Wrath of Kahn
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wrathofkahn.org:Where the Truth Comes First
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FRIENDS OF WRATH 12/31/2007
HAPPY NEW YEAR
But what a challenging year... 2007 started with only a handful of true friends, including the best group of KCI veterans and a few really, really loyal true Cam-DTM engineering believers and almost no one believed that a complex legal case that was already thrown out of the NY Federal District Court could ever get the Court of Appeals in NY to spend real time on it as it was so overloaded with 9/11/01 cases and Guantanamo Bay and all that corruption on Wall Street... But then just in November the FCC lawyers and engineering "buerats" ... I always have trouble spelling that word... Really, really stuck their foot in it... And accepted my challenge and forced iBOC AM stations to go on at night...
And then the rational iBOC stations, led by ABC turned the darn thing off... Even NPR stations that are paid not only to install iBOC but are paid to promote, "propagandize" it, turned it off... This includes the mighty bunch of NYC stations... WABC, WCBS, WNYC, WADO (biggest Spanish and a former KCI PS station) and WFAN... BUT not the biggest butt in NYC, WOR thanks to its engineer, who always is so helpful.... now reminding people all over the East Coast just how bad iBOC +/- 30 kHz from 710 kHz is and how it decimates WOR's own reception, even in nearby Hartford
And then came the wonderful turn around in the Courts... Notice how quiet RW and even M Street is and how about that WSJ... That great defender of the First Amendment... Free press that somehow always protects the big lobbyists... NOT A WORD about the major Court action not a word about the engineering iBOC Disaster... So how come KCI enjoyed the slow but sure advance of Cam-D... Well just a handful of smart guys who knew over double their coverage would at least double the value of their stations. Sure enough Cam-D grew greatly in '07...
Unfortunately, probably the smartest such broadcast operator, Mr. Otto Miller died, at just 59 years old. Otto kept buying stations with highly leveraged money all over the USA... each time in a larger market... The only thing wrong with Otto was he was most intense in his negotiations... made me sound like I was gentle... And two weeks after I warned him that he was getting worse and he promised he would calm down, Otto dropped dead during a very nasty conversation with a lady who loved him... Otto was a good looker... and didn't realize ladies didn't mean to hurt him. That last conversation I had was to finalize the Cam-D deal and No he could not get "at least some discount" for a new Cam-D Box... a doggy station that would now cover Mew York City, even at night... Anyway, we expect to finally get into the Big Apple in '08... So those ad agencies will hear how great Ancient Modulation can really sound like. Cam-D isn't always reliable. A ConfessionLet me share with you a FAX but all names, etc. are deleted to protect the Innocent...
"HI Engineer Friend: Re our FAXes and phone conversations, I would like to make a proposition... But first let me state what I believed happened... First of all, I understand that the Cam-D unit gave you a dramatic improvement... and I remember the Boss (station owner) saying it doubled the value of his station... and now you are louder than the 50 kwatter, even at night and even though the big guy has a much better frequency.
But, recently you heard severe noise, so bad the PR ordered you to yank Cam-D off the air... And then the irate listeners called saying; You killed our station... Fix It immediately!!! So you ran out to the Xmtr shack and everything looked & sounded OK, but Just when you were leaving you heard a noise, not from the Monitor but from the Cam-D Box... And then you found the problem.
And you saw those two beady eyes staring at you when you tried to check the cables going into the Cam-D Box... a MOUSE.., KCI is not equipped to handle such problems... being city folks...
Accordingly, KCI Is returning your unit unopened. You must dispose of it. This is a very serious matter as the unit has a meter on it and power supplies and all stuff that any 12 year old kid ham would die for... It is what lawyers call an attractive nuisance and therefore you must get someone authorized to dispose of it... IMPORTANT.
But in any case, I will not permit my employee/friends to work on equipment if it was so exposed.. So we are sending it back... We will take the loss, but only for this one time. I assume you are insured for such problems, but you cannot return the unit so that the insurer can salvage it, as Cam-D is protected by Trade Secret Law, and as I told you in my opinion, the new Federal Law makes it a felony crime to violate Trade Secret Law and I believe your attorney will tell you Microsoft used all its political power to make it a really, really tough law.
Great News for Stations Never "Moused"
Now let me tell you the good news... For $4,050 you can buy a mouse resistant, water resistant, lightning resistant, and theft resistant transmitter building... And since we will never fix "moused" Cam-D Boxes, if you folks want to continue to, at least double your coverage spend the $4050... Maybe less if the supplier in your town overstocked these steel shipping containers (20 x 8' x 9' 6) with big doors and sealed power and audio inputs and an antenna output), the price can be lower. And then your station is safer for the transmitter and for you if you use a good lock on the building and you have a sensor that allows you to catch copper crooks mining your ground system. Is this a KCI innovation? NO. Tim Cutforth has been doing similar stunts for years and a great Lady GM... Non-Engineer asked me years ago why it wouldn't work and I fell in love with her beautiful brain and they said she was a beauty even though I never met her.
Get Ready FCC... Leonard is Coming BackEven though we cannot share the R&D Engineering credit we are getting the legal credit, as we are filing a Rule Making requiring all AM & FM and TV & Satellite stations to spend a few thousand dollars to protect the Public Interest in the Rodent With Sharp Teeth War (RWSTW) and lightning, etc. as a price for being even a part time unattended station... and also have toilet facilities because engineers should be at least taken care of as well as mice and also since all Xmtrs are more reliable when the temperature is regulated... I know this sounds like I have joined the Liberal Party, but we think it is only good business to provide a healthy and comfortable workplace at KCI. So that is my Petition for Rulemaking... And I expect Wrath Engineers and most importantly, Owners, to support it if the FCC Issues a Docket Number.. That's an insider legal joke... the biggest FCC joke, ever... since 1934. Anyway HAPPY NEW YEAR.
That is the way good old, Happy '08 Leonard sees it and, I, Leonard R. Kahn truly believe the above stated facts and opinions are accurate and are not meant to mislead.
Response to Michigan radio and TV Buzz board RE: Night operations of iBiquity digital stations in Midwest 9-22-07, by: Old AMer
I read with great interest all your many comments about the moderate to severe interference from the night time ops of various IBOCdigital AM stations, now approved, (with conditions), by the FCC.
For me it is a sad day, (and night), as I hear much ofthe same noises and severe "buzz saws" here in South Florida that youare experiencing in theNorth end Midwest part of the country,
Day or night I have been very disappointed with the iBiquity AM digital signals here locally as well. First and foremost, is of course, the severe adjacent and co-channel interference issue. However, in addition to that, the general audio quality of the two local Miamistations running the current, "popular"System well, just stinks! To say this audio is "as good as current FM," is wishful thinking at best. I maintain five FM stations here in South Florida and critique My own, and several others here in the Miami area, and I can tell you our analog FMs sound far superior to the local digital AMs, I Was even in Chicago recently and my old home favorite, WGN, sounded just as poor in digital as my local Miami stations.
Plus, when driving, even in the main coverage area through the Miami area, the signals fade out and in, often. When driving near, or under power lines and bridges, the digital AM signal fades back and forth between analog and digital so much, it seems pointless to promote that these systems will hold up under any kind of signal degradation from man-made terrain effects! The radios just switch back to analog, and you experience the same problems of man-made terrestrial interference we always have with AM radio.
I have found the solution for AM radio. I wish more of us could get on the bandwagon. I have installed two, and assisted with the installation of a third, Kahn CAM-D digital AM system in the past year, and I must say, it Works!! The CAM-D systems perform fantastic. First, theCAM-D provides a "REDUCTION" in the adjacent and co-channel interference over Current transmission system, and far below that caused by the iBiquity system! In addition, the digital AM sound is superior to the popular system, the Cam-D actually sounds like "CD quality". The, audio is clean, with no notable distortions and hash associated with theother brand of system. In addition, the Cam-D system improves the overall signal coverage of the analog signal somuch, (through a superior Modulation concept), that it is an instant benefit to the stations operating with it "today", not five years from now when, "maybe", there will be enough digital radios on the road for stations to benefit from it financially. In addition, the Cam-D system does not have the fade problems in moderate signal areas that I experience with the other IBOC system, (due, I believe, to the exceptionally good modulation scheme).
In short, the Kahn Cam-D digital AM transmission system is far Superior to what is being "pushed on us" by big Money, and politics to boot!!
If you get a chance to listen to a station broadcasting with the CAM-D system, give a serious critique; I believe you will agree, it is far superior to what is currently being shoved into our ears. I also suggest you check out Kahn's web site for the latest info: www.wrathofkahn.org.
Wrath 9/14/07 Digital Audio Broadcasting
To reach your Congressman or Senator in Washington, call 202-224-3121.
As you may have guessed your friend Leonard is conservative not only in engineering but also in politics. So forgive me I am just providing FAX numbers for the leading Congressmen and Senators that have special FCC oversight powers. They are on the House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Senate FCC Committee and Subcommittee of the Senate Commerce Committee.
I am not familiar enough with the House members on this committee so I suggest that you FAX the ranking member Fred Upton (202-225-4986), whereas on the Senate, like you guys, the names are much more familiar and I can select real friends of broadcasters who are:
Your FAX can be even a couple of paragraphs, but be specific on what you are hearing now day or night from the iBOC jamming. And you should also say who you are, owner, general manager, or engineer, etc., and how many years that you have been in the industry.
Your comments are really, really important. The future of radio is at stake as well as the security of our great country.
And please, it may be very useful if you wish, FAX me a copy at 212-983-6432.
Remember we are counting down to September 14th, that is the decision day (D-Day) for iBOC. iBOC is iDEAD by the 16th. The Wrath will provide phone and fax info to Congressional oversight of FCC officials at that time. You will be able to participate in saving your profession and the public.
THE FCC'S LATEST "FINAL" IS A JOKE ON iBOC
In a huge document printed in the Federal Register now available on the Wrath in easy to read print (go to the latest "Previous Week" button) the long expected final, final, really, really no kidding final Rules in which the FCC played a little joke on the Trillion Dollar iBOC team, including Clear Channel, Lucent etc. who are ready to trade the safety of over-the-air radio for a piece of that Trillion Dollar pie in the sky scheme.
Enuf talk Leonard, tell us the joke... OK, OK
On Page 45671 the FCC states that it:
"Recognizes that further negotiations between the United States and the international community are taking place to resolve possible disputes about the implementation and operation of DAB [Digital Audio Broadcasting... AM & FM radio] by domestic radio stations.."
In other words, as the WRATH reported last week, the Mexican Government sent the State Department a very, very tough letter warning us that even our border stations were interfering with Mexican stations and stop it... It sounded like troops were marching... And since I haven't bragged yet but a long time ago I spent about a month in Geneva as the State Department's (one and only) radio expert.. they didn't want more than one because even then the USA was worried we might look like bullies, so unlike France who had like ten engineers, I had to work all the committees whether or not I knew what I talking about... Anyway, I at least convinced the Germans not to desert AM radio in favor of all FM... Leonard that is enuf. Last word the FCC has about as much chance of convincing the ITU to accept additional interference from iBOC jammers as I have of winning the Olympic pole vaulting gold medal.
Anyway, let us get to the PUNCH LINE of the FCC's little joke on my iBOC friends.
On Page 456871 after telling iBiquity some really, really bad news about Patents that they may not fully understand.. We finally get to the Joke re international treaties:
The FCC opines that: "While we are optimistic that we will be able to resolve any outstanding issues with Canada and Mexico or other countries, these issues remain subject to ongoing negotiations. Therefore, until the negations are completed, we advise the radio industry that the following condition will be applied to stations operating with IBOC DAB:
Operation with facilities specified herein is subject to modification, suspension or termination without the right to hearing...."
Since I want to be certain RW and the Trillion Dollar international cartel including Clear Channel and Texas Instruments and Lucent gets: the JOKE, let me repeat:
Therefore, until the negations are completed, we advise the radio industry that the following condition will be applied to stations operating with IBOC DAB:
Operation with facilities specified herein is subject to modification, suspension or termination without the right to hearing...."
So you broadcasters, who maybe spent a million bucks for IBOC gear, this isn't all that funny, especially when you decide to try to prove your station doesn't increase interference. Sorry, but you really have to be careful when someone sells you a device that has never worked at night, and you don't even take the time to tune into stations that real engineers tell you are jamming their neighbors.
NOW for a word from the sponsor:
For about $65,000 you can get (If you are quick enuf), one of our next production run of six (6) Cam-DTM Boxes, and we guarantee that it will work with your old reliable transmitter, and your analog or digital processor, STL, antenna tuner and antenna. the only thing it will not work with is a lightning burned out transmitter And we guarantee you will be the best sounding and loudest station when you tune into your station with a normal car radio. And you will at least Double your day and night coverage. And we affirm that you will meet and better all treaty and ITU and FCC specifications.
And now, yet another old friend and super engineer, who sent us the following statement re: The Minneapolis-St Paul new Cam-D market.
CAM-D SERVES TWIN CITIES
KOOI, Watertown, Minnesota could never effectively reach the twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul. It has a pattern pointing straight north bypassing the cities 40 miles to its East. The 5000-watt outlet at 1600, formerly KWOM, was purchased by previous owners with the expectation they could serve the Cities. They would ask this engineer if the station could cover and, buy anyway, despite my advice.
KOOI is now under new ownership, yet is now capable of serving the Hmong community in the twin cities. It was time to think outside the box and KAHN CAM-D was installed July 4, 2007. Our signal is six times louder, the audio quality is excellent, and I estimate coverage is three times greater outsidethe main lobe of our three-tower pattern.
The feature I liked the best is the ability to choose the upper or lower sideband. We choose the upper to further remove ourselves from 1590 in Hudson, WI. This does not affect the ability of a receiver to center tune. All of these advantages are realized without expensive modifications or FCC approval.
I recommend KAHN CAM-D to all stations big and small, but particularly to those with complex patterns on close adjacencies. I want to thank Leonard Kahn and Tim Cutforth of Vir James for their technical wisdom during this installation.
Reese Robert Hull, Consultant
The above opinion by Mr. Hull was submitted on August 9, 2007 for publication in the Wrath.
Updated 8/9/2007 One of the best AM and FM Directors of Engineering in the USA has had an exchange of emails that he shared with me. Knowing the management of some of the stations that our friend serves as DE may not want other stations in their market to know the secret of their success, the Cam-DTM System, we decided to keep the venue of this WRATH "under seal," at least for a short period. (This reminds me of a station in Detroit at least a decade ago, who bought a single POWER-SideTM unit and decided that he wanted us to give him a market exclusive and when we refused, he misinformed stations by telling other stations the reason his coverage was so much better was that he was using a new audio processor...But an Engineer with a spectrum analyzer in Windsor, who was also using POWER-Side, finally got him to stop telling his "story.")
ANYWAY, This is what happened in a very significant market that will be kept hush, hush until our friend and the WRATH gets full approval of all of the stations involved: "Thank you for your proposal, however, our stations have chosen to use the Kahn CAM-D digital AM transmission system, as opposed to the IBOC system. The Kahn system has greatly improved our coverage, and the CAM-D digital signal has proven to be superior to the IBOC.
Although we consider the "deleted" brand of transmitters to be the finest in the industry, the IBOC AM digital system has proven itself to be a very poor substitute for the Kahn CAM-D, causing much interference to other stations, plus the audio quality of the IBOC is very poor, as compared to the Kahn system. We have no plans to use the IBOC system for any of our stations at this time. But thank you again for your proposal. Regards,"
Updated 8/4/2007 Mexico and the NRSC member from the U.S. Bureau of Standards just pulled iBOCs plug ending their scheme for monopolizing AM & FM Radio
Who says so??? See FCC official website 99-325
As you know the WRATH has been telling you for years that the iBOC system would never be approved BUT all the trade publications said we were Wrong... But we told you that the Telecommunications Act of 1934 requires that any firm proposing new technology must: a) Not Increase Interference to other licensed stations and b) Not violate the antitrust laws.
Clearly, anyone with a radio in Washington can hear all of the iBOC stations (still on the air) jamming their co and adjacent channel neighbors. As to b) antitrust, any senior employee of Clear Channel knows that he is required to boycott all Kahn products not only Cam-DTM Exciters that at least double your coverage and make you sound like FM on all radios, but even our Ugly SymmetrapeakTM audio unit that makes your FM station 3 db louder. Anything with the Kahn name or it must be taken, off the air because we dared compete with the iBOC system and refused to join their scheme to obsolete every AM & FM radio in the USA, all BILLION radios, so as to control a $ TRILLION industry.
Anyway, Mexico proves that IBOC violates the interferencerules, but they raise a far more compelling issue... The US Constitution requires all branches of our government, the Administration, the Congress and the Judiciary to respect and not violate out treaties... So Mexico's filing makes it certain not even the Congress can rescue iBOC... And there is more... The Bureau of Standards scientist, Dr. Jonathan E. Hardis, either is a trained lawyer of he had a real expert on patents and trade secrets write the FCC document As some of you guys know I am a US Patent Agent and one of my patent briefs, In re Leonard R. Kahn was used by the Supreme Court to rewrite important Patent LawForgive me for bragging, but it is genetic... So Dr. Hardis is right on when be concludes that, not only has iBOCs chief proponent lost, he can never comeback to the FCC with a new DAB proposal... First Mexico almost declares WAR and then Dr. Hardis decapitates them with his legal scalpel.
So why am I telling you all, this... Because KCI is going to make a run of six (6) Cam-DTM Boxes and they will be delivered on a first come first basis... Need more info,call me at 212.983.6765 and leave word when I can reach you at night when I return calls.
Updated July 30, 2007
NEWSFLASH FROM MEXICO
TECHNICAL SECRETARY OF THE PLENUM CFT/D01/STP 1956 /07 Mexico, D.F., April 4, 2007
Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington, D.C. 20554
We refer to the notice published on the website of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC as abbreviated in English) dated March 22 of the current year, setting forth the rules adopted by the Commission governing digital radio broadcasting. Specifically, we wish to let you know of the [Mexican] Federal Telecommunications Commissions concern, in light of the aforementioned notice, that this matter is among those that properly fall within the purview of the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Consultative Commission on Telecommunications (CCAN), on which both we and the FCC, of which you are chairman, are represented, among other parties.
In this light, we call your attention to the various meetings of the CCAN Working Group including representatives of our two agencies, which have been held to deal with Radio Broadcasting issues, among others, in the course of which the FCC was reminded that U.S. radio stations that operate using the IBOC system must comply with the provisions of the Convention between the government of the United States of Mexico and the government of/he United States of America regarding AM Radio Broadcasting in the Hectometric Wave Band, signed in Mexico City on August 28, 1986, as well as with the provisions of the Agreement between the Government of the United States of Mexico and the Government of the United States of America regarding FM Radio broadcasting in the 88 to 108 MHz Wave Band, signed on August 11, 1992.
Accordingly, until technical criteria shall have been established by agreement between our two agencies to permit optimal and efficient development of analog and digital radio broadcasting along our common border, and in order to eliminate prejudicial interference with Mexican broadcasting stations caused by the temporary operation of U.S. radio stations using the hybrid digital system, we ask you to reconsider your decisions to authorize AM radio stations to operate at night and permit FM stations to operate using the extended hybrid digital system.
HECTOR OSUNA JAIMEChairman
ERNESTO GIL ELORDUV GERARDO FRANCISCO GONZALEZCommissioner Commissioner
JOSE LUIS PERALTA HIGUERA EDUARDO RUIZ VEGACommissioner Commissioner
Updated 6/19/2007
ARE CELL PHONES KILLING AM & FM RADIO?
Have you read the latest SPIN to convince you not to worry about the HUGE negative impact of Cell Phones on the value of your AM & FM station licenses? They say 96% of college educated 35-54 people listen to radio at least once a week. Let the WRATH parse that feely good, good, not to worry GORBLEYgoodee about the impact of the Internet...I dont know what going to college has to do with radio, but 96% of anything is sure Impressive... But that once a week thing...Does that mean if you happen to be waiting at a red light and some 50% deaf and 100% dumb kid is pumping out a 1/2 kw to vibrate his hubcaps you are credited with a listener?WRATH recommends we get real and look at meaningful numbers like a listener is listening at least 1 hour per day to one of the 5 radios the average American has access to in his home, car and portable. And if we are interested in the future do preteenagers know what a real radio looks like... three year olds sure know what a cell phone looks like... Thats the thing growing out the side of mommies head.
THE WRATH GETS CREDIT FOR ACHANGE
The WRATH was proud that some publications indicated we might be right that iBOC is dead by treaty... Castro and our dear friends in Russia, Germany, the Saudis, etc. But even though you dont have to kill IBOC twice, the other stake through its heart is that it violates the Communications Act of 1934 by INCREASING INTERFERENCE, the very reason for the FCCs existence and to guard against broadcasting monopolization... To put it another way if the FCC decided to ignore the Constitution re treaties, they still are in violation of the Law.
NOW SOME GOOD NEWS AND SOME BAD NEWS RE PRICINGGood News first: As you may know if you decided to buy Cam-DTM Boxes it meant sending a check for the entire price with order... That was a mistake because it was a severe reaction to a handful of deadbeats and too hard on stations that never heard of how Cam-D dramatically increases coverage typically doubles your audience, reduces power line buzz and fading and makes you louder than anyone in town... And therefore a station had to wait for its new budget to order, so we are now offering a new version of our 1/3 down to enter your order. Now the bad news... KCI has to make some money therefore our price is going up... the way KCI prices always go... We have to pay for the best employees we can find and for the best quality reliable parts SO.... New Cam-D Price $65,600
I, Leonard R. Kahn truly believe the above stated facts and opinions are accurate and are not meant to mislead... The real guarantee we offer is to aggressivly, but honestly, clean up the mess.
cc DoItt nyc
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