From BillyBurg

AMRL – True that restoration to the original circuitry would probably retain type acceptance. But installing a filter to eliminate spurs created by the mods (a “patch to a patch”) drastically alters the design enough to put certification in jeopardy.

If The Man With The Payin’ Paper shows up, we got some ‘splainin’ to do.

If the previous owner of these units was the one who did the mods, it may be possible he/she still has schematics or photos available. I’d give them a ringy-dingy.

In the absence of a decent spectrum analyzer, an inexpensive garden-variety SDR that covers 300 kHz-30 MHz will do well to sniff out spurs. But if you can’t undo the mods done by the…[Read more]

Rich  – – –  Great coverage map. Where do I find those?

I’ve dealt with the quick-n-dirty maps provided by Radio-Locator, but this one’s got some real pepper sauce going on. How can I find the site that has them?

The most I would use it for would be a studio clock (https://www.broadcastradio.com/smartsign#Navigator)

Definitely not for music or airplay, because the PWM audio output sounds horrible. But mostly because I would not want to trust my on-air signal to a $35 computer.

A-aa-aa-and there’s a minute of my life I’m never getting back.

TL:DR – – Don’t be a dick. Get along.

I am remaining impartial, as I am a member in good standing of many broadcast forums and only want for everyone to play fair, including myself, and glean as much information as able from all resources. So to that end, we all really need to tuck in our dewlaps (look it up) and work it out.

Artisan, you…[Read more]

Worldline in Canada offers ten complementary web-based email accounts for every customer, even with their bottom-of-the-barrel $40 6Mbps plan.  How is it they didn’t provide you with any? I would be on the phone with them before lunchtime demanding they set you up with at least one.

For that matter, customer ratings for Worldline are quite…[Read more]

Digging down into HB’s Terms of Use, the administrator suggests: “use an email account provided to you by your internet service provider.” Have you tried that? It would be something like:   {your_unique_name}@verizon.com    and your ISP already gave it to you for free when you signed on.

Other than the unbearable agony of three extra taps of the…[Read more]

Timinbovey asked: At what point do you consider [AM radio] dead?

Years ago, a writer for Radio World said, “When they stop building receivers for the AM band.” And when you think about it, he is correct.

VHS VCRs were not considered officially dead until the last deck rolled off the assembly line. Same goes for single-disc CD-only players, cart…[Read more]

You’ve got that drive backed up, right?

Digital AM doesn’t necessarily mean the public is obligated to throw away their analog radios on the first of the year. If they like what you do and the MW BC band is not reallocated for some other purpose, they may well keep their receivers.

The other half of the equation – as I said a few months back – is that digital receivers have to be…[Read more]

Changing the playing field in terms of legal matters won’t result in many changes to reality. The cost of electricity to run the plant will still be high; as will maintenance of a tower or towers (and the land therein), technical compliance, salaries, software and music licenses etc.  We’ve got it knocked, in that our “towers” are cut-down…[Read more]

Better and cheaper: Point your listeners to your website where they can find a link on how to make their own out of wire and a cornflakes box.

Those commercial loops are not cheap — The Terk Advantage is $50. Most people’s radios don’t cost that much.

Are you doing gun-and-run field interviews, or full sit-down table talks?

If the former, use your smartphone. You already paid for it, the audio recorder app is generally free, and even with the onboard mic the audio is formidable.

I’m writing from a capital city, and there isn’t one radio newsperson here using anything other than their phone.

After 55 years of operation I would have suspected the bias resistors. Since you dug as deeply as you did to uncover a funky solder joint, I’m going to say you got it all.

Hmmm, perfect timing.

Only a moment ago, I received the RadioWorld supplement “What’s Ahead for All-Digital AM?” in my email box.  My quick read seems to suggest that, other than the audible and technical advantages, only manufacturers are the ones most interested in the conversion. The AM Radio Preservation Alliance had no comment, and no less…[Read more]

It has been said before and it needs to be said again: Until they can make a proper receiver at a tolerable price, no one is going to go for it.

TV’s digital conversion made sense: it happened over a number of years; tests showed it was viable and actually desirable on the part of the consumer (once it became affordable); the government footed…[Read more]

I don’t think this would be helpful to you. Most of your power would just beam into the Chesapeake Bay.

You might skim a tiny bit of the Northern Neck, but the majority of your signal would just keep the oysters warm.

Sorry, Deltaville.  I had my map reader in the wrong town.