From: alexander@kronos.pharm.Virginia.EDU (Robert Alexander)
Subject: Re: How to Prepare For the Startup of an AM Radio Tower Nearby
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: University of Virginia
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 13:17:12 GMT



In article <1992Dec31.052501.25429@gagme.chi.il.us> jrg@bertha.att.com (J.
Goldstein) writes:
>My parents and their neighbors were unable to block a radio station's
>request for zoning exception in Germantown, Maryland.

This already sounds like a witchhunt by a bunch of NIMBY
types.  Lets be sure to look for a problem so we can jump up
and down and scream at the FEDS to come to our rescue.


  The result is
>four very high towers

You don't know how tall? How many? How much power?

>don't know the broadcast power, though.)
>
>Can anyone suggest any measurements, recordings, or other things that
>should be done now, before broadcasting starts, that will help if we
>need to later complain to the FCC about interference, bad phone noise,
               ^^^^^^^^
               This is it !!!


>etc.?  If there are any firms that specialize in this type of
>measurment, their names or numbers would be appreciated.
>
First off there is nothing there to measure at the present
time. Unless you want to measure the ABSENCE of a signal.
You might even record the fact that there is presently
static on that frequency. Yes there are firms that
specialize in doing measurements on AM antenna patterns.
They are call Broadcast consultants and they normally
charge a station anywhere from 15 to 25 thousand dollars to
do a proof f the pattern to make sure it complies with the
design and directional characteristics set forward in the
licence and construction permit that was issued by the FCC.

If the work is done properly according to the design...and
the FCC grants the station a licence to operate said
station...Your parents and their neighbors will be up ye old
poverbial SHITS CREEK if they intend on doing anthing about
the towers being there.

Another point..If the station is properly built...you will
notencounter any interference and if you do ...there are
remedies that do not involve contacting the Commission. If
your parents house is within 1/2 mile of the antenna site
and they encounter any such interference...it is the
responsibility of the licencee to rectify the problem. If
they live further away...it is their problem and the station
can legaly thumb their nose at you. Altho I've rarely seen
an engineer of a radio station that was unwilling to help
solve those kinds of problems.  If you threaten the engineer
and give him a big pile of crap over a problem...he just
might tend to ignore you.

The biggest problem with interference that I have
encountered over the years is one involving cheap telephones
with no RFI protection. Phones with alot of bells and
whistles that you bought for 50 bucks from K-Mart will be
the biggest offenders. Any competent tech can solve these
kinds of problems..

>FYI, my parents and neighbors aren't suffering too much from the NIMBY
>syndrome, they just don't like the way the site was picked --

AM tower locations have little choice about where they can
be located and still work.  My guess the radio station spent
several thousand dollars doing a site study prior to picking
the site. If they had asked your parent to pick a place
...I'm sure they would have placed it behind a mountain
where it wouldn't be seen.

>rezoning wasn't well publicized, with the required information sign
>being positioned well back from the road.  Furthermore, the sign only
>vaguely mentioned construction of a tower, which the majority of
>people assumed meant yet another power company microwave tower, of
>which there is already one in a nearby sub-station.  When the locals
>finally realized what was happening, they didn't have much time to
>prepare a case for the final zoning review board.  Naturally, the
>radio station had a slew of well-qualified lawyers, etc specializing
>in radio tower/FCC matters, versus the attorney that the local home
>owners had hired out of their own pockets.


I'm not going to jump all over this like my gut reaction
wants me to do. I'm sure if the property was REZONED as you
say...that sufficiant notice was given and it had to go
through several readings and public comment before the local
government passed such an ordinance.  I wasn't aware that a
SIGN had to be posted at the sight of a proposed rezoneing.
Most of the time that is posted in the local newspaper and
when it comes before the local gov...it is published in the
minutes of the meeting and well as the newspaper listing the
agenda for the local govs meeting.

 A slew of well-qualified lawyers....hahahahahahahaha. You
are not making many points with me here. A lawyer is a lawyer
and for the purposes of building a tower on a piece of
property you want a REAL ESTATE atty or one that specializes
in city or corporate law. They may have had a design
engeneer there to represent the structural integrity of the
towers and maybe a Broadcast engineer there to quantify the
fact that there will be no interference to the neighborhood.
But an FFC atty that is into towers....gimme a break.!!

I have built 5 different AM arrays with the help of the
proper consultants, attys, and tower people. I have yet to
encounter any interference except one cheap ass panasonic
phone that was wired in reverse polarity and had absoultley
no RFI protection buit into its circuitry. Right now I have
a 1000 w full timer sitting in the middle of a neighborhood
with houses on all for sides...all within 100 yards of the
stick (one of them even has the ground plane running through
it's yard) and NOBODY !!!! has ANY PROBLEMS !!!


>Any information or advice would be appreciated.  

 ADVISE-----QUIT SWEATIN IT..!!

If you have a problem...be nice to the Chief Engineer of the
station and he (or she) will solve you problems with a
smile.>

>
>Jamie Goldstein   AT&T Bell Labs / Federal Systems Advanced Technology
>(301)369-7845     j.r.goldstein@att.com
> 
>


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