K14TG-D Testing Request

We have been requested to monitor our Saratoga CERT radio frequencies for possible interference from TV Channel 14 near Monterey while they are conducting tests from Tuesday October 12 through Friday October 15 from 9AM to 10AM daily.

Those of you in possession of the preprogrammed Baofeng radios please step through each of the channels and note any indication of a signal present by observing the bars in the upper left corner of the display. Those of you with tuneable UHF receivers could check for activity on 466.7, 466.925, 467.275, 467.325 and 469.225 MHz. Try your antennas in both vertical and horizontal orientation.

Do this at your convenience, and preferably at different days and times. Please let me know your results by sometime Friday 10/15/2021 (dlsteinbach@comcast.net).

TV channel 14 occupies a 6 MHz slot from 470-476 MHz. The five frequencies that Saratoga CERT is licensed for are well spaced from that and one would assume that the channel 14 signal from the Monterey Bay area will not cause interference on any of the Saratoga CERT frequencies, but one test is worth a thousand expert opinions.

For you techies, the transmitter antenna is a horizontal log periodic located about 78 miles ESE of Saratoga at a bearing of 128 degrees and at an elevation of 1243 feet. The antenna main lobe is directional and aimed at 340 degrees (we are at 309 degrees). The ERP is 630 watts. From the antenna (SCALA CL-1469) data I’m guessing that the power sent our way would be about 62 percent of that or down about 2 dB.

The following is a summary of the request from the station engineer:

K14TG-LD holds a construction permit from the Federal Communications Commission to build a Channel 14 facility. Channel 14 is immediately adjacent to the upper end of the 450 – 470 MHz Land Mobile Radio (LMR) band, and there is no guard band between the two allocations to help reduce interference. Therefore, prior to beginning to regularly operate its transmitter on Channel 14, K14TG-D is conducting tests to allow you to determine whether any interference is caused to your operations by the K14TG-D Channel 14 signals. If there is interference, K14TG-D will work with you to eliminate that interference.

Testing is planned to start Tuesday October 12th at 9 AM continuing through Friday October 15th. K14TG-D is planned to be on the air each day for an hour from 9AM to 10AM. The schedule may be changed or extended depending on whether interference is found, what type it is, and how extensive it is. Our objective is to provide as much opportunity as possible for you to check for interference.

Don Steinbach – AE6PM
dlsteinbach@comcast.net