[BC] Changing channels

[RSTYPE@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/23/2006 11:52:00 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
dynotherm at earthlink.net writes:
> Directional Class C's are a dying breed, as the FCC won't 
> authorize them any more.

Was this something required in a few cases during the first 
blanket increase from 250 W to 1 kW daytime for the (then)
Class IV's?


Phil Alexander, CSRE, AMD

Although it was before my time, I'm pretty certain that this was the case.  
As I recall, there were a few cases where the stations were too close together 
and couldn't meet the public interest criteria used at the time to justify the 
increased interference which would result from a daytime nondirectional power 
increase.  The rules were subsequently changed, however, to permit such a 
nondirectional daytime blanket increase without regard to increase in most cases. 
 These rules continue to this date as 73.37(b) and (c), permitting a Class C 
station which can document compliance with the contour overlap requirements 
with 250 watts nondirectionsl (only to other Class C stations) to operate 
nondirectionally with 1000 watts.  During the periods when directional antennas were 
authorized on these channels, it was necessary to document that 250 watt 
nondirectional operation would meet the applicable protection requirements, even 
if the actual pattern nulls were somewhat tighter to permit the pattern to be 
adequately suppressed over the required arcs toward other stations.

Roy Stype