AM HD TURNOFF PACE ACCELERATES

[Zach]

Who in their right mind would still use CDMA in this day and age?  I was just in the Philippines and all cell carriers are GSM.  It seems to be more consumer friendly there since the phone is separate from the service (the SIM card) rather than the monopolistic practice here in the U.S.

All of Japan, all of South Korea, half the US, Canada, probably Mexico.  CDMA is still alive and chugging.  I just dropped GSM after 16 years of loyal obedience to switch to a smartphone on a regional CDMA carrier.

I'm not happy with it, but with AT&T buying T-Mobile and reducing our GSM choices to one nationwide carrier and a handful of regionals, GSM was no longer a tenable option for me.   A pox on AT&T!

It doesn't really matter; everything seems to be migrating to a common LTE standard anyway.

And what this has to do with AM HD is beyond me, but I couldn't resist.

[badjef]

Neither would the idea of dumping OTA TV.

It was done.

No it wasn't.  I'm watching my local news on rabbit ears right now.  Picture quality is
much better than the old analog days.  But that's a debate for the National TV board.

Yes, it is! Try taking your TV to a ball game.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

There are digital portables now, and I don't mean video-on-smartphones.  I don't know
how good or (probably) bad they are, but I've seen them for around $100.  Standard-def, I
assume.

And I never take a TV (or a radio for that matter) to a ballgame.

I bought one of those portable ATSC/NTSC TV’s.
It stays at home - on cable.

It is even more anoying than HD radio.

If analogue OTA TV were still around nobody would be watching the digital. The thread
would be “Re: TV HD TURNOFF PACE ACCELERATES”.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[badjef]

Broadcasting is so much more efficient than a 1 to 1 CDMA digital cellphone signal, it
isn't funny.

Who in their right mind would still use CDMA in this day and age?  I was just in the
Philippines and all cell carriers are GSM.  It seems to be more consumer friendly there
since the phone is separate from the service (the SIM card) rather than the monopolistic
practice here in the U.S.

WE finally have a standard where you can watch your locats with a nice small VHF/UHF
antenna in your attci; for free!  Cable companies and cell phone technologies need to
improve without stealing every inch of analog TV etc.

It's sad that real OTA (analog) TV has been stolen from the public to support the
anti-consumer vertical monopoly of the cell phone stores.  The FM band (VHF II) may be
next.  We might be lucky if they would leave the AM band alone but their greedy hands
may take that too (along with SW and LW)!

Motorola wanted the AM band in the mid to late 80’s. They had the advantage of an FCC
commisioner to help precipitate it. The AM stereo “marketplace” decision was a way of
souring the band so that it could be vacated and re-assigned. It didn’t work but killed AM
stereo in the process.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[KeithE4]

Motorola wanted the AM band in the mid to late 80’s. They had the advantage of an FCC
commisioner to help precipitate it. The AM stereo “marketplace” decision was a way of
souring the band so that it could be vacated and re-assigned. It didn’t work but killed AM
stereo in the process.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

What would Motorola have done with it?

[badjef]

Motorola wanted the AM band in the mid to late 80’s. They had the advantage of an FCC
commisioner to help precipitate it. The AM stereo “marketplace” decision was a way of
souring the band so that it could be vacated and re-assigned. It didn’t work but killed AM
stereo in the process.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

What would Motorola have done with it?

At that time, cell phone service had just been authorized. Seeing the benefits and opportunities available, there was a thought of being able to use the AM band for that purpose.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[KeithE4]

Motorola wanted the AM band in the mid to late 80’s. They had the advantage of an FCC
commisioner to help precipitate it. The AM stereo “marketplace” decision was a way of
souring the band so that it could be vacated and re-assigned. It didn’t work but killed AM
stereo in the process.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

What would Motorola have done with it?

At that time, cell phone service had just been authorized. Seeing the benefits and opportunities available, there was a thought of being able to use the AM band for that purpose.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Talk about a complete disaster if that had happened!  Everybody and his grandmother would have been able to hear someone's phone call.  It was possible on the old 800 MHz FM system as well, but not everybody had a scanner or an old TV that tuned up to Channel 83.  Everybody had an AM radio.

[badjef]

Motorola wanted the AM band in the mid to late 80’s. They had the advantage of an FCC
commisioner to help precipitate it. The AM stereo “marketplace” decision was a way of
souring the band so that it could be vacated and re-assigned. It didn’t work but killed AM
stereo in the process.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

What would Motorola have done with it?

At that time, cell phone service had just been authorized. Seeing the benefits and
opportunities available, there was a thought of being able to use the AM band for that
purpose.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Talk about a complete disaster if that had happened!  Everybody and his grandmother
would have been able to hear someone's phone call.  It was possible on the old 800 MHz
FM system as well, but not everybody had a scanner or an old TV that tuned up to
Channel 83.  Everybody had an AM radio.

Well, at that time, those specific details had not been discussed. I’m sure it would have
been an evelutionary process. Besides, we had duplexed interconnects that allowed for
unlimited 3 minute local phone calls. Whoever had a radio or a scanner could listen in to
the conversation. I still have one of those radios. The company was around the corner
from me. It is gone and the two antennas they had have been removed.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[N1WVQ]

I don't understand.  How would it have worked?  Those wavelengths are so long!  What would the antenna be?  Would everyone be driving around with towers on their trunks?

In other news, A.M. HD still sucks.

[badjef]

I don't understand.  How would it have worked?  Those wavelengths are so long!  What
would the antenna be?  Would everyone be driving around with towers on their trunks?

In other news, A.M. HD still sucks.

Yeah, I guess. At least in the way in which it was decided.

But, I think they were looking more long distance for that application. Kinda like the
modern AT&T Long Lines.
But, again, I don’t think it ever was thought that far ahead. Cell phone coverage was Gulf
of Mexico and major cities at that time.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

[N1WVQ]

So would've it been akin to the VHF telephone service on 152Mc.?