This is current status, as promised, to all the group on Topband reflector
who have been interested in what was happening with the 1810 spur situation.
The station engineer for WGYM, Hammonton NJ responded this afternoon to our
observation of a spur on 1810/1812. He visited the transmitter site and
verified that the spur was, indeed, originating in their transmitter. He
adjusted the transmitter while K2XT simultaneously monitored the spur from
his QTH 42 miles north of Hammonton, in Cream Ridge, NJ. The engineer was
able to get the spur eliminated. Details of the cause and how it was
resolved were not provided.
The station is in the midst of a modernization program. It is licensed to
operate 1 kw during the day and 6 watts nighttime. It is currently
operating a standby transmitter at a 6 watt level until a new 1 kw
transmitter can be installed. The engineer said he expects it to be
completed in one month. For the past few years the station has been
operating on greatly reduced power with the standby transmitter because of
problems with the main 1 kw transmitter. The engineer was unaware of spurs
being radiated, and was 100% cooperative in working to resolve the problem.
He is not a ham, and was AMAZED that a low powered signal such as this could
be heard from Maine, to Georgia, to Canada, to Iowa, to Indiana. I told him
there are a bunch of EXTREMELY competent radio operators, with big antennas,
and equipment, and skills who are VERY serious about what they do that makes
it possible. I told him he was lucky he didn't have a spur on 7 or 14 MHz
or he'd be hearing from Russians and Australians. He asked me to pass along
his regards.
I will post again later this evening how Don, WD8DSB managed to home in on
the location of the spur. As I think I said Friday or Saturday, if you give
him a few data points he can talk you right into the back yard of where a
signal originates.
Now, a huge thank you for your patience and understanding. On Saturday,
when I announced that we had located the spur, I had some conversations with
some guys who have far more experience than I in the broadcast industry and
with the FCC, and who really care about 160 meters, and getting this spur
fixed asap. They said they might be able to get it fixed diplomatically and
Don and I agreed that there should only be one path of resolution, and so we
got out of their way. They also said it would be done immediately, and by
noon Saturday phone calls were already being made. This morning we had a
commitment that it would get prompt attention. So....... we want to
acknowledge with great gratitude, and you should as well, the guys who fixed
this thing behind the scenes for us - and they are Tim, K3LR; Tom, W8JI;
Glen, W3JL; and Tree, N6TR.
Don WD8DSB
Rick K2XT
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Remember the PreStew coming on October 20th. http://www.kkn.net/stew for more
info.
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