Question RE: Rules Regarding Directional AM Tower Site Maintenance

[Dan.Strassberg]

As far as I can tell, these days, AM ground system maintenance is
something the FCC cares about only at a theoretical level. On the
Engineering board at Radio-Info dot com, there's guy who posts about
the subject from time to time. He goes absolutely nuts about the
effect on directional patterns of trees growing in the ground plane.
If the station doesn't want to cut down the foliage and confirm that
the pattern remains in adjustment, management can surely find a
consulting engineer who is willing to certify that everything is still
OK and that, therefore, no work is necessary. The "right" engineer
probably won't even need to make any measurements, which should help
to keep the project costs under control;>(

-----
Dan Strassberg (dan.strassberg@att.net)
eFax 1-707-215-6367

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "ComfortZones Comm" <s.bingham@comfortzonescomm.com>
To: <boston-radio-interest@lists.BostonRadio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 06, 2011 9:44 AM
Subject: Question RE: Rules Regarding Directional AM Tower Site
Maintenance


I want to first thank you all for all of the discussions going and
keeping semi-retired radio folk like me in the loop. I usually just
read and enjoy, but recently I drove by a directional AM tower site.
It was formerly in a field. The station is active, however, management
has apparently stopped haying the fields and let trees and saplings
grow up around the tower array and transmitter shack. We're talking
6-10'. This has got to raise havoc with the radials at some point.
How would one handle the situation as good citizen? Does the FCC in
its current state of overload even care about these things anymore?
It's been gnawing at me, and if nothing else, would love some feedback
and answers. Thanks!

Bing