WYSL

[eartotheradio]

Anyone know whats going on with WYSL/1040 AM and the upgrading of their signal?? I thought they were suppose to increase power many many months ago. Also.. once it does happen, would folks on the east of of Roch. be able to listen at 2am in the morning, or will the new signal be reduced at that hour? Thnx

 

[scooterodell]

I seem to recall that their night power wasn't changing, except perhaps during "critical hours." The signal at 2 AM is not likely to be any different in the future than it is right now.

 

[Savage]

Yep, I know what's going on with WYSL 1040 and the upgrading of their signal. It's in the final stage of construction, and we anticipate the beginning of program tests in the very near future. And believe me, we're as impatient as anyone.

I'm aware there seems to be a lot of interest in this power increase. To update those interested, the phasing and line-terminating equipment didn't arrive at WYSL until May 2. Certain necessary RF fittings were backordered and were delivered around the end of May. It turned out the local utility installed pole transformers too small for the job, and we had to spend June negotiating with them to get them to upgrade their facilities so Tx tests could continue. (They're not speedy.)

In the past week WYSL has been changing over to the new transmission lines, one tower at a time, and we were hoping to start finishing up the new sampling system over Labor Day, but it looks like hurricane rain may delay that work a few days.

A four-tower, 3-pattern high-power directional system is a complex critter, and all the more so when you consider that the new gear has to be interfaced on-site with the existing phasor and ATUs for nighttime use. That means we have to kinda be our own RF design and construction engineers, hunting up special tools like hydraulic metal punches, tubing benders, etc., you don't usually find around a radio station.

In any event, despite the fact that it seems to some observers that this should have been done "many many months ago" (which certainly would have been OUR preference) the project is actually moving along at a pretty good clip. Have no fear: the signal will be laying the grass down on the I-390 median strip VERY soon.

 

[anderson]

Thanx Bob. I was hoping we would eventually hear from you about this.

 

[the maildude]

The OTA people at WYSL are now announcing "now at 20,000 watts" .

Bob Savage must have "thrown the switch" recently.

 

[Savage]

Hello, all - WYSL began on-air testing at 20,000 watts Saturday, October 14th, around 2pm. We've spent the last three weeks adjusting the 4-tower pattern. On some occasions we've been operating at 625 watts nondirectional for low-power baseline measurements, as consulting engineers compile data to set up FCC-mandated monitor points. Most of the time, WYSL operates now at its full 20kw during daylight hours, and the signal is excellent. Measurements are slated to be completed this coming week, weather permitting. I measured city-grade (or higher) all the way to Lake Ontario - 5.0 m/v at Irondequoit Bay Bridge, 4.7 m/v in the fast ferry parking lot, 5.0 m/v at Cranberry Pond on Edgemere Drive.
Downtown in front of Bausch & Lomb building I got 14.5 m/v. Processing is not completely set up yet, with the Nautel AMPFET-25 loafing along at around 85% modulation - to be corrected soon.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Bob, thanks for the insider's view. Most people don't realize what is involved in a change like this. It's not something that just plugs in and plays. I marvel at the fact you guys can make all these changes and still stay on the air!

I know it's not easy, especially working around all that RF. So fair dealing with both professional and Amateur Radio I have been lucky enough to stay away from Mr R.F. Burns!

73,
Mike

 

[Savage]

We were actually off the air on several occasions for intervals lasting from two to four hours in August and September, mostly at nights and on weekend afternoons, which was unavoidable as we did things like move the hard copper feeds from existing (former DA-2) ATUs to new high-power DA-D ATUs, cutting holes in the old tuning cabinets and installing feed-through bowl insulators for interconnection, hooking the old DA-2 phasor in through the new DA-D phasor, etc., etc. Fortunately we were able to keep the outages to a minimum. As far as Mr. RF Burns goes, we try to keep away from him, because with over 20 amps common point current, he could be accompanied by Mr. Sixfeet Under. Tower 2 alone in the WYSL array now carries 11.4kw.

Thanks to everyone for your interest in this installation and for your many inquiries and comments.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

Thanks to everyone for your interest in this installation and for your many inquiries and comments.

It's been and continues to be an interesting thread, Bob, because it's especially interesting to BROADCASTERS.

The WYSL upgrade process and operation appeal to people who learned the CRAFT and ART of BROADCASTING by working in college radio, taking what they learned and applying it and learning more OTJ, working in small market radio stations: AM daytimers, Class IV 1kW Day/250 Night locals and FM's, when FM was playing either the Hollyridge Strings and Montovani or the MC5 and Frank Zappa.

The growth and success of WYSL Avon also appeal to radio people who remember the station on 1030, (or the call letters on 1400 Buffalo) guys who passed the Third 'Phone exam (elements 1, 2 and 9) and took readings every thirty minutes; radio people who have at least a rudimentary understanding of Plate Volts, Plate Amps, Antenna Current and Common Point, 51.5 Ohm transmission line and other technical functions.

It may also be because many of this board's readers and participants live vicariously through guys like you, who invested real money and sweat equity to make their dreams come true. We're pulling for you because we know that if we were in the same situation, you'd be doing the same for us.

Being close to the contour of 1050 CHUM it's tough to pull in 1040 here, but sometime soon, I'll drive east and sample some of WYSL's newfound RF power.

Best wishes,

Jim

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Wow Jim well said! Bob is living the dream for a lot of us who always wanted to own their own radio station.

Tight board, 3rd Phone, will travel....

Mike "Sheridan" Miranda

P.S. I blame that 50,000 watts for RF I was exposed to daily from 1520 from birth till age 13.