WBZ's historical signal in VT

[Martin Waters]

--- "Peter Q. George" <radiojunkie3@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi Don:
> 
> Part of the problem with WBZ's super signal at night
> is..... it's super signal.  Let me explain.  If you
> get WBZ during the day fairly well during the day,
> chances are the signal will be fairly diminished at
> night due to the "cancellation effect" of a
> combination strong groundwave and strong skywave
> fighting themselves out.  'BZ's nighttime signal
> beyond about 200-250 miles out should be very strong
> as there are no vestiges of the groundwave left. 

   There's also the stations-staying-on-too-late on
1030 kHz factor and the
FCC-licenses-stations-to-stay-on-on-1030-kHz-at-locations-and-with-nighttime-powers-that-are-way-too-high
factor.

   About halfway between Hartford and Sturbridge on
I-84 the other night, I was getting an in-and-out
hissing skywave signal from somewhere that made WBZ
unlistenable. That's certainly in the zone that gets
groundwave and a little skywave from WBZ -- about 85
miles from Hull. But that wasn't why it was
unlistenable.

    WBZ's putting the equivalent of 80 or 90 or 100
kilowatts toward where I was. In the daytime, it comes
in perfectly well -- weak by civilian standards, but
more than listenable.

    The 750-mile protection for the Class A stations
is a joke. Insert my usual rant here. I'll spare you.
 
    Meanwhile, have I told you how in the last few
years I get skywave crap blotting out WCBS in
Wallingford, Conn., where I'm betting I'm inside their
0.5 groundwave contour. Then there's WOR. Ohhh. Don't
get me started. :))

    The FCC pays no attention to actual physics and
radio engineering when it licenses secondary stations
on the Class A channels. It pays no attention to the
cumulative effect of 10 or 20 little diddly skywave
signals.

    When the X-band was new, I had fun listening to
the 1 kW night signals from California. That's the
sort of signal that's out there murmuring behind the
Class A stations all over the place. 

    Geez. I guess that was at least pat of my rant . .
.