Terry
Silver Level Member
Posts: 488
Usual Listening Area: east Murray
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Post by Terry on Apr 30, 2019 11:30:06 GMT -6
1640 has been off for several days now. The K-Talk Media Facebook page says their tower was hit by lightning.
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Post by David on Apr 30, 2019 17:58:12 GMT -6
Seems odd that the lightning strike hasn't knocked KKAT-AM 860 off the air as well. Unless something's changed recently, KBJA's signal is diplexed off of KKAT's tower.
K-TALK's redesigned web page is kind of a mess. They have photos of Mike Gallagher and Dennis Prager on their "Hosts" page, but their shows aren't listed on KBJA's schedule, and the Gallagher and Prager links go nowhere. Weird!
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Post by CAwasinNJ on May 1, 2019 2:34:49 GMT -6
It doesn't seem odd to me at all. Presumably the tower itself is still standing. Electricity is always going to follow the path of least resistance to ground. The grounding could possibly be equal in multiple paths but it certainly doesn't have to be. If that path went through KBJA's signal path but not KKAT's it could easily damage one but not the other. It also stands to reason that a very large national company like Cumulus could afford more robust equipment and better lightning protection than a small company like United.
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Post by David on May 3, 2019 22:58:31 GMT -6
KBJA is still silent as of 11 PM Friday 5/3. No word on the station's Facebook or web pages about when they expect to be back on the air. I'm hearing KDIA in Vallejo, CA most nights on 1640 since KBJA got knocked off the air. Thought I heard KZLS in Enid, OK a couple nights ago, but I didn't get a positive ID.
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Post by radiowyoming on May 4, 2019 11:49:25 GMT -6
I can hear 1640 and 860 here in Laramie at sunrise/sunset.
I can hazard a guess here... 860 KKAT is using the actual towers themselves and KBJA is using a skirt/unipole thing.. which is more susceptible and finicky when things get zapped..... plus, we dont know what transmitter either station is using or what protections are in place.
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Post by David on May 15, 2019 18:46:26 GMT -6
1640 has been off for several days now. The K-Talk Media Facebook page says their tower was hit by lightning. An update was posted on the station's Facebook page earlier today. Both the main AND backup transmitters were damaged by the lightning strike last month--OUCH! Is there such a thing as insurance for broadcasting equipment? The repairs aren't going to be cheap if United Broadcasting has to foot 100% of the bill.
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Post by CAwasinNJ on May 16, 2019 0:48:15 GMT -6
I'm sure there is that type of insurance but whether they had a policy we may never know.
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Post by David on May 18, 2019 9:17:48 GMT -6
KBJA is finally back on the air. Their signal seems weaker than it was prior to the lightning strike, at least at my location in NE Ogden.
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Post by kenglish on May 18, 2019 9:56:23 GMT -6
They are back on at 1 KW, using their backup transmitter. The 5 KW rig is still down.
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Post by David on May 18, 2019 12:16:17 GMT -6
They are back on at 1 KW, using their backup transmitter. The 5 KW rig is still down. I thought their main transmitter's output was 10 KW-that's what K-TALK's promos were boasting before the switch from 630 to 1640. Has the station reduced their daytime power recently?
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Post by kenglish on May 20, 2019 10:12:54 GMT -6
I meant to say 10 KW, but my mind was on nightime mode. Expanded Band stations are almost all 10 KW day, 1 KW night, omni.
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Post by David on May 20, 2019 15:48:18 GMT -6
Thanks for the clarification. As far as I know, the only X band station that doesn't broadcast with 10 KW days and 1 KW nights is 1700 KVNS in Brownsville, TX; presumably because of their transmitter's close proximity to the US/Mexico border. KVNS is 8.8 KW days and 800 watts nights.
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Post by radiowyoming on May 20, 2019 20:52:11 GMT -6
I meant to say 10 KW, but my mind was on nightime mode. Expanded Band stations are almost all 10 KW day, 1 KW night, omni. KHPY 1670 Moreno Valey/Riverside, CA is 10kw day/3 towers, 9kw night/3 towers and WWRU Jersey City, NJ is 10kw/2 towers day, 10kw/4 towers nights
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Post by amanuensis on May 21, 2019 10:05:23 GMT -6
The main purpose of having more than one tower is to direct where the signal goes, right?
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Post by CAwasinNJ on May 23, 2019 4:23:21 GMT -6
Multiple towers creates a directional array, yes.
There are actually quite a few stations that are exceptions to the 10kw day/1kw night rule. I don't think KVNS is protecting Mexico. KKLF is more likely.
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