[BC] WSM Tower

[Dana Puopolo]

The best overall AM antenna (I believe) is a half wave tower. Decent gain on
the horizon and no high angle radiation. Unfortunately, many half waves wind
up being more then they were designed to be, due to their girth...

-D

------ Original Message ------
Received: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:01:41 PM EDT
From: DHultsman5 at aol.com
To: broadcast at radiolists.net
Subject: Re: [BC] WSM Tower

 
In a message dated 9/26/2006 7:01:27 A.M. Central Standard Time,  
sbailey at nespower.com writes:

>  Give me a fat, 42 inch face tower any day. I will make that one  sound
good
> without much trepidation....or give me a Franklin like  650....but I
don't
> think that is likely anymore.
>
>  Gary Zocolo CE



***************************************
 
I believe this has already been mentioned,  the WSM tower is NOT a  Franklin,

it is slightly less than a 5/8 wavelength tower. Jack DeWitt designed  it 
originally as a 5/8 wave radiator for maximum ground wave signal.  One  of the

anomolies of the 5/8 wave is the amount of radiated signal that  is radiated
at 
a high angle.  This radiation can end up bouncing the signal  back into the 
primary ground wave coverage area.  He made measurements via  air after the 
installation and determined that he needed to shorten the towers  overall
length 
to reduce the high angle radiation signal.
 
The Franklin antennas are essentially a full wave antenna insulated and fed  
in the center of the tower. I have been in the tuning house of the WSM tower 
and  it is at the base of the tower not located in the middle.  Both WLW and 
WSM  are not Franklins.
 
Gary now that you are in Nashville, get together with Watt Hairston and get  
the tour of the site it is impressive and full of history.
 
 
Dave Hultsman
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