History of WLW

[Turkeytop]

Someone sent me this video about WLW. Some of you might find it interesting,

https://youtu.be/y1u0bHx83Vw

[Ben Zonia]

WLW had to go to 500000 watts directional to protect CFRB, then on 690, in Toronto, in WLW's short lived "Superpower" experiment, after complaints from the operators of CFRB.

[k8jd]

how many towers did that pattern need ??

[Turkeytop]

At 50 KW, WLW pounds in every night in Ontario and here in Florida too.

[Ben Zonia]

how many towers did that pattern need ??

I haven't found a description of the DA yet, but it is a strange looking pattern. Maybe two electrically far spaced towers, and a third drop wire element suspended in between? Pattern almost looks physically impossible, without a large number of towers, like an FM BC DA pattern envelope vs. actual measured would.

My first guess by designing it conventionally would require at least six towers in a line, three sets of two near cardioid two towers, spaced about one half wavelength and one wavelength apart, about 450 degrees between the furthest towers from each other. I doubt that the real array was anywhere near that complex. Look at the WAAM 1600 Day tower arrangement, and two more towers beyond, for my starting model. Oriented to the SSW rather than 351 degrees true.

https://www.fccinfo.com/CMDProEngine.ph ... 5&sHours=D

Possible structural design, from early WOR DA. Also includes actual WLW DA array, apparently an isosceles triangle arrangement, explaining the symmetrical pattern without more towers.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=htt ... AdAAAAABAI

So I guess three in a long electrical wavelength isosceles triangle is the actual answer.

[k8jd]

GREAT EVALUATION OF POSSIBLE DESIGNS. Sometimes the cost of many towers colors the final designs. Like the WXYZ AM antenna in Southfield.using two towers to do what three usually did.

[Ben Zonia]

WLW History Card.

Just the administrative record, but it chronicles the difficulties WLW had trying to be 500 kW, not the least of which is going directional to protect CFRB 690. Then the Canadian government made CFRB give up 690 Class I-A for a much reduced 1010, supposedly Class I-B. Then they moved 690 to Montreal for the French service. Now they have an English Sports format on 690 in Montreal. They should have allowed CFRX to use a lot more power on 6070 to make up for the lost service area of CFRB.

https://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/prod/ ... r_id=81965