FW: What's with WBZ this morning?

[markwa1ion@aol.com]

A South Shore member on a DX-related e-mail list verified that WBZ has 
recently been switching between the main transmitter in Hull and the 
auxiliary in Allston-Brighton.

This was determined by the use of a balanced loop antenna of known 
null-bearing accuracy.

This may have started following a thunderstorm last Thursday (I think). 
  It was minimal north of Boston but really whacked the South Shore.  I 
was in the parking area at the Wilmington Plaza around 5 p.m. or a bit 
later that afternoon and I observed ominously dark clouds to the south. 
  I was listening to WBZ and at the same time there was a static 
crackle, the signal dropped off for a couple of seconds.  I think it 
happened again about a minute later.  The weather report was advising 
about a potent thunderstorm cell heading from Hingham towards Plymouth.

So maybe there was some damage at Hull that, although not "fatal", may 
have required some near-future preventative maintenance (feedline or 
insulator replacement maybe?) to keep the facility from going down 
completely at some point.

Likely it made sense to do this work on a weekend instead of during 
weekday drivetimes.

Mark Connelly, WA1ION
Billerica, MA + South Yarmouth, MA

<<
Date: Sun, 8 Aug 2010 12:52:01 -0400
Subject: FW: What's with WBZ this morning?

> 'BZ did the same thing this morning --- when I turned it on at 6:30, 
it
> had a clear, strong signal, then about an hour later it abruptly
> "downsized", presumably switching to its 10-kw alternate transmitter.
> It's still there.  At this point (12:45), even WEZE is coming in
> better.  -Doug

Yes, right now here in Hanson, on my Kenwood TS-570 ham rig, I'm 
getting a S9 signal from WBZ with no IBOC sidebands. Normally when 
operating from Hull, they are S9+40.

Jeff Lehmann
Hanson, MA
>>