AM IBOC/HD Question

[cd637299]

Happy New Year to all.

I know that here in Miami, WQAM 560 is HD, and also an HD 2 or 3 on WPOW 96.5. This begs a question....

Is it still necessary then, to HAVE their AM in HD, since the FM already has it as a subchannel? ARE there any "AM only" HD receivers?

Seems like a waste of money to me.

Inquiring minds.

cd

[Robert Grant]

I guess in the case of WQAM, their signal goes far into the sea, so their AM could be heard by ships at sea far beyond the point where the Miami FMs are unreliable.

Then again, that says nothing for all the other stations who simulcast HD on two bands, like WWJ and WXYT here in Michigan.

I guess it's like simulcasting itself, it stops people using the frequencies to hear anything else.

[Mike-CT]

WTIC 1080 has HD plus WTIC is rebroadcast on WTIC-FM HD2 because WTIC has such lousy coverage just 20 miles from the transmitter. WTIC on the FM's HD2 will cover a much larger area than just the AM signal. This doesn't say much for WTIC's signal, especially at night, and it doesn't say much for WTIC's AM IBOC which I can just barely pick up on the Sony's loop antenna if I hold it in just the right place during the day. It's virtually impossible at night.

[cd637299]

I suppose it's a coverage issue then, but in reality, WQAM doesn't cover like it used to. There's now a Rebelde from Cuba wreaking havoc on WQAM.

In the early 80s WIOD got special FCC permission to run 10k to combat Cuba. I'm surprised WQAM hasn't applied or received permission to do same.

(As to paragraph 1, that may be an exaggeration----I actually very faintly caught WQAM's signal in the day in Bermuda!) :D

cd