I used to talk to Neil Schwanitz when I had a borrowed old FI Meter back around 1991. I was surprised at how much the signal was below the M-3 predicted at my receiving location compared to WWJ. I didn't have all the information then that I have now. WWJ was close to M-3 prediction, WXYT was way below. This was back when Fritz Broadcasting had WXYT. I knew some of the traffic reporter guys at Metro Traffic. One of them knew Rich Homberg. I'm kind of sorry I started talking about figuring out how they both could be 50 kW under the new rules, and what we started to refer to as WXYT's "malfunctioning signal". Next thing you know, one of the lifetime radio nuts there at Metro Traffic was talking to Rich Homberg about WWJ and WXYT moving Downriver, putting up a bunch of towers, going 50 kW, but having signals that would probably not be as good in the Northern suburbs. Next thing I know, Rich talked to CBS, and they were doing it! And as predicted, it isn't an unqualified success. The key thing in them being able to go 50 kW was that they were old Class III-As that already interfered greatly with numerous younger stations. Reducing the signals 10% under the ratchet cause was no big deal from that standpoint from Downriver. But the distances to the outer suburbs, and the necessary antenna designs, resulting in a lot of fading, to get to 50 kW, were.
Do you know AC8FL in Fenton? I heard him on 160 meters at 1875 kHz with AM modulation, and measured it on the FIM-41 last week. 200 uV/m faded to 60 uV/m and he soon got off 160 when conditions collapsed. It was bouncing off the Kennelly Heaviside layer.
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