[RFI] Splatter from AM Radio Station WNTS Indianapolis

[David Eckhardt]

Gary, and all:

Yes, I'm painfully aware of the reduction in staff (RIFF....) at FCC.  I
"believe" we still have an office in Denver, but my direct experience with
them was some decade ago (the large active matrix sign in Fort Fun).  Our
KCOL is a local broadcaster and really serves Fort Fun and close-by
communities.   My real nemesis is 760 AM out of Boulder.  Even though I'm
some 20-miles as the crow flies and the radio waves propagate with the
foothills between me and their tower, they hit me like a ton of bricks.
Not "quite" as hard as K0RF, Chuck, from his hill.  He is the only station
on a good contest night on 160 who registers 60 over S-9 on the Icom 7300
and 7610 (no, I do not contest).  That would put him at -13 dBm.  According
to everything I've read from Adam, AB4OJ, in his long reports of those two
radios, that's mighty close to the top bits of the ADC in those radios.
I'm only roughly 5-miles north of him, but no line of site.  When he is on
his north beverage, he is "rather" strong.

Hey, I recognize all your calls.  Do you possibly frequent any of the
evening gatherings on 160?  Maybe 1913 or 1960 kHz?  I do a lot of
listening, but not a lot of HF transmitting.  That, I keep telling myself,
needs to change.  But, *and this stays here*, wherever KØOJ goes, I don't.
His poor operating practices have landed him banned from several of our
local repeaters.  Enough said.  Let me know about 160 and I might join you
some evening.  I've also recently made insights into my matching / feeding
the 450-foot set of wires for 160 which I use on all HF bands.  Trouble
with having good test equipment is that you discover things that aren't
quite right in the RF world that others have no clue.

When it comes to my opinions of FCC, I made my living as an EMC/RFI
engineer with a little RF and antenna design thrown in when opportunity
presented itself.  These days, FCC is only a paper tiger run by a bunch of
lawyers who don't know the difference between a Smith Chart and a hot New
Mexican chili (we spent 15 years living in Albuquerque).  At this point
after a bit over 10-years in retirement, I ask myself why the dickens we
even do EMC/RFI anymore.

Even though I'm a life member of ARRL (thanks to my ex-wife some 46 years
ago), they no longer accommodate us technical types.  What more can I
say......


So much for my soapbox.  Read my QRZ page for a bit more insight.

Dave - WØLEV


On Wed, Oct 27, 2021 at 4:22 PM Gary Peterson <kzerocx at rap.midco.net> wrote:

> Dave,
>
> I know that Tom, W0IVJ has a strong harmonic that falls in the 40 meter
> band, that is originating from an AM station in Colorado.  That station has
> also not been switching to their licensed nighttime power for a very long
> time.  I don’t think it is the same station that you are referencing.
>
> Tom has tried about every avenue he can think of to get the station’s or
> the FCC’s attention, without success.  As I recall, FCC Chairman Wheeler
> pushed for the huge reduction in the FCC’s field enforcement offices and we
> are suffering from the result.  I read today that it is highly likely that
> the new appointee to the Commission will be another of Wheeler’s people.
> That does not bode well.
>
> To answer your question...it doesn’t appear that the FCC cares about
> anything other than expanding broadband and gathering money from regulatory
> fees and spectrum auctions.
>
> Gary
> KzeroCX
>
> You have found legitimate reasons for improper power.
>
> We have a station in Fort Collins, Colorado, KCOL on 600 kHz that
> routinely refuses to reduce power as they should during prescribed night
> time hours.  I have called them on it several times, but it still repeats.
> Excuses are usually given.  I measure their strength in dBm with good HP
> equipment and a fixed small shielded loop over the time they should
> transition from day to night time power levels.  Even several hours after
> they should be on night time power, they are still just as strong at my QTH
> as they are during the day.   Does FCC care?
>
> Dave - WØLEV
> _______________________________________________
> RFI mailing list
> RFI at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/rfi
>


-- 
*Dave - WØLEV*
*Just Let Darwin Work*