Consultants and Station Owners have been asking for twenty years for relief on burdensome rules to prove the performance of directional antennas for AM stations.
Last week the shoe finally dropped, and the Commission approved as a notice of proposed rulemaking, the analysis of directional antennas using Method-Of-Moments and rigorous monitoring standards to verify that AM antennas actually perform as they should. The new rules only apply to series fed, non-toploaded, non sectionalized towers.
For stations meeting the specifications, it means a substantial decrease in cost to commission or rebuild an AM directional array. The labor intensive and sometimes dangerous and always problematic field measurements may be dispensed with.
For those who choose, the old way remains available. Several safeguards have been added – regular calibration of the entire sample system, and external measurement reference points. The good thing about this is that it all encourages regular rational maintenance of antenna systems, instead of inhibiting repairs to ailing systems.
Stations with series fed simple radiators and solid sampling systems may want to consider going through the effort of changing over to the new regulatory scheme, especially if the system needs a good cleanup.
The complete Report and Order is available at the FCC website. This is now at the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking stage, with a comment and reply comment period, and publication period before the final rules are in place. There could still be a hitch if someone files comments that cause serious reconsideration.