1640KHz follow up
 

Today we had a chance to do some more RDF detection work.

The 1640KHz station that is rebroadcasting the Jackson KY NWS audio
stream
appears to be located near the South Western Corner of the "Blue Grass
Army Depot", located logically enough South of Richmond KY on US25.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/lexington.htm

There are plans to convert part of the base to into a park to mark the
historic
"Battle Of Richmond" during the war between the states.

I suspect that like the Camp Nelson National Cemetery just South of
Nicolasville KY along US27, there is a plan to us a "low power radio"
for self guided tours.

I have "" around low power because there is no way a 100mW signal can
travel the 25 miles or so from the BGAD to me!

From a distance of about 5 miles away, at 5 locations, the RDF bearing
is a single
well defined point using a DX398's internal ferrite loop. As one
approaches the
BGAD the signal becomes less directional raising the possibility that
"leaky" or slotted coax is being used as the antenna. There is a
overlook adjacent to the BGAD that is about 1 mile north of the
suspected transmitter location. We pulled
off there and I was able to get a very broad null.

From tests at the Winchester KY TIS on 1610KHz, I can be fairly
confident that
the DX398 is not being overloaded. At the Winchester 1610KHz site it
is possible to get very sharp nulls within a few hundred feet of the
antenna.

I plan on contacting the LBAD public affairs and the Madison County
deivision
of parks Monday to see if I can get any "official" word.

By way of comparison, Camp Nelson is running 100mW into 2000' of
slotted
coax and the signal can not be detected beyond a quarter mile from the
gates. There is an adjacent Jessamine County Park to commerate the
war between the states Union Army Base as Camp Nelson. It is very
difficult
to do more then pick up a carrier.

I suspect someone at either the BGAD or division of parks has no idea
how
to set their equipment up and are running way too much power. I asked
the
FCC Thursday and they have no pending applications for TIS anywhere in
KY.

Terry

1640KHz follow up
 

On Fri, 07 Sep 2007 16:03:25 -0700, r2000swler wrote:
I suspect someone at either the BGAD or division of parks has no idea
how
to set their equipment up and are running way too much power. I asked
the
FCC Thursday and they have no pending applications for TIS anywhere in
KY.

If the station is operated by an agency of the federal government (such as
the military...) it doesn't need a FCC license.

1640KHz follow up
 

On Sat, 08 Sep 2007 18:09:57 -0700, r2000swler wrote:
If the station is operated by an agency of the federal government (such as
the military...) it doesn't need a FCC license.

According to the FCC broadcast division, if the Feds want to operate a
station in the MW band, they are required to coordinate with the FCC.

Coordinate, yes. The FCC is likely aware of the station, but if it
belongs to the military it (probably) doesn't have a FCC license and won't
appear in most FCC databases.