Re: Expanded Band questions

[Sven Weil <sven@gord.isdn.lightning.net>]

Steve Sawyer said:
> 
> Has anyone noticed how much more populated the new expanded AM band has
> become in the past few months?  Time was, last fall, when I could get
> WJDM 1660 Elizabeth in the clear, however now it is severely interfered
> with by another station. 

What is really ironic is that since these x-band stations are required to
drop power down to 1Kw at night, it's amazing how they will be able to
cover any sort of distance if new stations start sprouting up around them.
WBAH (the new calls for the ex-WJDM) on 1660 has a weird directional
array. Pumping out 10,000
watts daytime, they offer an excellent coverage of New York City's five
boros. At night, however, you literally have to be IN elizabeth, nj to be
able to listen to their broadcast.

What's even weirder is that they direct their signal northwards, so, two
summers ago when I took a drive to portland, i had them tuned in all the
way up in Vermont, with an amazingly clear signal to boot.

Who's bright idea was it to require these stations to drop power so
drastically at night, so that they are - for all purposes-  
unlistenable in their primary service area?

Also, hasn't anyone noticed that the programming on these stations isn't  
the most imaginative? WBAH is a 24/7 satellite relay of the Radio Unica
network, and there is also that station that only pumps out ESPN Sports
Radio. 

I hope this will not be the case if low power FM becomes a reality
- -- 
Sven Franklyn Weil            "The needs of the many outweigh 
<sven@lily.org>                          the needs of the few
<http://www.lily.org/~sven>                      or the one." 
                                                     -- Surak

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