Getting old...was...Re: [BC] Interest in/Availibility of HD gear

[DANA PUOPOLO]

Kent,

I have worked with HD radio, at least on AM.

My experience with it on AM is not good. Right now I work for WIX, a 40 kW AM
station on 1060 kHz that's licensed to Natick, MA, a Boston suburb. It puts
well in excess of 10 mV/m into downtown Boston.

On 30 kHz either side of it are two AM stations licensed to Boston. Both are
running IBOC. WBZ on 1030 happens to be one, running about 100 kW ERP. The
other is 1090 WILD, a 5 kW daytimer.

The combination of these two absolutely CREAMS WBIX in downtown Boston! The
hiss makes WBIX just about unlistenable. Remember, this is within the WBIX 10
mV/m contour - NOT some distant one!

The owner of WBIX just installed a new BE transmitter (Grady Moates has posted
about it here).  He will likely installl IBOC just to 'fight back' at WBZ and
WILD. In other words, he plans to give them a taste of their own medicine. I
wonder how WBZ and WILD will feel when hash covers them up in an area where
half a million people live. I already KNOW how WBIX feels about it! 

WBIX drops to 2500 watts after sunset, with a five tower DA aimed straight
into downtown Boston. Grady can give you the specifics, but I believe that
WBIX puts between 3 and 6 mV/m into downtown Boston at night. While WILD's
IBOC interference will go away (since they operate daytime only) once WBZ
begins operating IBOC at night WBIX might as well just shut down at night. 
Besides, 1050 is a scant 175 air miles away in New York, running 50 kW right
at Boston at night. Their 500 watt IBOC signal will likely obliterate WBIX
nightime all by itself!

But then again, New York's 1050's city grade signal itself will be trashed by
1060 KYW's IBOC from Philadelphia, a scant 80 air miles away!

See how the dominoes begin to fall?

Now remember, I'm not talking about interference in distant locations with
weak coverage contours. I'm talking about OBLITERATION within city grade (5
and 10 mV/m) contours.

Can anyone explain to me why this scenario is a good thing for radio in
general and AM radio in particular??

-D