After extensive testing of the transmitter and testing of the tuning unit I determined that we had a shorted mica capacitor in the tuning box. This was the result of someone running excessive and illegal audio. This operated the transmitter beyond the limits of the equipment. The transmitter would run into a 50 ohm dummy load but would not operate into the antenna. I could not find a replacement mica cap of the same value. This posed a problem in that without the exact replacement the tuning unit would have to be re configured. This is no small task and takes special instruments. I called you and asked about getting Watt out to bring the equipment that it would take to re-design the tuning network with available components. You told me to get going on it. Watt came out and brought a Potomac instruments generator and a Delta impedance bridge. This is the only equipment I know of that will allow you to properly tune an antenna tuning unit at an AM broadcast station. These two instruments are out of the financial reach of most contract enigneers and must be rented as very few contract engineers own this speicifc equipment. There is also the issue of understanding the math calculations and formulas that need to be used for designing an antenna network. It was determined that the mica cap had been destroyed by someone pushing the audio on the transmitter beyond the limits of the system. The tuning unit was old and the Mica capacitors having a great deal of age on them could not take the peak voltages created by extensive obvermodulation. Watt brought with him various size inductors and capacitors that could be found for the construction of the new network. Several combinations were tried out of dozens that would work but would not yield maximum performance from the tower. After a long day it was about evening that we began to get close to the right combination. Present at City Park for the rebuilding of the tuning network were: Watt Hairson, Myself Ted, David, Matthew, Dave Fluhee and other various curiosity seekers.

IT WAS WELL INTO THE NIGHT when the right combination had been reached for no standing wave and a perfect, AND I DO MEAN PERFECT match was realized and measured. We did not have the hardware that would consist of ceramic stand off insulators and various nuts and bolts to mount them.. The unit was secure so it was decided since there was no danger in the components being disturbed that the mounting and measurements would be done on another trip. Watt would also have to create a diagram of the new network. The next day the signal from WJKM was remarkably improved as observed by you who told me you could tell an improvement in Mt Juliet, Chance Martin who said that he was getting it in areas that he could not. Watt commented on the signal in Brentwood and I was able to tell a big difference on a trip to Cool Springs. WJKM operated with that tuning unit and it's configuration with improved signal performance until Jack George ordered the station off the air. Comments that have been made that are slanderous, indicate that Mr. Hairstons work was substandard and the entire network was configured wrong or not done at all! The pictures in this letter will prove other wise

I would like to point out that any recognized member of the Nashville engineering community will tell you that Watt Hairston, Gary Brown and Al Jarret are the only RF engineers in our area that can design and build an AM tuning network. Some may make the claims that they can but very few are in reality able to calculate and design an AM RF tuning network. Any engineer worth his salt would do like I did and defer a project to a person that has the experience and is qualified. This is why I know for a fact that any contract engineer claiming to have rebuild the tuning network are simply not ture. The contract engineer may have mounted the components but indeed did not rebuild anything. If someone did indeed rebuild the tuning unit it was not needed as the exsisting tuning unit was as close to perfect as I have seen in my 30 + years of radio engineering.

Watt also inspected the old Bauer 707 transmitter that we had completed work on. Another engineer was present from WSM that witnessed the 707 running at full power into a dummy load with 100% modulation and 125 %on positive peaks. I had taken the old transmitter on as a project of my own. The Bauer needed a lot of work and I put in the time. I was able to gather enough parts from ham radio swap and shops, E-bay and the old Bauer 707 that we purchased from Ernie Ashworth. The next step was to put in a changeover relay and connect it up so that the Bauer could be switched on by phone in the event that the main Omnitronics would go down. I was informed that the old Bauer 707 was hauled off for junk. That is truly a shame when I related the story to Watt he said he would have loved to have had that old transmitter. Oddly enough I just picked up a McMartin 1000 watt AM transmitter that is of the same basic design 1 KW with 4-400a's to play with. I know Watt made out a report and submitted it to you and also sent a copy to Jack of the work that had been done on the tuning unit and it also outlines what needed to be finished. It also included a bill for the service performed on WJKM. I don't understand how you tell me that you don't know if you received a bill. Here is the story and a copy of the pictures taken that day. Everything I have related to you is verifiable by witnesses who were there.

As of 4/01/03 Mr. Hairston still has not been paid for his services performed for Jack George and Krecji.
As of 4/01/03 Gary Brown has not been paid for his work done for the nighttime license of WJKM per the request of Jack George and Bill Krecji.