RE: WWZN 1510's noncritical-hours day pattern is on

[dan.strassberg@att.net]

WPTR began life in 1947 or 1948 as a DA-1 and remains so 
to this day. The station signed on with 10 kW and very 
quickly increased to 50 kW when it became clear that, 
due to a quirk in the Capital district soil 
conductivity, the station did not put the then-requisite 
25 mV/m into the central business district of the COL. 
Even after the power increase, it was necessary to 
cherry-pick the measurment points. Meanwhile, in 
Schenectady, which is equidistant from the Tx site, it 
was no problem at all to measure 75 mV/m.

Today, during the day, WPTR's null to the west protects 
WSIV E Syracuse and CHIN Toronto. The null to the south 
protects ZNS-1, which is a Class A. WPTR's skywave has 
always been great in most of New England, especially 
northern New England, but in the Hudson and Mohawk 
Valleys, which are the most populous areas that outlie 
the Capital District, the signal has always been 
frustratingly bad.

--
dan.strassberg@att.net
617-558-4205
eFax 707-215-6367
> Eli Polonsky wrote:
> 
> >By the way, 25 miles west of Albany at night, 50,000 watt WPTR becomes
> >unlistenable!
> 
> 
> Even during the day WPTR doesn't make it very far west.  Dunno if they have 
> separate day/night patterns.  I'm sure at night they protect the 1540 in 
> Iowa, not sure who they're protecting during the day.
> 
> >Strangely enough, I was about 25 miles west of Albany NY last weekend and
> >heard WWZN's skywave in-and-out.
> 
> I've heard WKBR quite clearly on 495 between Rt. 2 and 290 despite a deep 
> null to the SW.   Dunno if I was just at the edge of a lobe or if the array 
> needs work.
>