[BC] Re: Alternative reality

[r j carpenter]

Doesn't Congress expect to balance the Federal budget by selling 
channels 2-6 to other services in most of the US?  If so, setting even 
part of them aside for an AM-replacement is a non-starter.

I think that sporadic E long-distance interference at channel 2 would 
make the occasional tropo QRM on 88-108 look trivial. I've told the 
story before, but remember when Collins ran 49.8 MHz from Cedar Rapids 
for the NBS ionoscatter tests. Collins had a 20kW xmtr and NBS received 
on a 600-foot rhombic antenna near where Dulles Airport is now located 
near Washington. On one good Es day, a small pilot lamp (2V 60mA??) was 
connected to the receive antenna and it was visibly lit by the incoming 
signal!!  I don't know the Collins ERP. Rhombics don't have a lot of 
gain for their size. NBS chose the rhombic because it was cheap, quick 
and they had the space.

bob carpenter