[BC] Class "D" AM Towers

[PeterH]

On Feb 15, 2010, at 3:31 AM, Tom Spencer wrote:

> I sit corrected - the FCC database does show DA-D...

WKIP is an unusual situation. Well, perhaps not so unusual.

The main tower is 215 degrees, giving about 434 mV/m/kW at 1 km.

The short tower is about 85 degrees, and is on the wrong side of the  
tall tower for proper operation at night, so nights is 1 kW into the  
215 degree tower, definitely an anomaly as minimum conforming for a  
Class C is 241 mV/m/kW at 1 km.

When the DA is being operated, 129 mV/m at 1 km is being sent towards  
the south, while 448 mV/m at 1 km is being sent to the north.

When the DA is not being operated, 434 mV/m at 1 km is being sent  
everywhere.

One might imagine that if day AND night protection was intended, the  
85 degree tower would be used at night, but certainly not the 215  
degree tower.

Such anomalies exist in many places for Class Cs, with the most  
extreme cases, of which there are many, being 225 degree towers with  
440 mV/m/kW at 1 km and 1 kW during all hours, which is equivalent to  
about 3 kW, compared to the minimum conforming tower for this class.

Those Class C broadcasters which had the foresight to install 225  
degree towers are indeed fortunate. However, let:s hope they own  
their site, for if a move was forced, the station could be ratcheted  
all the way down to 241 mV/m/kW at 1 km.