AM NRSC testing with the Loop Antenna (NRSC bandwidth)

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Technical Note:
NRSC AM bandwidth measurements with the loop antenna

Copyright 1994 Chris Scott

This note is a reprint of the article "Looking at Bandwidth with the Loop Device", published September 7,
1994 Radio World. The original photographs have been replaced.

With the first year of AM bandwidth measurements behind us, my associate Roger Hall and I have learned
important lessons about the best way to approach these new tests.
We tested a number of stations and gained some practical knowledge in this area and identified some potential
pitfalls. About thirty percent of the stations we tested initially failed, with an even split between bandwidth
and harmonic related problems. In all cases these problems were curable-the testing led us to transmitter
defects, usually modulator problems or harmonic trap misadjustment. Aside from simply meeting the spectral
purity rules, these tests had beneficial side-effects; true defects were identified and repaired.
According to Bernie Stuecker, Chief, Equipment and standards branch at the commission, low signal-to-noise,
interference from near-frequency stations, and the sometimes misunderstood effects of antenna factor are
probably the most common culprits affecting accuracy of these measurements.
Acceptable procedures
Stuecker sets testing standards and procedures to be used by field operations personnel when determining
station compliance. While at his office discussing AM bandwidth testing methodology, I asked him about the
once common practice of using a communications receiver to check harmonics. Specifically I asked him if it
was acceptable practice. "We would see [harmonic measurement] reports on file at the station indicating that
the second harmonic was barely audible or so many S units below carrier. If it is anything other than inaudible,
how do you know if it meets the attenuation specifications?" Stuecker asked. He indicated that they use a field
strength meter to check harmonic levels.
We found that the receive antenna used with the spectrum analyzer is critical; our experience comparing
various antenna types used with the Tektronix 2712 showed that a broadband shielded loop is arguably the
best choice. Tek published a related technical brief on the subject available in pdf format here.
Signal to noise important
June was our busiest month conducting these measurements, and nearby thunderstorms contaminated the
noise floor on more than one occasion. Locations away from power distribution systems and industrial areas
were naturally the best. Achieving proper signal-to-noise and confirming that the client station was actually

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generating the recorded energy were probably the most important tasks.
In difficult cases we found it necessary to shut off the station to verify the emission source. Normal
considerations for taking AM field strength measurements apply, and we found the best results locating at the
specified one-kilometer or closer; when measuring the bandwidth of omnidirectional stations we found that
proximity as close as one or two wavelengths showed the same results but with fewer noise problems.
The rules specify "approximately one kilometer" for operating stations and in my opinion this is a repeatable
compromise between high signal-to-noise ratio and being truly representative of the signal that is radiated into
the far field. It is easy to mistake ambient or electrical noise for the station's emission; if the measurement is
erratic, it pays to corroborate it at a lower noise location or with a transmitter tap sample.
The level that a sample port provides should be checked before connecting a spectrum analyzer direct because
many instruments will be permanently damaged by more than a hundred milliwatts.
When chasing harmonic problems with a transmitter tap the engineer should note what typed of pickup is
used; a reflectometer-type normally exhibits a six decibel per octave increase in sensitivity, while resistive
dividers should be flat. Our equipment power came from a fairly large UPS that produced a sinewave output
and is well shielded. Some units radiate and should be tested prior to beginning a measurement series. We have
since constructed a customized well filtered and shielded inverter, supplied by vehicle dc.
Adjacent Frequency
If the major noise source is
another local station, the
twenty-five db null
obtained with the shielded
loop will not be enough to
reduce it to near the level
of the ambient noise.
Obviously, arranging for
the interfering station to be
off air during the
measurements will
eliminate this problem, but
if it happens to be the
competition, it may be
difficult to convince them
to do this in the middle of
the day, particularly if
measurements need to be
repeated for any reason. In
this case, with the client
station off-air it's best to
record a spectral plot of the ambient RF environment and inclued it in the final data, demonstrating what
cannot be blamed on the staiton. We usually recorded a plot for report inclusion showing the station nulled at
least twenty decibels to identify which signals followed the null. One way to couple energy into a spectrum
analyzer is to use a simple whip antenna connected directly to the fifty ohm input of the instrument. While this
may be useful for quick-and-dirty checks, attempting to get meaningful harmonic data this way will almost
certainly be misleading, often mistaken by ten or even twenty decibels. At least three things must be known
about the test antenna; the antenna factor, or relationship between its output and the field that its placed into,

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the impedance match which affects performance with various lengths of coax, and what mismatch loss needs
to be considered. This performance can be measured over the frequency range of interest (in our case 500
kilohertz to five megahertz) and combined into a calibration factor. Commercially available antennas for this
purpose are rare, so we developed and calibrated our own.
Although the FCC rules granted a grace period for measuring close-in bandwidth, yearly harmonic
measurements were still required. Now that the grace period has passed, both close-in bandwidth
measurements and harmonic measurements are required. Our experience showed that if the stations are in
compliance at the second and third harmonics, higher order products were the same level or weaker.
Favorable locations
The most favorable locations for close-in bandwidth tests are less than ideal for harmonic measurements
because groundwave attenuation increases with frequency and is particularly noticeable at the third harmonic.
In one case while corroborating data recorded at one kilometer, measurement at three showed several decibels
improvement. Whether or not separate measurement locations are acceptable to the commission remains a
question; this practice should probably be the exception, used only when compelling reasons exist.
Transmitter power levels of five kilowatts and above must meet the full eighty decibel specification. These
often have harmonic traps and, once properly adjusted, usually have little trouble with compliance.
Transmitters without traps may be more of a challenge. If all else fails, adding a trap to the atu should cure the
problem. Although we used a Potomac FIM-41 field intensity meter for harmonic data, accurate
measurements are available from a spectrum analyzer with a proper antenna. One caveat here: We saw some
artificially high harmonic indications which were created inside the front end of the spectrum analyzer. As
good as modern spectrum analyzers are, accurate eighty decibel on-screen dynamic range may be a stretch
under certain conditions. We initially increased the input attenuation, which changed the ratio more than the
input level; this is the tipoff. Selecting a lower first mixer level helped some, but to get consistently accurate
harmonic data we needed an external tunable notch filter.
Filter insertion losses should be measured in the lab and tabulated for field reference. One final point is the
effect of various program material. Many stations are trending toward talk. This restricted bandwidth audio
often paints a rosier picture than music.
More repeatable results can be obtained using the USASI noise as recommended in NRSC-2. However, the
rules again are mute as to whether this program source is acceptable.

Building and using loop antennas - part II

We now examine design and construction of two loop antennas: a shielded, untuned receiving loop to be used
in the field with the spectrum analyzer, and an unshielded transmitting loop used to generate a frequencyindependent standard field, to calibrate the former. The technique described here is very similar to the way
NIST calibrates AM field intensity meters.
Shielded loop antennas respond primarily to the magnetic component of the RF field, and provide good
directionality in the form of a figure-eight with nulls at right angles to the plane of the loop. Compared to an
amplified (E-field) whip. Empirical tests prove the shielded loop to reject substantially more electrical noise.
The key benefits of the loop stand up well for AM emission testing. Minimal electrical noise pickup, with

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proper site selection an interfering signal can be nulled at least twenty decibels, and antenna factor is easily
generated using the method described below.
The loop is also an excellent general purpose pickup; positioned near an
AM tower, it provides a nice clean sample to a scope, spectrum analyzer,
or frequency counter- all of which are useful to have available when
"proofing." Normally the sensitivity of the loop increases directly with
the speed that the lines of flux cut across the windings; this translates into
a six decibel per octave increase, which is useful for harmonic
measurements.
More sensitivity makes the lower level harmonic energy easier to resolve.
Actual measurements proved this to hold well until parasitic reactance
becomes a significant portion of the loop impedance. Our initial shielded
loop was constructed of 1.25 inch square aluminum tubing with a gap at
the top to prevent the shorted turn effect. Two turns of number eighteen
insulated wire were
wound inside, using
wooden collars to
maintain wall
spacing. More turns
can be used, but the increased inductance and stray
capacitance will reduce the frequency at which antenna
factor anomalies begin. Often, for communications
purposes, the loop winding is resonated with a parallel
capacitor, greatly increasing the Q and the output.
Although this can be useful for improving the antenna
sensitivity and selectivity for harmonic relationships, it
can't be used for bandwidth testing because it's easy to
bandpass out the sideband energy you're searching for.
Although theoretically, balance will be adequate by using
shielding, we grounded the winding midpoint and used a broadband 1:1 transmission-line transformer for
enhancement. A good measure of balance is null depth; this loop averaged more than twenty decibels. The
standard field antenna consisted of a single turn supported by steatite bushings installed at the top of a
shielded meter and matching box. The loop is fed through resistors and a balun. The RF current must be
carefully metered as this must be held constant.
A reliable antenna factor can
be accurately generated using
the near-zone magnetic field of
a small constant current loop.
NIST calibrates field-intensity
meters this way. Because the
loop size is very small
compared with the wavelength,
the antenna current remains
essentially constant throughout
the conductor, resulting in the
radiated near-zone magnetic
field being constant over the
decade .5 to five megahertz.

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This field does not follow the

inverse distance rule, falling off
rapidly beyond a couple of
meters. We spaced the loops
two meters apart centerto-center, which proved to be a
good compromise between
field strength and sensitivity to
placement repeatability. The reference radiator was mounted one meter above ground on a wooden platform,
and the shielded loop antenna on a tripod at the same height. Although this mini-antenna range setup is
considerably more tolerant to the presence of adjacent structures that VHF antenna testing, reflective objects
should be kept to a distance of at least three times the spacing between antennas.
We excited the reference radiator with one-hundred milliwatts of harmonic-free RF. At this distance our
FIM-41 meter indicated six millivolts per meter with co-planar (normal) alignment, and twenty-one when
aligned co-axially, the way NIST does it. According to the FIM, this field varied less than three percent over
the decade in question. With this standard field established, calibration of small aperture magnetic field
antennas properly positioned becomes pretty straightforward. If constructed exactly like our shielded loop, the
six decibel per octave rule will hold well, until slightly above two Megahertz, where the slope starts to taper.
When combined with both a modern spectrum analyzer and a notch filter, an accurately calibrated antenna
completes the package necessary to begin "proofing".
A tripod supported the loop antenna in the field, and the entire apparatus is guaranteed to generate interest
from passers-by who must surely believe that you're DF'ing for Nazi spies.

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