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Dead Air today

The technical side of broadcasting. Think IBOC is a sham? Talk about it here! How about HDTV? Post DX reports here as well.
k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Dead Air today

Post by k8jd » Fri Aug 13, 2021 5:23 pm

Just tuned in my local stations, WCXI and WPON, heard NOTHING, just strong carriers and not even a background 60 Hz hum I could detect.
Another one , WNZK from down near flat rock was transmitting a loud white noise hiss like an open Squelch on an FM receiver (STL ? ). This comes after a week of storms in our area, Wonder what''s happening there, and how long it has gone on? ?? :eek



Kennelly Heaviside
Posts: 145
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:06 am

Re: Dead Air today

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:24 pm

k8jd, I just found and responded to your PM from almost two months ago. Sorry about that.

I am familiar with W-O-P-A, Fourteen Ninety on the dial, BTW.

I did some real life Field Strength measurements this evening, away from the house electrical noise and reradiating, which I will share in a later PM.


Kennelly Heaviside. The best Technical Consultant no money can buy.

kager
Posts: 1387
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:10 pm
Location: GPS lost

Re: Dead Air today

Post by kager » Sat Aug 14, 2021 7:28 am

Sorry... off-topic... but love the thread title!

Perfect name for a national magazine about


"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred."

Kennelly Heaviside
Posts: 145
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:06 am

Re: Dead Air today

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Sat Aug 14, 2021 1:27 pm

There's gonna be some dead air today,
Dead air today,
I know.


Kennelly Heaviside. The best Technical Consultant no money can buy.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Dead Air today

Post by k8jd » Sat Aug 14, 2021 7:34 pm

Two stations at shared site, probably T-1 Studio to transmitter line from phone co down !
I could always blame the phone co when a remote two way base went down. (most often, it WAS)



k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Dead Air today

Post by k8jd » Mon Aug 16, 2021 3:44 pm

To All; FYI WPON, WNZK, and WCXI back on with normal programming.



k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Dead Air today

Post by k8jd » Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:33 pm

This happened again a few times this week when both WCXI and WPON were transmitting dead carrier. Still think the only common thing could be a T-1 phone line from studios to a common point on site. Anyone have an idea what's going on ? Anyone know someone working for that Birach place ?



k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Dead Air today

Post by k8jd » Fri Sep 03, 2021 8:37 pm

Kennelley, I did some weekly measuring of field strength points late at night when I worked at WXYZ here. They had two towers trying to do what three usually did. NOW they have NINE TOWERS !!!!



Kennelly Heaviside
Posts: 145
Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2021 12:06 am

Re: Dead Air today

Post by Kennelly Heaviside » Sat Sep 04, 2021 1:39 am

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. :rollin


Kennelly Heaviside. The best Technical Consultant no money can buy.

k8jd
Posts: 603
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:35 pm
Location: Commerce, MI

Re: Dead Air today

Post by k8jd » Sat Sep 04, 2021 1:28 pm

HA, Don't listen for AM anymore on the ham bands.
Not operating any SSB or FM for at least the last ten years, sticking to CW for now .
Back to basics but a lot better at them than my high school novice days :D
Also like working the Orphan bands like 12 and 17 and even 160 M, a triumph whenever I make a contact there.
AND WXYT with the odd random seeming tower arrangement (computer generated I assume) I live close to the null toward Charlevoix ? and at night they are only one of several competing signals heard, on 1270.... I live 39.4 miles from the transmitter site for WXYT !



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