WTAM 1100

[alok]

I have this question also into WTAM,

Did WTAM 1100, years ago, ever operate 50kw directional as a DA-1 ? Today they are 50 kw non-DA.
I recall at one pint they did ? Way back in the 50's or 60's.

I noted in the FCC History cards they did operate 5 kw aux from a DA at same site as 50 kw Non-DA . . . but I also see in FCC History cards that at one time , they did operate with 50 kw DA-1.
But it seems it wasn't long or maybe even an error.

If they did use 50 kw DA-1 why ? I recall it was a signal that pushed north, maybe just to push more signal over Cleveland or if they did was there someone they had to protect on 1100 or an adjacent frequency ?

Al

 

[davideduardo]

This is a Fybush question, but remember that there are two (formerly called) 1-A clears that have directionalized on purpose: WBZ and WWL.

I do recall that at one point 1100 was concerned with coverage of Akron and Canton... and even Ashtabula and Sandusky, and did not want signal wasted over the lake... but that was back in the "old" network days.

 

[skiwest]

Answer to your question in this link:

A selection from a decade of visits to tower and studio sites in the Northeast and beyond

 

[snowdog88]

AM 1100 used a directional pattern back when it broadcasted from Parma when it was owned by Westinghouse in the 60s. What was unique about the "array" was that it consisted of a signal tower, which had insulators half way up to allow for the directional pattern, instead of the traditional method of using 2 or more towers. That same tower was also used for TV 3 & 105.7 FM, both of which were also owned by Westinghouse at the time, all with the calls KYW. That tower was removed in 2010 shortly after WKYC built a new tower right next to it for their (and WVIZ's) digital facilities. 105.7 FM has been broadcasting on an adjacent tower since the mid '90s.

As for their aux at the time, they probably used their original Brecksville tower, which dates back to the '30s, also the original site of channel 3, but when they were originally on channel 4. Somewhere in the '80s, 1100 moved back to that site. Other than that, I'm not sure about previous power outputs or other stations that they had to null the signal away from. I believe there's only one other station in the U.S. that operates on 1100 at 50 kW, and that's probably KFAX out of San Francisco

 

[kwthom]

From @fybush description from the link above:

"From one of the guy wires of the tower, a vertical wire descended to the ground and functioned as the other tower in a directional array, somewhat nulling the station's massive signal toward Lake Erie."

Clever. Wonder how many installations out there like this?

 

[davideduardo]

It's not possible to produce a directional pattern from a single tower.

I have seen a couple of single tower directionals that used a guy wire that was not insulated from the tower downwards to near ground level to "nudge" the signal. And a couple of stations have a vertical wire hung from a guy and fed separately to achieve directionality; 870 in LA is one example of this.

Of course, in both cases the added wire elements acted electrically like a separate tower.

 

[snowdog88]

From @fybush description from the link above:

"From one of the guy wires of the tower, a vertical wire descended to the ground and functioned as the other tower in a directional array, somewhat nulling the station's massive signal toward Lake Erie."

Clever. Wonder how many installations out there like this?

OK, so then the other half of the tower (above the insulators) was not part of the 1100 antenna. I was going to say guy wire next, but you already clarified that. I know I read this years ago, but somewhere remember reading that the tower used the other half as well. Makes sense as the top portion wouldn't have anything to reflect off of for the directional pattern. Plus very bad ground coverage

 

[davideduardo]

OK, so then the other half of the tower (above the insulators) was not part of the 1100 antenna. I was going to say guy wire next, but you already clarified that. I know I read this years ago, but somewhere remember reading that the tower used the other half as well. Makes sense as the top portion wouldn't have anything to reflect off of for the directional pattern. Plus very bad ground coverage

Actually, what they had was a Franklin antenna, fed from the vertical center half-way up. This works sort of like a horizontal dipole, where half of the antenna is the ground component and the other is the active component. They are very efficient. They are not use at much lower frequencies as the height requirement is too great.

I believe the KFBK system in Sacramento on 1530 is still a Franklin and is amazingly good in coverage. Way back in years, KELO in South Dakota had a Franklin system and it did marvelously with the high ground conductivity of that area.

 

[alok]

Thank You all.

Al

 

[fybush]

I sensed a disturbance in the force...

My understanding of the Parma DA system was that it was a Franklin antenna (center-fed, insulated halfway up, bottom half functioned as the counterpoise) for "tower 1" and a wire hung from an insulator off a guy wire as "tower 2" of the DA.

As with WBZ, WWL and the others that tried voluntary DAs (WNBC, KNX) over the years, the goal was to maximize signal over land while minimizing wastage over water.

 

[kevtronics]

WLW did a similar thing when it was 500 kW in the 1930s:

JIM HAWKINS' WLW Transmitter Page

Photo and informational tour through WLW Transmitter Site

j-hawkins.com

"back around 1934, two directional "supressor" towers were constructed across Tylersville Rd. to the south-southwest to reduce skywave radiation toward the Canadian border. CFRB (then on 690 kHz) was complaining of interference, so WLW reduced its power to 50KW until the "supressor" towers were in place. As previously stated, this was the first use of skywave directional control for broadcasting."

 

[Santa fe]

To add a few more bits to the 1100 story, 3WE leased the WKYC Franklin antenna at the TV site until NBC sold off channel 3 in 1990. The new owners wanted the radio off their tower so a scramble was on to find a new site. I believe it was Booth American who owned 1100 at the time. The original WTAM tower on Snowville Road in Brecksville was still standing, now owned by Engineering Consultant Carl Smith and his firm. Carl had grounded out the tower years ago and leased it out to a number of stations, WCRF and WZAK come to mind, and many business radios, plus his own gear, so much so that when he agreed to rent it back to 1100, they could not load the tower up with a full 50K because of all the stuff that was now mounted on it.
And then there was this bit about a null to the north needed to protect a Canadian station near the arctic circle. So for some time, they fed less than 50KW RF into that old tower. I had heard Clear Channel was going to buy land near the Summit-Cuyahoga border to construct a new tower for 1100 and some of its other properties. Did that ever happen? I never heard what they did at Snowville Road to bring the station back up to 50KW, if they indeed did so as some say they never have put the power level back up.
Today, it would be very unusual for any big company to invest money in AM repairs or upgrades as the industry has pretty much relegated AM to the trash heap of history.

 

[skiwest]

So 1100 is no longer reaching 38 states and half of Canada?

 

[davideduardo]

So 1100 is no longer reaching 38 states and half of Canada?

It hasn't since the 40's....

 

[Northcoast43]

To add a few more bits to the 1100 story, 3WE leased the WKYC Franklin antenna at the TV site until NBC sold off channel 3 in 1990. The new owners wanted the radio off their tower so a scramble was on to find a new site. I believe it was Booth American who owned 1100 at the time. The original WTAM tower on Snowville Road in Brecksville was still standing, now owned by Engineering Consultant Carl Smith and his firm. Carl had grounded out the tower years ago and leased it out to a number of stations, WCRF and WZAK come to mind, and many business radios, plus his own gear, so much so that when he agreed to rent it back to 1100, they could not load the tower up with a full 50K because of all the stuff that was now mounted on it.
And then there was this bit about a null to the north needed to protect a Canadian station near the arctic circle. So for some time, they fed less than 50KW RF into that old tower. I had heard Clear Channel was going to buy land near the Summit-Cuyahoga border to construct a new tower for 1100 and some of its other properties. Did that ever happen? I never heard what they did at Snowville Road to bring the station back up to 50KW, if they indeed did so as some say they never have put the power level back up.
Today, it would be very unusual for any big company to invest money in AM repairs or upgrades as the industry has pretty much relegated AM to the trash heap of history.

WBNX TV 55, used the Snowville Road tower from 1985 to 2000 (When WBNX put up the new one in Parma).

The guy who used to do some sort of work at the Snowville Road site would frequent the restaurant I worked at, until 55 signed off. Then go there and do whatever needed to be done to an old transmitter site at night time. We did talk about it, and the station itself, but I don't quite know what would be needed to be done on an almost every week-nightly night basis.

 

[Northcoast43]

It hasn't since the 40's....

It seemed like 3WE boasted 38 States and Half of Canada, even in the Pete Franklin days of the 1970's. I could never quite figure how they could cover that much territory and not interfere. (As one who still hunts for WSM 650 and WJR 760. Which especially in WSM's case only comes in on a winter night. WJR - Much more often, but the programming isn't what it used to be.)

There is still a lot to be said about AM radio...If only the Corporations (and Cable TV News) didn't take its promise away.

 

[skiwest]

While vacationing in Miami in the mid 70s, I was able to pick up 1100 at night on a portable radio I had brought.

 

[gr8oldies]

To add a few more bits to the 1100 story, 3WE leased the WKYC Franklin antenna at the TV site until NBC sold off channel 3 in 1990. The new owners wanted the radio off their tower so a scramble was on to find a new site. I believe it was Booth American who owned 1100 at the time. The original WTAM tower on Snowville Road in Brecksville was still standing, now owned by Engineering Consultant Carl Smith and his firm. Carl had grounded out the tower years ago and leased it out to a number of stations, WCRF and WZAK come to mind, and many business radios, plus his own gear, so much so that when he agreed to rent it back to 1100, they could not load the tower up with a full 50K because of all the stuff that was now mounted on it.
And then there was this bit about a null to the north needed to protect a Canadian station near the arctic circle. So for some time, they fed less than 50KW RF into that old tower. I had heard Clear Channel was going to buy land near the Summit-Cuyahoga border to construct a new tower for 1100 and some of its other properties. Did that ever happen? I never heard what they did at Snowville Road to bring the station back up to 50KW, if they indeed did so as some say they never have put the power level back up.
Today, it would be very unusual for any big company to invest money in AM repairs or upgrades as the industry has pretty much relegated AM to the trash heap of history.

Was the proposed move of WWVA-1170 from Wheeling to Cleveland part of that plan?

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

This is a Fybush question, but remember that there are two (formerly called) 1-A clears that have directionalized on purpose: WBZ and WWL.

I do recall that at one point 1100 was concerned with coverage of Akron and Canton... and even Ashtabula and Sandusky, and did not want signal wasted over the lake... but that was back in the "old" network days.

@DavidEduardo theres a 3rd 50KW Class A Clear thats directional, and like WWL and WBZ, itsby choice.. KICY 850 Nome, Alaska.

They are 50kw non d day, and thats fully protected, they go directional from 11pm to 4am year round beaming 50kw into russia..... and its listed on the license as "critical hours" even though thats not what it is

 

[thenetwork]

While vacationing in Miami in the mid 70s, I was able to pick up 1100 at night on a portable radio I had brought.

As recently as 3-4 years ago, I can still occasionally pick up WTAM (albeit weakly) at night when traveling over the Colorado Rockies. There is an 1100 50K daytime power outlet in western Colorado (Grand Junction), KNZZ, that has at times a strong signal all the way southwest past Flagstaff, AZ.