[BC] EAS

[JYRussell@academicplanet.com]

>
> >>>>>>>snip<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> > In most markets, those who are in charge don't want anyone else to
> be
> >even remotely involved. They don't want any input. They don't want to
> >hear from you. They don't want any changes. They do want to be the
> >LP-1/2. They don't want you to call them when you don't get a test. (I
do).
>

   Case history:
Draw a line on the map about 100 miles long, east to west, and figure a
station on each end of it.  Put a dot on the line, about 2/5 of the way from
west to east... that is us.

Our LP is a 50kw, directly to our west...  The station we were originally
were supposed to monitor was 10Kw, directly to our east.  The station on the
west had a significant HAAT, some few hundred metres higher than us, the
station on the east was much lower than our HAAT and on the far side of a
hill, effectively putting that station we were supposed to monitor in a HOLE
IN THE GROUND.  We spent 1500 dollars and several days trying to mount
various recieve antennae on our STL tower to pull in the designated station
and couldn' t do it. Not the FM, not the AM.  So, I went to the head of "The
State Plan", and the CE's of both stations, pointed out that our facilities
were within a quarter mile of being exactly on the line drawn on a map
between the two stations, and how one of the two was only relaying the
message from the other... to us, also how we couln't hear it anyway because
it was too far away, too low power, and in a HOLE relative to us, it had
NEVER been intended to serve our area, and requested persmission to change
our LP to the big powerhouse station (the LP for the entire north half of
the state.)   Permission granted.  Duh. Everybody gave me a blast for even
asking.  What was I, stoopid?!  Bigstation even had the info on G4
satellite.

5 years later, we were asked to verfiy some of the tests sent by the small
station located to our east by the EAS committee, who apparently had a new
head.  He wanted to know how many of their tests I had recieved.  Our
Paperwork had apparently never been updated.  This fella was rather upset
that - quote - "We were not following the Plan."  apparently, it didn't make
any difference to him whether or not the signal we got was useful as long as
we were following 'HIS' Plan.  And stations do NOT have authority to modify
or even request changes to the plan, according to him.
P On That.
   We still monitor bigstation to the west of us.  Simply can't hear the
small station in a hole farther away (which is relaying the bigstation EAS
stuff to us, anyway.  Even though they've since upgraded, to a whole 15Kw,
their 40 dB contour still doesn't seem to include our part of the world. Not
even on the really rough circle maps.)

  But the PLAN.  Oh My Goodness!  The Plan is ALWAYS right, even if it
doesn't work, or make a bit of sense, because somebody's EGO won't let them
accept facts.  They'd rather broadcast nothing, or garbage, I guess...

PS... this is the first year in the last several where the majority of WX
events ran from East to West across the midwest to my memory.   I'm just
about willing to bet that as ElNino/Bambino whatever falls away, our Wx
patterns go back to a mostly west-to-east tendancy. Which is another decent
reason to monitor the station to my WEST!


Jason