Re: (Fwd) Re: Ginsburger meets Collins transmitter

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

At 01:39 PM 10/27/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Dan,
>        Informative post. I would assume that the RCA Ampliphase 
>was the same one we had at the Squantum site. I can picture the 
>place in my mind, but 30 years has burned out a few neurons :-)
>

Rob Landry says that the 5-kW TX never was at the Waltham site. As I said in
my last post, my memories of that tour over 11 years ago are quite fuzzy,
but I think I saw a Collins 5-kW TX; it was facing the front entrance to the
TX building. The two 50-kW rigs (one installed, the other not) were behind
it, parallel to the side walls of the building. I do distinctly remember
that one of the 50 kW rigs (I believe the RCA) was housed in rather ugly
two-tone blue cabinets.

What you're saying, I guess, is that after the increase to 50 kW-D, WMEX
would occasionally have to operate with 5 kW-D. I assume that you ran the
day pattern on those occasions. Except for listeners in in Quincy,
Dorchester, Everett, Revere, and Yarmouth NS, I imagine the station was
inaudible at those times. The night pattern (that is, the old DA-1 pattern)
was aimed due north, but the day pattern sent most signal out over open
water. The places right along the coast got a great signal, but inland, the
signal was only acceptable because of the high power. With 5 kW, the signal
would have sunk into the noise.

I commuted between Arlington and Framingham from November 1968 to August
1972. If memory serves, WMEX switched on the 50 kW-D operation during that
period. The signal in Wayland with 50 kW and the day pattern was no better
than it had been with 5 kW and the old pattern. In MetroWest, the signal may
actually have been somewhat worse after the increase in daytime power. The
daytime signal in Wayland was dreadful. At night, between WTOP and WKBW
(literally), and with the co-channel station coming in pretty well in French
from Sherbrooke PQ, WMEX was unlistenable.

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

------------------------------