[BC] WCBS dumps IBOC, returns to "High Definition" AM

[Mark Humphrey]

On 6/29/06, Rich Wood <richwood at pobox.com> wrote:

> It seems some people don't understand that turning off the analog is
> the equivalent of shutting the station down.

The widespread storms we had in this region last weekend gave me a
good opportunity to test AM digital performance with "static crashes"
in the background.

While tuned to WIP, the only Philadelphia IBOC station that can be
received in digital mode here (on a good day) my JVC receiver switched
back to analog for several seconds after each occasional distant
lightning strike.  And when the storms came within 20 miles, the
receiver stayed in analog mode for over 30 minutes.  Yes, the crashes
in analog mode were annoying, but at least I could hear the
programming, whereas an all-digital signal would have muted.
According to the V-Soft "zipcode" website, WIP's predicted field
strength here is about 6 mV/m, better than "city grade" based on M3
conductivity.

I've already mentioned the system's susceptibility to powerline noise,
which will take a major effort by utility companies to clean up.
Let's face it --the AM band is a noisy environment, and much of it is
spikey impulse noise, rather than the "white" variety.  Other than
finding VHF spectrum for these stations, what's the recommended fix?
DRM may not work any better down there.

Mark