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Post by jimhenry2000 on Dec 15, 2017 6:25:11 GMT
My apologies if I asked this last year, but is it normal to expect better range in the winter? After our first snowfall a week ago I drove around to see if there were any changes to my coverage area. There was not, the best I could tell. However today I repeated the exercise and noticed considerably better coverage, at least an extra 1/4 mile, possibly a little more. We did have more snow last night but there is no more snow on the ground as the first snowfall melted. Yes there are less tree leaves than in summer but that was the same last week. I am wondering if it might be due to the first snowfall melting into the ground improving ground conductivity but we have plenty of rain all year, so I am thinking it might be due to different atmospheric conditions?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2017 12:06:33 GMT
Possibility Based On Guesswork
The colder temperatures may do something by causing the metalwork in the antenna and groundwires to "constrict" (if that's the right word for shrink slightly), but that would de-tune the transmitter a bit.
Snow on the ground might not improve your ground system if the ground underneath the snow is essentially dry, but melting would leach into the ground and improve your bonding with the earth thus improving performance.
I remember that dry earth reduced my carrier current transmission, which was dependent in part on a ground rod, and when it rained heavily the signal range went way up.
There may be a lot more to it than I know about.
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Post by Boomer on Dec 16, 2017 0:19:47 GMT
I'm in a low ground conductivity area, and there's surely an improvement in the station's range in the winter. I notice other AM broadcasters getting stronger as well, making it more pleasurable to listen to AM in the winter. I think the range increase is caused by better ground conduction, and lower atmospheric noise in this season.
I'd check your carrier current hookup Carl, from what I've experienced, your signal or range shouldn't change that much from wet to dry ground. If it does, that indicates something abnormal that should probably be checked out.
Boomer
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2017 1:43:23 GMT
Abnormal Checkout Meter
Boomer advises: "Something abnormal that should probably be checked out"
How do I look for something abnormal?
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Post by Boomer on Dec 16, 2017 6:42:03 GMT
Abbie Normal, from Young Fronkenstein.
Well, I'd read literature from LPB to start, that gives a good base in how a signal can be coupled. Then go to a site called K-rocks Online by RF Burns, I think he's the operator.. That has some practical info on hooking a system up at home, versus a school building, it's mostly pretty good info.
The first thing I'd check would be your ground connection, whether you ground to the electrical ground or a separate ground. I'd suspect there's not enough ground contact or not a good connection to it, since rain will improve it so much. If you have a deep ground already, surface water shouldn't affect it so much.
Boomer
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2017 16:02:02 GMT
Getting To Know Your Ground
Boomer advisory: "If you have a deep ground already, surface water shouldn't affect it so much."
KDX has its own 8-foot ground rod driven into the earth 1-foot out from the foundation wall and about 2.5-feet from the electric service ground. Therefore on the building side of the ground there is not as much earth as on the other 3 sides. Maybe it should be farther away from the building?
The wire that connects from the indoor coupler to the ground rod is very thick copper and approximately 4-feet in length.
The time I was talking about the ground got extra dry because it hadn't rained for months.
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Post by thelegacy on Dec 16, 2017 22:08:53 GMT
Winter Vs Summer On AM!!
AM is effected by water quite a bit. And contrary to what some believe AM has some effect from tree leaves. The effect on FM however is far greater than AM however it does seem to effect A a little.
On other forums whereas its legal for more power on FM I hear stories that in the winter time folks seem to almost double their Range on FM in the winter. A station that only gets 1 1/4 miles in the summer may experience 3 miles of clear coverage. For AM however skip can effect the performance. Best of luck.
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Post by mighty1650 on Dec 18, 2017 15:25:57 GMT
The soil holds more moisture in the wintertime which helps bump up the conductivity a bit. In your case the soil had been dry and the snow had a chance to melt and saturate the soil. Trees and their leaves in the near field certainly make a difference as well, past a certain point though the MW signal just ignores Trees.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2017 23:17:11 GMT
Nothing Noticeable
Most of the U.S. has been and will continue to be the grip of an intense cold wave, and I've been listening to AM and FM looking for unusual propagation events.
Everything has been exactly like its been all year, hot or cold.
In fact the AM band seems a little subdued compared to better receptions in the far past.
FM is plain usual with nothing out of the ordinary.
Nothing to say about shortwave, I might check it out over the holiday.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Dec 29, 2017 3:34:55 GMT
The down side of the winter range increase is that my signal starts getting stepped on by a Montreal station by 3 PM or earlier, even though that's about 2 hours before susnset.
Another thing I have noticed, not related to seasonal, is this. As I've mentioned before, my home is about 160 feet above the street, which helps my range. What I haven't mentioned before, is that the Brandywine river runs parallel to my street. My street is u-shaped, and about 1 1/4 miles in either direction from my home the road turns and crosses over the river on a bridge at each end. Even though the signal has already dropped out by then, when I go over either of the bridges (and thus the river) my signal comes back strong. Does anyone think the river is carrying the signal? I also have good coverage on the main highway that parallels the river on the other side.
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Post by Boomer on Dec 29, 2017 8:04:15 GMT
Cool about the river, I haven't noticed much change over a river here, though if had salt water in it I could see an increase. It could be that the bridge itself is acting like a giant loop antenna and concentrating the signal, which your antenna then picks up.
I think 1610 is in Toronto that you're likely hearing in Pennsylvania, there is Montreal using 1610, but it is lower power. It might be the station that was on 1600 in by Niagara Falls long ago that moved?
They sure have an advantage with the frequency, since the US hasn't licensed broadcast stations on 1610, seemingly due to the large number of low power stations on the frequency, like school and travelers aid stations on the frequency, which also goes for 530 khz as well, another frequency that Canada uses on a low power basis, along with some medium power signals.
Boomer
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Post by mighty1650 on Jan 3, 2018 16:43:52 GMT
At one time Jimmy Swaggart had a CP for a station on 1610 in Atlanta, TX.
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Jan 3, 2018 18:11:31 GMT
Getting To Know Your GroundCarl asks: "Maybe it should be farther away from the building?"Keith Hamilton coaches: " Avoid Placing your ground rod to close to your house or building. The ground rod needs to be in good dirt away from the sand/gravel foundation fill of the structure. You can place the ground rod 10-20 feet away from the building and bury the wire (preferably un insulated) a few inches below the ground. What works well is to use a flat blade shovel to create a "trench" the the wire can be laid into. Just insert the shovel into the dirt a few inches and rock it back and forth creating a trench. This way the wire can be installed without digging. Two ground rods, a 4 foot right at the building for anchor and lightning protection drain with another 8 foot rod 10-20 feet away into the yard for performance can be a good system. The rod that is in the yard can be totally buried so it doesn't interfere with traffic, lawn mowing, ect. Remember, all connections must be soldered, or bright and shiny and the tightly clamped. What you are doing is making an electrical connection with the earth, the more copper / dirt contact the better. The wire coming from the transmitter needs to be locked down (mounted) so that it doesn't move. The most common range problem is with the ground, either a bad connection, or the ground isn't good. If the ground rod has been put into sand or gravel that will result in bad performance. You want the ground rod into good loamy soil, real dirt, the moister the better."
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Jan 3, 2018 18:15:16 GMT
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jan 4, 2018 1:51:46 GMT
That's a good tip. I hadn't read that before but I ended up with something similar. My transmitter is about 50 feet from my home and that is where my ground rod is but I could only get it about 6 feet into the ground as unfortunately the soil is very rocky. All my ground radials home back to an AWG#6 copper ring that is connected to this rod, and all are soldered. However I also have a line running from this ground to another 8 ft. ground rod about 6 ft. from my home that was installed to ground my 25 kw propane backup generator. That one is about 7.5 ft. into the ground (wish I knew how they got it that deep). My original house ground is on the opposite side of the home so it wasn't possible to run a ground from the transmitter to that but I'm sure they are electrically connected. When the weather breaks I am going to put even more emphasis on my grounding system, adding more radials and making sure the existing ones are still all intact . Now I just wish the ground conductivity here was better... Getting To Know Your GroundCarl asks: "Maybe it should be farther away from the building?"Keith Hamilton coaches: " Avoid Placing your ground rod to close to your house or building. The ground rod needs to be in good dirt away from the sand/gravel foundation fill of the structure. You can place the ground rod 10-20 feet away from the building and bury the wire (preferably un insulated) a few inches below the ground. What works well is to use a flat blade shovel to create a "trench" the the wire can be laid into. Just insert the shovel into the dirt a few inches and rock it back and forth creating a trench. This way the wire can be installed without digging. Two ground rods, a 4 foot right at the building for anchor and lightning protection drain with another 8 foot rod 10-20 feet away into the yard for performance can be a good system. The rod that is in the yard can be totally buried so it doesn't interfere with traffic, lawn mowing, ect. Remember, all connections must be soldered, or bright and shiny and the tightly clamped. What you are doing is making an electrical connection with the earth, the more copper / dirt contact the better. The wire coming from the transmitter needs to be locked down (mounted) so that it doesn't move. The most common range problem is with the ground, either a bad connection, or the ground isn't good. If the ground rod has been put into sand or gravel that will result in bad performance. You want the ground rod into good loamy soil, real dirt, the moister the better."
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