Re: (Fwd) : Re: Ginsburger meets Collins transmitter

[w1mnk@ibm.net]

Dan,
        You are correct. We had to reduce the power during the day 
on those occasions when the tide rose high enough to interfere 
with tower bases. I remember that this wasn't that frequent an 
occurence, but when it happened, Max Richmond was on the 
phone right away. Maybe he wanted us to push the tide back out :-)
I worked there from 68-70, and the 50KW was there when I got 
there. I was mostly weekends, during college, commuting via the 
B&M from Manchester (with the recently appended by-the-sea), my 
hometown to Beantown, then trolley and bus the rest of the way.

The layout of the Squantum site was: to the right of the entrance 
was the audio rack,  beyond which, on the right rear was the 
aforementioned 5KW transmitter. In the center was the console. 
On the left, taking up the entire side of the building was the RCA (if 
I remember my nominclature) BCA-50. Of course, this was just the 
transmitter site. The studios were at.. at... gosh, I wish I knew 
where all the neurons went. What was that address? something 
Stuart St? HELP!

OK, does anyone know what happened to Barry Lunderville? I went 
to school with him (the infamous Grahm Junior College in Kenmore 
Square). I know he worked for a spell at WJIB. Of course Beantown 
has had so many call changes over the years, who knows what the 
call is now.

Jon
To:             	w1mnk@ibm.net, boston-radio-
interest@bostonradio.org
From:           	Dan Strassberg <dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net>
Subject:        	Re: (Fwd) Re: Ginsburger meets Collins transmitter
Date sent:      	Wed, 28 Oct 1998 12:25:39 +0000

> 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
> 
> 


Jon Maguire
w1mnk@ibm.net

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