[BC] XETRA - MIGHTY 690 Los Angeles.

[Dave Hultsman]

In a message dated 2/18/2010 7:36:35 AM Central Standard Time, richwood at pobox.com writes:

>Were there ever transmitters there larger than 50? Everyone thought
>the power was higher than 50 but I could never find documentation or
>anyone who remembered it being higher until it went to 77kW days.
>People also thought we were Wolfman Jack's station.
Wolfman Jack's station was XERB on the same beach,  I have forgotten the frequency. 10 something?
 
The transmitter power output of XETRA was 50 kW.   Glenn Callison and Ralph Dippel of the George C. Davis firm. came up with the new Roserita beach pattern and the 5 tower array DA-2 for 50 kW.  The 50 kW. was the input power on day pattern across the salt water from the beach to LA.  Of course San Diego got plenty of signal but the signal in the major lobe was toward LA. The major lobe was in excess of 50 kW and with the new pattern reduced the signal toward the Canadian station by moving the lobe slightly west.  So on day pattern the signal toward LA was greater than a 50 kW. Non-D signal equivalent.
 
I am certain that Peter Haas can come up with the power in the major radiated lobe toward LA.  The biggest problems we had was adjacent channel sidebands splattering in LA and the valley.  That was when we bought the Kahn CSSB system and got an STA from the Mexican FCC to operate with most of our sideband power on the lower sideband away from KFI.  It helped but it would have helped more if we could have had KFI move to their upper sideband.  Not likely and not FCC approved.
 
Incidentally, The McLendons paid for all the work moving the site, the five towers, phasor, new Continental 317C-1 transmitter and all the engineering to upgrade the site with no ownership just the programming and sales rights.
 
It is my understanding that a new pattern was been designed and it reduced the radiation toward LA and since they were allowed that signal level previously the increased the input power daytime to 77 kW.
(Legal under NARBA for Mexico) to maintain the RF signal in the daytime major lobe toward Los Angeles.
 
As I mentioned most of my history was when I was with The McLendon Corporation working as a technical assistant to Glenn Callison, VP/Engineering.  I am certain that Peter and others have better information.
 
One of the other projects I worked on while with The McLendon's, was the proposed XETRA-FM which would have been 1,000,000 Watts erp toward Los Angeles in the educational band. We actually had an equipment package arranged with RCA for a 40 kW. FM transmitter and were going to use a bill board style panel antenna with one major lobe off the mountain toward LA.  The paperwork progressed well in Mexico but hit the rocks when the FCC put out something about it to Southern California educational stations. Then between their filings and other Southern California commercial filings it was quashed.  
 
Rich best regards,
 
Dave Hultsman
Birmingham, AL