[BC] More important: the Nighttime Answer

[Dave]

> >What, actually, are the available options for remediation
> >of AM interference problems that may arise? (1) Not run
> >HD at all, (2) perhaps run it with reduced sideband level,
> >(3) re-align the DA (seems really unlikely) to suppress
> >signal towards the interference victim, (4) change power level
> >(seems as unlikely as 3).
>
> The only other option is to endure the interference - highly
> unlikely. Imagine every AM station in the country running IBUZ 24/7.
> I've heard it in two instances (WBZ blots out KDKA, WOR blots out WLW
> here in Western MA between 4-6PM EST). Others report hearing either
> noise or stations wiped off the dial until 6pm.
>
> >If there is talk of being able to correct interference problems,
> >it would be useful to have some idea of a plan of attack
> >that is do-able. What can be done that I can't think of here?

Yeah......I've been thinking about this for a while. Ever since the line of
thought "quitcher bitchin, and find a way to make it work..it's what we
have" popped up. So what actually CAN be done? From a realistic engineering
standpoint, what can be done "to make it work"? There are a bunch of you
guys out there that know a LOT about IBOC and it's practical as well as
theoretical applications! I'm not one of them though. What are the
electrical/hardware options? A generalized list, please.

> That's what engineers are for. Why would you not realign the array if
> you're causing interference?

And align it....where? At which azimuth do we point the nulls/minimums? Move
interference from A to b? ("A or b" being decided upon by distance, market
size, what)?

> What would you do if you owned a station
> that could no longer be heard in your own market because of adjacent
> IBUZ? Sign off?

Spend the $$$ to go to 10, 25, 50kW? Buy IBOC gear that no one yet can hear?
What?

> It can't be used at night. Everyone understands there's a problem. As
> a listener what would you do if that clean sound suddenly turned to
> mud?

I am a listener, and I'm on the road 300-700 miles per week, nearly every
week. I listen to radio. If it "goes away", I can see adding HF mobile to my
vehicle(s). Covers shortwave, amateur radio and CB, get the best of all
worlds. I'm certainly not going to take the OEM radios out of my Jeeps and
replace them with $700 difficult-to-use whatzits, installed by moe, larry
and curly. I can just turn the radio off, and buy tapes from Cracker Barrel
and listen to gunsmoke again. That's what got me interested in this business
in the first place 45+ years ago.

Really, I have no clue what can be done. I know what should have been done,
but then I'm not the king, so it doesn't matter what I think. But I truly do
want to know what the answer is going to look like. At least one of you guys
out there knows. Let me (us) in on it, please.

Dave Dunsmoor