AMband.org

Our southern neighbors have formally communicated that they want the FCC to reconsider its order authorizing AM IBOC operations at night. A recent Radio World Online article outlines the objections. Leonard Kahn’s TheWrathofKahn.org site has a copy of the letter which objects to FM IBOC authorizations as well.

This is one more bump in the road for digital Medium Wave Broadcasting, but I think that our neighbors south of the border are probably just reserving their places at the table. I have heard that at least one Mexican station has begun broadcasting in IBOC.

For those of us who have found the “Yellow Gold” in the ground at tower bases disappearing: Ron Nott of Nott LTD (the unipole folks) are experimenting with the use of #10 Copperweld for the radial wires of a ground system. They are checking out the potential pitfalls and benefits of installing a copper bonded steel wire instead of installing a wire which people want to steal!

I am looking forward to hearing of the eutectic (metal bonding) and corrosion resistance characteristics of this promising technology. Once the problems of connecting the wire to strap and assuring that the copper cladding stays continuous in the corrosive conditions of soil are understood, we just might be able to find a way to keep the ground system in the ground! (more…)