[CW] FCC MM Rule Making 13-249 AM Broadcast

D.J.J. Ring, Jr. via CW cw at mailman.qth.net
Sun Jan 4 21:57:54 EST 2015


They don't care.  Exactly.

So use our CW, if I could get away with it, I'd try to hook up narrow band
spark (NBS) maybe 8 kHz wide on 40m "cw" band.

Canada can use MCW but USA cannot.

I'd love to have a signal just like spark and use it during the day just to
let the "kids" hear what spark sounded like.

How many of "you" out there in Reflector-Land heard the 2000 Spark signal
from Canada?  They had special permission to send on spark - only one way
though.  They sent S S S S S that's it!  I heard a bunch of E's and the
word Marconi one time meanwhile Earl Korf K2IC copied it clearly.  K2IC
Earl Korf - in his 99th year of age a former sea and air sparks copied the
word Marconi in spark.  The QRM was terrific as most thought it was going
to be a two-way test but it was only reception only.

Here is the info on the Canadian Memorial:
http://www.qsl.net/g4rfr/marconi.htm

Hey! K2IC would be proud, there is a recording and it says "MARCONI"
followed by dits!
http://www.qsl.net/g4rfr/spark.mp3

That's what spark sounds like!  And this propagated 450 miles to my
location and about the same to Earl's location.

73
DR

On Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 8:13 PM, Danny Douglas via CW <cw at mailman.qth.net>
wrote:

> Way too many years ago, AM radio became useless around here, at night.
> For some reason, the FCC let them get away with abandoning their facilities
> at night, and start using landline or satellite feeds to some place far
> away.  We had a huge winter storm move in on us, and that station was the
> only thing that was up and running, to let locals know what was going on.
> It was right after my initial  retirement, and I was working a night shift
> at a banking institutions telecoms site.  We lost TV incoming signals, and
> attempted to find out, on AM radio.  NOTHING.  They sat there like there
> was nothing going on.  Telephone call after telephone call, and NO ANSWER.
> The went on, all night long.  The next morning, some hours after we were to
> be relieved, only a few had straggled in, and others had called saying they
> were unable to make it.  The radio station seemed to still have an
> announcer who thought it was nothing, since there was never a mention of
> it.  I managed to see snow plows and followed one out to the main road, and
> others on to the house, 8 miles outside town.   Went to bed, and when I got
> up, I called the radio station.  Someone answered, finally, and only then
> did I discover they were using some broadcasting company, up in Wisconsin,
> or other site, states away.  No apology forthcoming when I stated we had a
> night emergency the night before and no one answered their phone - not even
> an announcement that no one was there at night.  I fed him a load about
> their responsibility, as a federally licensed radio station, and that this
> was not following the requirements of service to the community.  He gave
> the distinct impression that he could not care less.
> A further letter to the FCC about the same subject, went unanswered.  That
> stations license came up for renewal about 2 months later, and was
> received, apparently without problem.
>
>
> They just dont care.
>
>   Steve WD8DAS via CW <cw at mailman.qth.net>
>  Sunday, January 04, 2015 6:23 PM
>  DR wrote:
>  I know what you mean, David.  Here in my town there are only two AM
> stations with enough listeners to even show in the ratings: my outfit's
> flagship WHA and the town heritage news/talk station WIBA.  WHA is hybrid
> HD and WIBA used to be but quit.  The rest of the AM stations have very
> cheap satellite network programming and little or no local content.  A new
> expanded band station tried for nearly a decade to make a go of local
> news/talk but it never took off - too many people don't even know there is
> an "AM" band any more.  They quit in favor of satellite sports.
>
> Too many people don't even know AM exists, and/or don't know how to switch
> bands on their radio.   The growing radio noise problem hurts AM particular
> hard, too.  The band is dying and if we don't do anything it will
> ultimately go away and we will lose that great resource for highly
> efficient communications.
>
> The NPRM you found is an effort to save AM.  One of the FCC Commissioners
> had made one of his goals to "save" AM because he sees it as an important
> asset for local communities, particularly in emergency situations.  They
> are seeking all kinds of ideas, not just regarding digital modes.
>
> The bleak future projected for AM is why I support the option for
> broadcasters to try all-digital.  Not a requirement to convert, just the
> option.  I would like to see us go to not just some hybrid analog-digital
> stations, but in fact a "hybrid band".  Some analog stations, some digital,
> together on the broadcast band.  Separate digital and analog stations can
> coexist in the band perfectly well. That way there are still stations to
> be heard with the millions of radios already deployed, but stations that
> want to try all digital can do so and be heard by HD radios (which have
> good analog reception as well).  Hopefully someone trying that new approach
> will likely also invest in some interesting programming.
>
> I just realized this discussion is pretty far off-topic for this mailing
> list - my apologies if it bothered anyone.
>
>
>  Steve WD8DAS
>
> sbjohnston at aol.com
> http://www.wd8das.net/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Radio is your best entertainment value.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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> =30=
>  D.J.J. Ring, Jr. via CW <cw at mailman.qth.net>
>  Sunday, January 04, 2015 2:49 PM
>
> I hate to see AM go away.  I like co-channel digital.  I almost never
> listen to FM.  I wish there was more music on AM as on a great station it
> sounds better than FM, especially if transmitted in AM Stereo.  We have one
> local AM with music, but not AM Stereo, and a distant 250 watter (WJIB)
> with better music and AM Stereo.  I have TV but no decent programming, so I
> rarelt watch it.  I listen to AM radio about 10 hours a day.
>
> I got my start receiving with diode, coil, capacitor, wire and headphone.
>
> I wish I could get a Ibiquity receiver for bedside, but the only one I see
> is FM and I do not like most FM programming.
>
> Sadly WJIB doesn't stream and if required to go digital will not be able
> to afford digital license fees from Ibiquity.
>
> 73
>
> DR
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> =30=
>  Steve WD8DAS via CW <cw at mailman.qth.net>
>  Sunday, January 04, 2015 2:18 PM
>
>  David -
>
> While I *love* analog amplitude modulation, I can speak from personal
> experience that all-digital broadcasting using the iBiquity non-hybrid mode
> is a highly effective system.  My personal experimentation as well as
> involvement in the industry has shown me that the existing HD receivers
> know what to do with the all-digital signal and the range is excellent and
> the audio is high-fidelity.  I have long been a supporter of hybrid HD on
> both AM and FM bands, and have had it do well on my stations - with the
> exception of disappointing table-top and portable receiver availability.
>
> The receiver problem is a reflection of the poor market for any consumer
> radios, not just HD.  The makers of high-volume consumer electronics have
> nearly zero interest in building anything but the very cheapest radios.
> And zero interesting in making higher-quality radio receivers of any kind,
> digital or analog.  These companies see very little demand for new radios -
> there are millions and millions of radios already in homes across the
> country.  Look at the radio selection in a your local Walmart, Target or
> BestBuy.  There might be one or two cheap analog radios for sale.  It is
> not surprising that the radios makers are not willing to introduce new
> models at higher prices.  The only exception to this trend are auto radios
> - and most of the new radios coming out now are actually getting better and
> include HD.  Huge numbers of car radios with HD capability are being sold
> right now - that offers some hope.
>
> Given that the vast majority of AM stations have very few listeners, and
> are losing money and will go off the air if the owners see no path to
> future success, it is time to allow broadcasters to make the choice to give
> all-digital a try.  Niche formats often have listeners willing to work a
> bit to get a radio to receive their favorite kind of programming - we see
> this with people getting HD radios to hear the second and third channels of
> hybrid digital FM stations.
>
> An extra bonus - having some AM band stations go all-digital will actually
> reduce interference on the band, as it will eliminate some of the analog
> splatter and the hybrid carriers on second-adjacent channels  The digital
> transmitters focus the energy tightly around the center frequency, fully
> within the allocated channel.
>
>
>  Steve WD8DAS
>
> sbjohnston at aol.com
> http://www.wd8das.net/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Radio is your best entertainment value.
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
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> =30=
>
>
> --
> Danny Douglas
>
>
>  <http://www.getpostbox.com>
>
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