WMEX 50 KW DA days

[Dan Strassberg]

Sounds like an urban legend for sure. I think the WWKB/WGR array dates back
to NARBA (March 1941) or possibly even earlier. I doubt whether Bud Ballou
had even been born when it was designed, or if he had already been born, he
was probably still in diapers. BTW, that array was one of the first AM
diplexes in the US (although it was predated by around a decade by the
WNAC/WAAB Blaw-Knox diamond tower in Quincy--but WNAC and WAAB were both
nondirectional at that time). WKBW and WGR are both directional--however
only one tower is common between the two antenna systems. The whole system
has six towers; four are used by WGR at night (WGR is DA-N), three are used
by WWKB (DA-1), and one tower is common to the two systems. So one of WWKB's
towers has a monster ground system for 1520. If the radials are quarter wave
at 550 they are 0.69 wave at 1520.

--
Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@att.net
eFax 707-215-6367

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Igo" <chuckigo@maine.rr.com>
To: "'Dan Strassberg'" <dan.strassberg@att.net>;
<boston-radio-interest@rolinin.bostonradio.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 07, 2006 1:58 PM
Subject: RE: WMEX 50 KW DA days


> Dan wrote:
> >> I don't think Garabedian was ever CE of WMEX. In fact, I don't think
> Garbedian is an engineer at all, although he became quite knowlegeable
> about engineering issues as a result of all the work he personally did
> related to planning and building WGTR 1060 and later increasing its
> power and putting it on at night. The latter effort proved to be an
> exercise in futility for Garabedian and he lost interest and sold the
> station. It took 25 years and a succession of owners before Alex Langer
> brought in the right people and solved the technical problems.
>
> AFAIK, the CE of WMEX was a fellow from New Bedford or Fall River named
> Ed Juaire. Ed was also CE of WSAR, IIRC.  <<
>
> And isn't there an urban legend/lore of how Bud Ballou got some help in
> getting to Boston by playing some sort of part in the design of the WKBW
> night pattern?  From what I recall, the engineer apparently got
> approval, after a little input from Bud, of a pattern that put KB into
> Boston at night better than WMEX.  And in lieu of an aircheck (nothing
> beats real-time competition), Bud was brought from Buffalo to Boston.
>
> - - Chuck (mom's Vega only had an AM radio) Igo
>