I received a call from a friend in another part of the country. I'm not an engineer nor did I stay at Holiday Inn last night. She has a LPFM with another distant LPFM on the same frequency. Both stations meet the minimum separation spacing and then some. In recent weeks her signal has barely gone a mile from the before the distant LPFM begins to cut in. It is no tropo.
She asked me if she thought the distant LPFM had cranked up their power. She had contacted the FCC only to be told to work it out with the other LPFM. Since both stations have been on for months, this is a new 'problem'. She tried filing an informal complaint with some evidence of these thanks to cell phone. She offered audio, a gps and radio display to verify but the FCC wants her to work it out. I rather like that and understand that approach saves the FCC's meager funds. She's perplexed. A couple of the 4 or 5 Underwriters she has are asking what's up. A few listeners have asked as well.
I suggested she call her engineer, a guy who is known to the FCC fairly well, to take some field strength readings. I said third party verification would go a long way toward building her case. I suggested she take that data to the distant LPFM and if action was not taken, then try to involve the FCC, assuming the distant LPFM was indeed overpowering. I think they are. 25 to 27 miles from a negative HAAT is a long way to go with a stereo light on with 100 watts ERP.
I should add that she has eliminated her station as having any issues and verified she is operating at the power she is authorized. I asked about damage to the antenna and about the coax, connections and such, not just the transmitter. I asked about the health of the exciter, etc. She has a new transmitter that is only a few months old and the area has experienced no adverse weather (lightning strike, for example). Nothing had changed on the tower. She says everything on her end is perfect.
Do you think I advised her properly?
Have you any suggestions of how to handle this?
She asked me if she thought the distant LPFM had cranked up their power. She had contacted the FCC only to be told to work it out with the other LPFM. Since both stations have been on for months, this is a new 'problem'. She tried filing an informal complaint with some evidence of these thanks to cell phone. She offered audio, a gps and radio display to verify but the FCC wants her to work it out. I rather like that and understand that approach saves the FCC's meager funds. She's perplexed. A couple of the 4 or 5 Underwriters she has are asking what's up. A few listeners have asked as well.
I suggested she call her engineer, a guy who is known to the FCC fairly well, to take some field strength readings. I said third party verification would go a long way toward building her case. I suggested she take that data to the distant LPFM and if action was not taken, then try to involve the FCC, assuming the distant LPFM was indeed overpowering. I think they are. 25 to 27 miles from a negative HAAT is a long way to go with a stereo light on with 100 watts ERP.
I should add that she has eliminated her station as having any issues and verified she is operating at the power she is authorized. I asked about damage to the antenna and about the coax, connections and such, not just the transmitter. I asked about the health of the exciter, etc. She has a new transmitter that is only a few months old and the area has experienced no adverse weather (lightning strike, for example). Nothing had changed on the tower. She says everything on her end is perfect.
Do you think I advised her properly?
Have you any suggestions of how to handle this?
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