"It is disappointing that the proposal a few years ago to allow more power for this got nowhere. Maybe a better approach would be to establish an operator licensing system modeled after ham radio or perhaps to allow anyone with an amateur radio license to use part of the AM band for hobby broadcasting. Good equipment operated by someone who knows what they are doing should not be a problem."
More power, even if it's just 4 times above 100mW or 4 times the field strength over 250uV, or more seems to work just fine in other countries. For some stripped screw-ed up reason, only within the USA and it's territories and possessions does a 250uV/m signal pose such a threat that airplanes will fall from the sky and 100mW will cause the atmosphere to burn away and cats and dogs share the same pet bed, birds and snakes hold daily meetings in a round table discussion format.
I too agree with a new class of AM radio service where either one of two approaches would work. The first is creating a new AM radio service where not special interest groups, but individuals can be granted a license whereas the applicant must demonstrate their knowledge and skill in radio theory, perhaps on the same levels as the Advanced Class ham license.
Or add the new MW radio class to the already existing Advanced Class and up licenses, or a combination of both approaches.
But the problem I see is that the Christmas tree is very small and before we know it, it will be overloaded with decorations (bureaucratic nit picking/special interest lobbying/waste/ridiculous restrictions) that would make the new MW radio service very much like the current LPFM joke. We don't need more senseless overblown regulations, we need more ability to turn this industry around which like everything else in this country's history, started at the grass roots level, not big corporate conglomerates.
But corporations are people too...at least that is what the going trend is right? Maybe if we eliminate that aspect, we can restore many things that need correcting!
Now this new MW class would be best to follow the TIS station model, with the exception of the idiotic 3khz bandwidth slam into a brick wall filtered audio spec. Let this new MW class operate with the current NRSC curve standard. C-QUAM optional. HD...Heck Da NO!!
Antenna 15 meters maximum height, over a ground radial system and topped of with a cap hat.
No regulation limiting the ability to generate revenue which in turn builds business which builds jobs which builds economies which builds confidence which builds purchasing power which builds even more jobs....like links in a chain.
Someone hand me a frigging rock so I can throw it at these so called "lawyers" who studied at fancy dancy universities where apparently...they didn't learn a damned thing otherwise this entire nation would be in a better position.
No over-burden rules with keeping USELESS public inspection files where NO ONE FROM THE PUBLIC EVER STEPS FOOT INTO A STATION AND ASKS TO SEE ALL THAT DEAD PAPERWEIGHT! What should be kept on file is the station's authorization, any parent/child license documentations, and an engineer's log where a record is kept regarding the maintenance and repairs and yearly proof check documents.
Of course then there is the aspect of selling airtime or having contests giving away stuff, records needed there too.
But such records need not be cluttering up the file cabinets and flash sticks with these records for no more than 2 yrs tops. The only things kept for good are the station's licenses, the engineering record, and any records where the station was involved with a political or local civil or local government program or event. (CYA purposes)
There are a lot of things to have considered in a proposal to open up a whole new MW service class. And no doubt most of those things will be brought up by, invented by, and pitched by the big corporate conglomerate one sound suits all to simply make life miserable..just like they did and lobbied for with the LPFM class. (shakes his head)
Anyone, ANYONE can apply for it. Special interest serves no one but those within the special interest group click...that does not include us "useless eaters" out here in the real world.
If certain issues are addressed and ironed out, then I think a new MW class radio service would be a huge step forward for the world of low power broadcasting and radio hobby in general.
RFB
Yay!
It would be nice to see a low powered license class for broadcasting - no frequency allocation, just allowing the ability to transmit where possible. It would also be relatively innocuous, particularly if it was on the AM band, which is rapidly losing active radio stations and listeners because of that. And the fact that it was licensed would also alleviate any concerns I would have of the Tom, Dick & Harry syndrome (i.e., anyone of that name, not knowing what they were doing, getting hold of a transmitter and tromping over any signals in their way).
"It would be nice to see a low powered license class for broadcasting - no frequency allocation, just allowing the ability to transmit where possible."
And it would create a new market for certified transmitters and manufacture of TIS style antenna arrays and ground radial systems, which would allow for some competition to the only player right now with TIS equipment, in turn creating those much needed jobs and help to the overall economy.
10 watts, 15 meter antenna w/top hat, over 20 or more ground radials. For over 20 years such systems have PROVEN to be reliable, dependable AND does NOT cause ANY interference issues or NAB's "skywave" terrorist flea power threat.
If there ever is another collective effort to getting something like this passed, it will take far more than just some group of radio enthusiasts with a popular name and pretty girl pictures all over their site. It will take ALL Part 15 radio operators, their audiences, and beyond them. It will take a real interest movement by a large large number of people all saying the same thing..."we want our radio back".
When it's just a few specific specialty groups, it's no wonder the bigger entities have easily swept those efforts under the rug and out of the way.
RFB