Radio & TV Stories

[W9JEF]

I know of several Islanders whose careers included work in the broadcast industry.
Let's share some of our more interesting experiences.

Some time in the late 1980's, couple of days after Christmas,
I fielded a phone call asking if we were still playing Christmas tunes.
The caller was at his elderly parents home,
not far from our AM transmitter location.
Kept hearing "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bells"
--but they could not pinpoint the source.

It turns out they had received one of those musical greeting cards,
which initially failed to perform, until it ended up in the trash.

[kb2vxa]

It must have been the RF after the battery went dead on the shelf. (;->)

I didn't exactly "work" in the broadcast industry, but I did do volunteer work in the production room and answering phones at WBAI 99.5 free form, non commercial listener supported radio in New York in the late 60s and early 70s. The radical (now we would call it terrorist) Jewish Defense League (JDL) got their panties in a bunch over some allegedly antisemitic remark made on the air, something I can't understand since everyone from the GM on down was Jewish. They set out to bomb the transmitter at Empire, but since they all look alike they blew up the WPIX channel 11 main, and failing to recycle, automatically switched to backup on hot standby. The WBAI air staff got a bunch of on the air laughs out of that blunder for the next several days.

[N2CHX]

I have all kinds of crazy stories, but most people find them boring.

[N2NH]

Years ago, I worked a summer relief shift at WPAT AM/FM. The station ID'd as Patterson, NJ but was really in Clifton. At the time their format was "Beautiful Music" a very laid back Easy Listening format. One hot Saturday afternoon as I began my shift, I went out back to the four antenna towers. There were shacks at the bottom where we'd pull a handle to put a meter inline to take a phase reading of the signal. I got to the first shack waited for dead air (there usually was a 2 second pause between music and commercials) and took the reading and moved on to the second shack. I got there, and the DJ was segueing the music busting my chops. I waited for the break in the 100 degree heat and he was segueing the commercials too. After the break I still hadn't got a reading. A bit annoyed, I hit the intercom button and told them to let him know I needed some dead air. Next break came and the same thing happened. Again I hit the intercom and told them I was going to scream if I didn't get a pause. Unknown to me, the DJ had patched into the intercom system and was listening in the studio. The break came, again there was no dead air and as he was doing the on-air lead-in at the end of the break, live, I screamed. It went into the studio and over the air. He started laughing on the air and I got 10 seconds of dead air while he cut the mike, caught his breath and started the music.

[W9JEF]

I have all kinds of crazy stories, but most people find them boring.

"Most people" are NOT our "target audience."

C'mon, Kelli... tell us a story! :)

[kb2vxa]

Since you were out among the towers, I'm surprised you didn't notice WPAT AM (FM is at Empire) is a 5 tower directional array to protect WBEN in Buffalo that to the south of Clifton/Patterson clobbered them at night.

I just remembered something about those police "calling all cars" wide area broadcasts between 1600 and 1800KHz and the antique radios that had that part of the dial marked "police" and cities around the world marked on the shortwave bands. The last transmitter to go dark in the late 60s was the New Hampshire State Police on 1710 I used to monitor after dark, my very first "scanner". The NJSP barracks in the center island just south of WPAT has a tower, the base is visible to the left in the southbound lanes. It's loaded with antennas and microwave relay dishes, but looking at the base, one can see brown glazed porcelain support insulators bridged with copper straps grounding the tower. I wonder what frequency they broadcast on, from there they must have covered the whole northern half of the roadway. BTW, the old VHF police and maintenance twisted pair linked repeater systems were divided north and south on different frequencies. I used to have a license I took off the wall of the empty concrete repeater shack in Cranford after the tower came down and before the shack was removed. I remember the callsign KEE376.

That video of the tower arc was so interesting I downloaded and saved it, so c'mon Kelli, tell us a story.

It was a dark and stormy night. We were all gathered around the campfire when someone said; tell us a story. It was a dark and stormy night. We were all gathered around the campfire when someone said; tell us a story..........

[N2NH]

The thing about their signal is that most of it is directed at New York City. What's not so well known (and I wonder if the new owners are even aware of this), is that the signal is directed to the South Shore of Long Island where many affluent New Yorkers spend their summer vacation. I was well aware of WBEN. They were making complaints to the FCC on a monthly basis for quite awhile. :snicker:

Also not so well know is that there is a stream and a wildlife sanctuary adjacent to their sometimes swampy property. By July, there would be elephant grass in the tower area with a 4 foot wide path cut in it to go from tower to tower. One hot afternoon while walking from tower 2 to 3, I heard the distinct sound of a rattlesnake to my right in the tall grass. Clearly. I stopped. I could hear my heartbeating. Then a copperhead crossed the path about 40 feet in front of me. A big one. Then just when I was thinking it couldn't get any worse, I heard another rattlesnake to my left, even closer than the first one. I moved quickly but not running to the next tower trying to put some distance between me and those snakes...

[n2ize]

What I was working on the powerlines that run through westchester I was nearly attacked by a Grizzly bear. And there were 2 other grizzly's not far away.

[N2NH]

What I was working on the powerlines that run through westchester I was nearly attacked by a Grizzly bear. And there were 2 other grizzly's not far away.


Venomous Snakes (in New Jersey)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/96/Agkistrodon_contortrix_contortrix_CDC-a.png/75px-Agkistrodon_contortrix_contortrix_CDC-a.png Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen northern copperhead

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Crotalus_horridus_CDC.png/75px-Crotalus_horridus_CDC.png Crotalus horridus timber rattlesnake

Being that the swampy area was dry in the summer, they were apparently hunting down small game like the rabbits that were there.

Breaking down the barriers of ignorance yet once again.

Source: WikiPedia List of snakes of New Jersey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snakes_of_New_Jersey)

We have them here too.

[n2ize]

Being that the swampy area was dry in the summer, they were apparently hunting down small game like the rabbits that were there.

Breaking down the barriers of ignorance yet once again.

Source: WikiPedia List of snakes of New Jersey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snakes_of_New_Jersey)

We have them here too.

Yes, I know. new York has plenty of rattlers. No surprise there. But I was very surprised to see grizzly bears in NY. And in Westchester nonetheless. And no, they were not common black bears or brown bears. These were grizzlys. I saw them up closer than I would ever want to get again.

[N2NH]

Yes, I know. new York has plenty of rattlers. No surprise there. But I was very surprised to see grizzly bears in NY. And in Westchester nonetheless. And no, they were not common black bears or brown bears. These were grizzlys. I saw them up closer than I would ever want to get again.

Not that I don't believe you, but I don't believe you. Linkination s'il vous plaît, Grizzly Jon.

[KG4CGC]

During the 50s & 60s, Great Britain experienced an unprecedented wave of UFO sitings peaking in 1966 through 1968.

[NA4BH]

Billy Patterson saw a bear in his back yard yesterday.

[n2ize]

Not that I don't believe you, but I don't believe you. Linkination s'il vous plaît, Grizzly Jon.

Well, I know what I saw. I can;t give you a link because I saw it with my own eyes, pre-internet days. These were no common black bears. These were grizzlys.

[NA4BH]

In North America, the species is now found only in Alaska, south through much of western Canada, and into portions of the northwestern United States including Idaho, Montana, Washington and Wyoming, extending as far south as Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, but is most commonly found in Canada. - See more at: http://www.chacha.com/question/are-there-grizzly-bears-in-upstate-new-york#sthash.62Q0gAcg.dpuf


It is a black bear since grizzlies are found in the western part of the US. Black bears can be found throughout the United States,including northeast. Now black bears are not as aggressive as grizzlies, but they still need to be respected, since they are fully capable of killing an adult human being. Be sure when you see one to keep your distance

As gleaned from YAHOO.

[N7YA]

I have all kinds of crazy stories, but most people find them boring.


I just make shit up...its the only way to keep an audience. Plus, its a lot more fun. :lol:

[N7YA]

It is a black bear since grizzlies are found in the western part of the US. Black bears can be found throughout the United States,including northeast. Now black bears are not as aggressive as grizzlies, but they still need to be respected, since they are fully capable of killing an adult human being. Be sure when you see one to keep your distance

As gleaned from YAHOO.


In Alaska, the blackies were quite a bit more aggro than the Griz. Im guessing they had a touch of the Napolean complex.

[KG4CGC]

June 23rd 2013, 1:00 PM. Saw a black bear on the long 2 lane stretch of Hwy 64 east just inland of the Outer Banks area of NC.

[N7YA]

What was he driving? He could be RVing through the area.

[N2NH]

It is a black bear since grizzlies are found in the western part of the US. Black bears can be found throughout the United States,including northeast. Now black bears are not as aggressive as grizzlies, but they still need to be respected, since they are fully capable of killing an adult human being. Be sure when you see one to keep your distance

As gleaned from YAHOO.

Yeppers. Figured that out long ago. We got black bears here and in the Adirondacks. I could maybe believe a Brown Bear, but a Grizzly?

Wait I think he means a Grizzly Bare. Big behind, right? Kinda hairy?

I think Grizzly Jon beats Volcano Tamer anyway. :yes:

Mommy Grizzly (no cougar s#!t for her):

http://www.drdotsblog.com/blog-city-files/f/palinbikini.jpg

[KG4CGC]

What was he driving? He could be RVing through the area.

His asshole on the grass. There were signs warning people not to stop along the roadside.

[W9JEF]

What I was working on the powerlines that run through westchester I was nearly attacked by a Grizzly bear. And there were 2 other grizzly's not far away.

When I was measuring field strengths along a particular radial (AM),

there was this big horse, who didn't seem to like my being there.

It snorted a time or two, but I was able to work around it.


While looking over the future site of KMCK (FM) there was this bull that looked rather threatening.

Another guy with us found a big stick, and hit it upside the head. (A braver man than me.)

Then there was someone approaching us from a distance whom I referred to as a man.

Turned out to be the land owner's wife. What can you say after such a faux pas? :oops:

[N2CHX]

When I was just a wee 21 year old lass, getting my start in engineering, I was at a site with my boss, the owner of the contract company I worked for, south of Buffalo which was on top of a big hill. Two FM's were about 1000' apart on this hill and we took care of both of them. One was a 110 kW FM and the other a 100 kW. It was around this time of year and we were in the middle of a blizzard. The 110 kW station was completely off the air with failure of both the main and backup transmitters after something went wacky with the 3 phase power. The 100 kW station was at 1/3 power with the failure of one of its two mains. Being that parking in the road would have surely gotten my car plowed-- quite literally, by any snowplow that topped the hill in that blizzard, I opted to try to park in one of the driveways and got very, very stuck.

So my boss took my big ring of keys and went into the one transmitter building to investigate while I sat in the car with his huge bagphone to call one of the other engineers to come bail us out of the driveway with a shovel. A few minutes later my boss comes out of the transmitter building, and the door slams shut and locked behind him. He calls to me "Uh, Kel! Do you have the keys?" and I reminded him that I had given the keys to him. He did not have a set with him. So there we were, stuck outside of both transmitter buildings with my car stuck solid in the driveway. It took one of the other engineers 3 hours to get to us with keys and a shovel.

This was one of those times I was glad I wasn't the goofy one who did something stupid lol.

[W3WN]

First, I can believe the bear story. Oh, maybe it wasn't technically a grizzly -- personally, I wouldn't know most species of bears from another, all kidding aside -- but I can believe that it happened. We've had a lot of bear sightings in the area, especially in the last year or two. Mainly brown and black bears, according to the news reports, but who knows what species they really were? (All were eventually caught, tranked, and moved to more rural areas in WPA. According to the news reports. And we all know TV News reporters wouldn't lie to us... ahem.)

On a side note, one year the (now ex) wife & I went on vacation, which included an overnight stay up near the Delaware Water Gap. We were supposed to do a little hiking on one of the nature trails, up near where we stayed... she panicked, convinced that there were bears in the woods that would attack her. All because she'd left some of our dinner out on the picnic table (I told her not to, but... never mind), and we got woken up that night by the noise of some critters (I suspect raccoons) fighting over it (she refused to let me peak out of the tent, convinced that it was, of course, bears)

Ahem.

Getting back on track...

When I was at WGMR, the Chief Engineer (guy named Glen) refused to ground anything. Said he didn't believe in grounds. One day, the board we used to create or mix spots (not the main studio) started to pick up K3CR, which at the time was located on the other side of West College Avenue from the studio. (Someone up at CR was running the SB-220 trying to work some DX). Glen threatened to call the FCC to have the "kids" station shut down. Until I reminded him that the board also picked up the local and state police cars, taxis, CB's, and even my little 2 Watt out FMH-2 2 meter HT. Funny thing... as soon as I grounded the board to the turntable to the reel-to-reel to the cart machine... all the "background ghosts" and other QRM disappeared. Imagine that.

(It was back about 2 weeks later, when I returned from a short vacation. Like I said, he didn't believe in grounding. So he undid everything. Go figure.)

The owner of the station, and several others as part of a regional chain, was named Cary Simpson. He was an interesting character. One day, he and his wife showed up (they lived nearby in Tyrone PA, where WTRN-AM, the 'flagship' station, was located) to attend a press conference that Penn State was having. Not to cover the news... to have lunch at the buffet prior to the press conference. He did ask one question... the press conference was about an addition to one of the conference centers, and Cary's question was "Do you have any big problems with rats?" (I had calls from people I knew at the other stations in town, laughing about it -- and at him)

[W9JEF]

Although I didn't have Kelli's nasty weather to deal with,
working my Sunday afternoon/evening shift at WDUZ in Green Bay,
a taped half-hour religious program allowed me the opportunity
to sneak out for an evening meal at Chili John's, just around the corner.
If you've ever seen a restaurant advertising "Green Bay style chili"
(there was one in San Diego) this is the place it refers to.

But I digress.

So after finishing my fiery dinner, I realize that,
taped program coming to its end, and dreaded dead air looming,
I've effing locked myself out of the building. :irked:

I had to go up a fire escape ladder to the third floor,
and break into the owner/GM's office.
Lucky for me, the window wasn't locked, and
no surveillance camera (this was the early 60's). :)

[N2CHX]

Again pretty early in my career, one of my stations in Syracuse, a 5 kW, DA-2, 3 tower directional, got a visit from an FCC field officer one day. We went through the studio and transmitter site and then headed out to do monitor points-- 16 in all, if I recall correctly, between night and day pattern. Every damn point was WAY out of tolerance, which baffled me, as I did them regularly and everything was always fine. I was about to get the FCC citation of my life, when the field officer thought about something, and then asked me to re-calibrate my FIM. I did so, and suddenly everything was back to normal. We ended up doing all 16 points over again, after realizing that we had calibrated our FIM's at the same time and the local oscillators had interfered with each other and caused both FIM's to be out of calibration by the exact same amount. All the points were fine, and we had a good laugh over that. Gene was a good guy and I had many friendly dealings with him after that at various stations, and tracking down pirates and one big, bad case of intermod that took months to finally get to the bottom of -- a 6 foot piece of corroded copper gutter on top of an ancient building in downtown Rochester...

[n2ize]

Yeppers. Figured that out long ago. We got black bears here and in the Adirondacks. I could maybe believe a Brown Bear, but a Grizzly?



Well I know what I saw.



Wait I think he means a Grizzly Bare. Big behind, right? Kinda hairy?

I think Grizzly Jon beats Volcano Tamer anyway. :yes:

Mommy Grizzly (no cougar s#!t for her):

http://www.drdotsblog.com/blog-city-files/f/palinbikini.jpg

Do you like her big as and thunderous thighs ?? Friend of mine always used to joke about her ass being as big as Tex-ass. . Frankly, I think she should refrain from removing too much apparel. She looks better with more clothes on.

[N7YA]

That photo is so very Walmart/FOX/white trash that there should be no doubt in anyones mind that politics is nothing more than a stupid tv reality show that can have an adverse affect on our daily lives.


Lest we forget...THAT horrible thing was almost our fucking vice president! :shock:

[KG4CGC]

That photo is so very Walmart/FOX/white trash that there should be no doubt in anyones mind that politics is nothing more than a stupid tv reality show that can have an adverse affect on our daily lives.


Lest we forget...THAT horrible thing was almost our fucking vice president! :shock:

That thing that it represents isn't even the real thing.

[W7XF]

<snip>List of snakes of New Jersey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snakes_of_New_Jersey)<snip>



I think you missed one: Governorimbecilicus Morbid Obesicus (AKA Gov LardAss)

[N2NH]

That thing that it represents isn't even the real thing.

Like so many things Sarah, that is a photoshopped pic that seems more real than the real thing. As with her seeing Russia from her kitchen.

But she sorta lets herself become those things by what she sez.

I think the Gov. King of New Jersey would be even worse.

[W2NAP]

needs more broadcast stories.

[N2NH]

needs more broadcast stories.

Or Grizzlies and Black Mambas (http://youtu.be/HHt0ZiaSXo4)in Westchester. :shock:

[N2NH]

I think you missed one: Governorimbecilicus Morbid Obesicus (AKA Gov LardAss)

Yah, but one thing to remember...

http://img1.etsystatic.com/007/0/7331156/il_570xN.403472553_citm.jpg

[N7YA]

And he can bully people because thats how he rolls!


(seriously, he rolls)

[W9JEF]

Again pretty early in my career, one of my stations in Syracuse, a 5 kW, DA-2, 3 tower directional, got a visit from an FCC field officer one day. We went through the studio and transmitter site and then headed out to do monitor points-- 16 in all, if I recall correctly, between night and day pattern. Every damn point was WAY out of tolerance, which baffled me, as I did them regularly and everything was always fine. I was about to get the FCC citation of my life, when the field officer thought about something, and then asked me to re-calibrate my FIM. I did so, and suddenly everything was back to normal. We ended up doing all 16 points over again, after realizing that we had calibrated our FIM's at the same time and the local oscillators had interfered with each other and caused both FIM's to be out of calibration by the exact same amount. All the points were fine, and we had a good laugh over that. Gene was a good guy and I had many friendly dealings with him after that at various stations, and tracking down pirates and one big, bad case of intermod that took months to finally get to the bottom of -- a 6 foot piece of corroded copper gutter on top of an ancient building in downtown Rochester...

My first encounter with Uncle F was a "cold" call
regarding the FM license application I had recently submitted.
The boss is listening on his phone, as the FCC guy questions
how I checked the calibration of the frequency monitor. :irked:

On the application, I claimed to have zeroed my secondary standard to WWV.
The inspector points out that WWV had been off the air
(I think it was when they moved it to Fort Collins).
Uh, oh... :sick:
"Well, it must have been WWVH, then." I hastily amend. ;)
He then says, that, owing to the vagaries of propagation over that distance
(Doppler shift) the accuracy is in question. So I agree to have the frequency
checked by a professional service. :)

[kb2vxa]

You guys work fast, I fell behind! Well, gotta keep the GM happy.

Catching up, those snakes at WPAT were just listening to the music so leave them alone. We have rattlers in Jersey but it ain't necessarily so, several species rattle their tails against objects imitating them as a defensive mechanism. I encountered rattles in Penn's Woods once, but I didn't want to investigate which one was rattling. They have an annual rattle snake hunt, round them up for a BBQ (not as guests) and being open to the public anyone can sample various delicacies.

That having been said, a short story related to me by a broadcast engineer/ham in the area of the problem. WCHR-FM (classic rock, meaning old top 40s) licensed to Manahawkin, NJ with studio in a tiny strip mall along Rte. 9 in Stafford and transmitter on Long Beach Island has a really short tower across the street from a municipal building, I saw the tower, a real grass burner. It came over the PA/recorder in the courtroom causing numerous complaints, but operating legally such RFI isn't their problem. Finally, the engineer/ham who BTW didn't work for the station was called in, grounded and shielded the amp and recorder, problem solved. Being a grass burner out on the island they don't have many listeners with the traffic lights shut off and streets rolled up until spring.

Seriously, they do shut off the traffic lights in winter.

"The inspector points out that WWV had been off the air."

It's not NICE to fool the FCC!

[NQ6U]

I don't have any broadcast stories but I do have a few CATV stories from my days as an system engineer.

My favorite is likely apocryphal but worth retelling anyhow. One of my service technicians came back from a call, a complaint of "poor picture." He told me everything checked out okay—plenty of signal at the back of the set and the picture was as good as could be expected—but he swapped out the converter box anyway just to make the customer happy. It didn't work, the customer still wasn't satisfied so he told her "okay, I'm going to run through a whole bunch of different settings, you tell me when you see a picture that looks good." He then turned the vertical hold knob (this is back when TV sets still had those) just enough so the picture rolled slowly until the customer said "There!", then turned it back to stop the rolling. She was satisfied after that.

[kb2vxa]

Carlo The Cable Guy to Pope is quite a career change! That sounds familiar, not a broadcast but three CB stories you guys may find amusing. At my first location I had no problems with RFI save one, a TV on a neighbor's back porch, hooking up an antenna fixed that. The other was an electric organ across the street, no complaint because the lady enjoyed listening to me.

Then I moved into RFI Hell, I'll skip the crap and get right to the funny one. The lady next door and I chatted frequently, one time she mentioned she could hear me on her kitchen stove. Yeah, one of THOSE. We were sitting in the kitchen, I went home, tuned to a dead channel and started a test transmission with an audio tone. Back in the kitchen I heard nothing, she told me to listen closely so I did and there it was, the clock/timer motor was nearing the end of its useful life making the characteristic whirring and grinding noises.

The third was at my last location after I gave up listening to all the QRM, madness and mayhem of the CB boom. The neighbor lady next door came over mad as hell about some TVI, a very short conversation quickly got to the bottom of it. She had a portable B&W TV in the basement with rabbit ears covered with aluminium foil. No need to explain THAT one but maybe I should. Remember I said AFTER, the CB antenna came down and a home made VHF ground plane for my scanner went up. I showed her the scanner blaring police calls, no microphone, not a transmitter. I told her the antenna was for the scanner, led her along the coax to verify it. I told her I have no transmitting equipment, the antenna was receive only and then she said... Well, it's an ANTENNA, isn't it? Out, out, get out, get OOOUUUT!!!

[W9JEF]

.


.
When we rented the lower floor of a house in Milwaukee,
my 80 meter inverted vee was supported at the apex
by a roof tripod. The people on the second floor actually
did hear me in the oven coils of their electric stove.

[kb2vxa]

That takes a rectifying junction and transducer. Like Lucille Ball hearing German spies sending CW in her teeth, credibility leaves a little something to be desired. BTW, Mythbusters debunked it of course, yet another very interesting episode. Not calling you a liar, I'm not like that, but it seems you were given a bit of misinformation.

[W9JEF]

That takes a rectifying junction and transducer. Like Lucille Ball hearing German spies sending CW in her teeth, credibility leaves a little something to be desired. BTW, Mythbusters debunked it of course, yet another very interesting episode. Not calling you a liar, I'm not like that, but it seems you were given a bit of misinformation.

I, and I'm sure others who have made their living in broadcast engineering

can attest to hearing the audio of an AM station emanating from the large RF inductors

of phasing and matching networks.

[NQ6U]

That takes a rectifying junction and transducer.

A poor contact between dissimilar metals can make the rectifying junction. When I was a kid, I used to be able to pick up the signal from a 10KW AM broadcast station about two miles from home by clipping an alligator clip lead from my Navy surplus headphones to the doorknob on my bedroom door.

[K7SGJ]

A poor contact between dissimilar metals can make the rectifying junction. When I was a kind, I used to be able to pick up the signal from a 10KW AM broadcast station about two miles from home by clipping an alligator clip lead from my Navy surplus headphones to the doorknob on my bedroom door.

When you were a kind of what?

[NQ6U]

When you were a kind of what?

A kind of less stupid than I am now.

[K7SGJ]

A kind of less stupid than I am now.

Look at it this way. The longer one lives, the more stupid they are exposed to, and some has to rub off; at least it seems that way to me. And I'm no spring chicken. But I did play one once.

[W9JEF]

A poor contact between dissimilar metals can make the rectifying junction. When I was a kid, I used to be able to pick up the signal from a 10KW AM broadcast station about two miles from home by clipping an alligator clip lead from my Navy surplus headphones to the doorknob on my bedroom door.

I can assure you, the RF inductors of high-power AM broadcast stations

rarely suffer from "poor contact between dissimilar metals."

The tank coil of my old home-brew 100 watt AM transmitter was bare #12 solid copper wire.

Air-wound, and self-supporting, the modulated audio could be heard coming from it.

While silver-soldering near the base of a 5kW AM tower,

I've heard program audio eerily reproduced in the flame.

[NQ6U]

I can assure you, the RF inductors of high-power AM broadcast stations

rarely suffer from "poor contact between dissimilar metals."

The tank coil of my old home-brew 100 watt AM transmitter was bare #12 solid copper wire.

Air-wound, and self-supporting, the modulated audio could be heard coming from it.

While silver-soldering near the base of a 5kW AM tower,

I've heard program audio eerily reproduced in the flame.

You are either a troll or you can't read.

[W9JEF]

You are either a troll or you can't read.

What did I miss?

[kb2vxa]

Oh dear, there goes another thread. Back on track, while I was never there in person, engineers have told stories of how the tuning network at the base of the WABC 1/2 wave tower sang with 50KW running through it.

I'm sure at least most of us know that what I called a rectifying junction can be a poor joint in metallic structures of many kinds. The story of one such case was related to me by a friend who was a service tech for the NJ Turnpike and hot the crew was flummoxed by a bad case of intermod at a tower site. It took quite some time for the unexpected source was found, the court of last resort, a rectifying joint in the tower structure. With a gazillion joints the only practical way to fix it was weld the whole tower, problem solved.

I have no idea how that singing flame demonstration from the early days of wireless was recreated when silver soldering at the base of the tower, but because I read about it in a book when I was a kid believe it. Some may remember the ion cell tweeter back in the 60s based on that demonstration, I never saw one in a high end audio store but I saw a write up about it in Popular Science. Air was ionized in the cell connected to a horn by an HF power oscillator using a TV sweep tube with a step up secondary winding connected to electrodes in the cell, the oscillator was modulated by the amplifier output after the LC woofer/tweeter network. I saw pictures of it and one was a close up of the cell, the air inside was glowing with a bluish hue characteristic of corona discharge. It worked fairly well but sound output was below that of normal tweeters and the thing was damn expensive so it didn't sell and was discontinued.

We all have our stories to tell, even Lucy with Dick Cavett looking on http://vimeo.com/72473069 and listening to Doorknob Radio, which BTW would make a good name for a pirate station, even Flame Radio an even better name. It's a good thread, this isn't QRZ but we're starting to look that way with a couple of hams with bugs up their backsides, so let's reverse the trend, have another beer and get back to the older, more enjoyable Island.

[W9JEF]

My most serious encounter with the FCC was having to explain

my 3-month unlicensed operation of an AM/FM broadcast operation.

It seems, my 1/C Phone Ticket had expired while on the wall.

Hey--it was 1967. ;)


The one FCC inspection that happened on my watch was downright paranormal.

WHRM, operated by the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board

shared a tower with Wausau's 2 TV transmitters, on what was known as "Rib Mountain."

One morning, for some reason I needed to walk over to the channel 9 section of the building.

Seeing the relaxed op, feet on the desk, I called out "FCC inspector!"

He jumped a foot, apparently roused from a peaceful slumber.

A bit later, back at my own station, I was on the phone with the above engineer,

who suddenly ended the call saying, "I gotta go... the FCC is here."

"Yeah, sure," I thought, but just to eliminate all doubt, I verified.

There, parked just outside his door, was this black van, bristling with whips, loops, etc.

By the time the inspector got to my door, my operating log was up to date. :)

We did get gigged for having no EBS monitor on site (flagship station in Madison took care of that).

And my Swan 175 cover was off, potentially exposing high voltage (seen as a safety violation).

[W9JEF]

The recent 49-er/Packer game (the Polar Vortex Bowl)
reminds me of why I deserted my former Nineland stomping grounds.
On the c.1963 night of one particularly nasty playoff game in Green Bay,
some of the player's wives, mindful of the ravaging wind chill,
decided to gather at one of their homes, and listen on the radio.
(Back then, an NFL blackout of TV in the town of all home games.)

My transmitter watch shift happened to fall on that night.
So I get a phone call from one of the stay-at-home gals,
they're tuned in, but can hardly hear the station.
We're on 1440, and our Grand Forks, SD null
ran right through Lambeau Field, not far from the house
where the wives were trying to get the game.

Well, it could have been a sub-conscious moment of spasticity,
but the lever switch somehow got flipped, and although we
remained at our nighttime power of 500 watts, alas,
the pattern was switched to daytime (protecting KFIZ to the south).
On reflection, I'll bet there were some grateful wives that night. ;)
And some put-off folks in Grand Forks, wondering":wtf:?"

[kb2vxa]

Bad boy bad boy, wacha gonna do? Wacha gonna do when FCC comes for you? Once upon a time in South Plainfield, NJ at the now gone WERA transmitter site, a 500W directional N-S daytimer, the CE flipped the red switch up on the RCA BTA-1R and it was the one time the 4-400A finals glowed. The only time the getter coating on the anodes worked. I wonder if he knew if they don't glow the tubes get gassy. At least the 4-250s in the BTA-500R, all 4 of them glow and they alternate main and backup monthly.

[W9JEF]

Bad boy bad boy, wacha gonna do? Wacha gonna do when FCC comes for you? Once upon a time in South Plainfield, NJ at the now gone WERA transmitter site, a 500W directional N-S daytimer, the CE flipped the red switch up on the RCA BTA-1R and it was the one time the 4-400A finals glowed. The only time the getter coating on the anodes worked. I wonder if he knew if they don't glow the tubes get gassy. At least the 4-250s in the BTA-500R, all 4 of them glow and they alternate main and backup monthly.

http://hawkins.pair.com/atcitynj/atcity14b.jpg

[kb2vxa]

You found my avatar on AM Fone.

[W9JEF]

Way back in December of 1961, the Packers beat the Giants 37 to nothing,
to win their first NFL championship since 1939 (the year I was born).
The game's being played at "New City Stadium"--later to be renamed Lambeau Field.

I'm on weekend board duty at WDUZ (AM), spinning records
filling time between the obligatory quarter & half-hour recorded programs.
The stadium is sold out, no local TV blackout, so I can watch the game.
With 10 seconds left on the game clock, I punch up the "BULLETIN!" cart,
scooping every competing media in town. :)

The game ends in early evening, and a celebration erupts in the downtown streets.
About 7 or 8 pm, I get a call from UPI; they want to pay me $12 to record a "beeper"
for their audio news service. I open our 3rd floor window, and emote into the phone
about the goal posts being towed up the street; you can hear fireworks in the background.
I end my on-the scene-report with, "...there'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!"

The ratus illegitimi never sent me my twelve bucks. :(
Figuring compounded interest @ 6%, how much do they owe me after 52 years?

Now whenever the WDUZ jock was on mic, guys tooling around town,
going by our windows, HONK (and have it heard heard on the air).
For a while, I set a mic in the open window to catch the celebratory atmosphere,
but then the cops call because they're receiving complaints from the nearby
hotel and apartments, that the noise is keeping people awake. I remove the mic
and close the window, but the honking goes on through the night.

On weekends we run the hourly 5-minute "Speaking of Sports" with Howard Cosell.
He keeps bragging that the New York QB is going to change "Titletown" to (Y.A.) Tittletown.
After one such boast, I inform listeners of Howard's address (c/o ABC Radio Network).
He gets about 200 letters, but never apologizes for his affront to Green Bay fans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1961_NFL_Championship_Game

[kb2vxa]

And you have the NERVE to call UPI the ratus illegitimi after what you did to Howwwwaaard Cosmell? "That little monkey gets loose, doesn't he?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVScwog05Xw