[BC] Closest-frequency AM diplexes

[Steve]

Hi Tom:

> Correct on all counts. There are two other Seattle diplexes on the
> mainland - KARR 1460 with the night facilities of KKDZ 1250 (though a
> fire has had that facility off the air for a few weeks now), and the
> day facilities of KKDZ with KBLE 1050.

You had to bring that up didn't you? The 1250 frequency is the one I worked
on when it was KKFX (The Fox) in 1981 to? I handled both the West Seattle
and Kirkland sites. BTW, Just got a call the other night from one of the
former owners about the torching of the site! We always believed that site
and frequency was cursed. Now I believe it. (1250 is now owned by Disney as
you probably know). Andy (can't remember his last name) was the G.M./Chief
for KARR. (might have been different call letters then but not sure) Always
helpful. Nice guy.

 I found a match for the Collins we used in West Seattle for the Kirkland
site. (circa 1969?) I think it was one of the first autotune xmtr's. We put
one in at KFRC in San Francisco when we moved to Berkley from the San
Francisco city dump that year where we had diplexed with KSFO for years!

 Hatfield-Dawson shoe-horned the 1250 signal in there. He had to get a
variance from the FCC since it doesn't cover the city of license like it
should. At any rate, it replaced an old Gates 5P? I couldn't keep it on the
air any longer with the modulation demands of the owners. (Good friends of
mine from college days) One day I finally screamed on the phone: "Are you in
the business of broadcasting or NOT?" I got a replacement transmitter that,
strangely enough, had been through a fire but was cleaned up and worked
well. It was used by Pat O'Day at his station in Hawaii.

Well, sorry for the long one here but when you mentioned the 1250/1460
frequencies I had to jump in and tell the story. There's more about the
Kirkland site but I'll save it for another time. I'm laughing writing this
story...nightmare.

Steve
Steve Walker Productions