[BC] Wow I wonder if you feel the same way about AM

[RichardBJohnson at comcast.net]

I do not think the FCC stands in the way of technology. The lawyers representing the stakeholders are the ones in the way.

For instance, when I made my first type-accepted transmitter, the rules stated that the frequency control device (crystal) was to be maintained in a temperature-controlled oven with a thermometer so that the operator could record its temperature every 30 minutes. RCA had contracted EIDSON (sic) to make a crystal oven that was so foolproof that the FCC would give them an exception. Its heater ran on 120 volts. Because of the RCA exception, most transmitter manufacturers used the RCA oven.

I did not want to, because I had found a company in Burlington, Iowa (Northern Engineering) that, working on military contracts, had perfected a vacuum-mounted AT-cut crystal that was rock (pun intended) stable.

I called the chief of the FCC standards bureau in Laurel, Maryland, to ask about a rule change. It turned out to be trivial. I just sent him the information and a simple proposal to be published. The notice of proposed rule-making needs to be published for 90 days, but nobody would contest such an obviously good change of the rules --maybe RCA if they had checked...

Anyway, I got the rule changed and there were obviously many people watching because practically every AM transmitter from then on used these vacuum-mounted crystals. The same was true for the rule-changes I authored to accommodate solid-state equipment. Note there is no way to measure the final amplifier plate voltage and plate current of a device that did not have "plates!"

Every time I wanted a rule change, the FCC was glad to do it. Methinks it would still be the case. It is the lawyers, not the engineers, which get in the way of technology.

Cheers,
Richard B. Johnson
Book: http://www.AbominableFirebug.com/

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jeff Glass" <Xmitters at aol.com>

In a message dated 2/3/10 12:44:57 PM Central Standard Time, 
broadcast-request at radiolists.net writes:

The biggest thing holding technology back is the FCC! It takes them ten 
years to change a rule. They cling to antiquated rules in a fast changing 
world.