One Twentieth of a watt is cordless telephone power.
This will not effectively serve much more than a city block.
Originally cordless phones used what is now the expanded AM band; I will never forget roaming up to the top end of the AM dial back in the late 70's, and finding a conversation between a school teacher playing hooky from school and another woman who turned out to be another school teacher. It was then I realized we had a problem with our local educational system; the school teacher was bragging to the other woman about all the tryst her husband, a junior high school principal, was having with female students at the school. She told the other woman, he would bring the girls home for a little family romance with the two of them!
The other thing that really surprised me, was the fact the very strong signal was coming from over thee long (1/2 mile) blocks away. Here was a hand held phone with a small rod antenna indoors, lighting up the neighborhood with a very strong signal on another indoor radio. That was when I realized the viability of Part 15 AM broadcasting; I knew placing the antenna outdoors was only going to improve things; tuning the antenna would make it even better, and good grounding would make it sing.
The rest is history! Now we have turnkey certified transmitters that can cover a mile or two with ease. For the record: I know one 50,000 watt radio station, I can completely null out, just two short blocks from the transmitter site. Here in the desert; two 6,000 watt FM transmitters can't be herd two miles away in one direction, and one I know is non directional, and other one; FCC records showing it is too (not really). Not every station, regardless of its power or location, is going to provide 100 percent coverage of its market; anymore than a newspaper is going to have 100 percent readership among its subscribers. The fact is that FOX Sports 1650 AM, comes third in local surveys; suggest that its signal is adequate enough to attract a large audience, which is attractive to local advertisers; enriching the station owner.
Sometimes you have to separate theory from reality; theory says it can't, reality says it does. I am the type that prefers living in the real world of reality, as opposed to theory.
I think some people would like to sell snow to a Canadian.
You might want to lay off the yellow snow! It might not be lemonade Yet!
To avoid reality is foolish!
It does not make sense to push part 15 AM on a church or school at a time when the FCC is talking
about opening thousands of LPFM channels.
What does not make since to you, is reality. The FCC is just talking; Why wait for what might happen, when you can deal with what is already available. Keep in mind; there is nothing stopping a part 15 AM broadcaster from applying for an LPFM CP, once a window opens. In the meantime, I will keep cashing the checks and enjoy what is reality today. In the case of a school campus, there is always the option of a free radiating antenna system and a bit more power, or carrier current AM.
Steve
www.radiobrandy.com
not sure what your take is on this... I myself