Re: Nova Scotia Boston DX

[Dan Strassberg <dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net>]

At 02:29 AM 6/3/97 +0000, you wrote:
>On Mon, 2 Jun 1997, KEVIN VAHEY wrote:
>
>>   Well I am sure the powers at Westinghouse that decided that BZ should be
>> a directional 1-A didn't lose much sleep over losing Nova Scotia (and most
>> of Cape Cod).........in return they have probably the best nightime signal
>> of any station on the east coast.....
> 
>Given the wide coverage of WBZ, why did they decide to be directional,
>anyway?  I would have thought that a single-tower, non-directional signal,
>covering the Cape and anyone else, would have been less expensive as well
>as a better coverage area.  Anyone know why WBZ is directional? 
>
I can think of only one IA station that wastes half its signal over the
ocean--KFI. KFI should have moved its TX to Catalina Island back in the late
30s and gone directional. Even WTAM, Cleveland used to be directional to the
south to reduce its signal over Lake Erie, notwithstanding the substantial
population in Canada on the north side of the lake.

As Scott has observed, most of the IAs in the east and midwest claim to
reach 38 states at night. BZ would not have been able to make that claim had
they remained ND. Seems as if it was an ego thing. Also, I believe that the
DA allows WBZ to put a 5 mV/m signal into Worcester and Providence. That
axctually has some economic value--certainly a lot more than Yarmouth NS and
Provincetown.

- -------------------------------
Dan Strassberg (Note: Address is CASE SENSITIVE!)
ALL _LOWER_ CASE!!!--> dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net
(617) 558-4205; Fax (617) 928-4205

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