A little over 24 years ago, one of the first, large scale, fears about Computers was a hot topic.  This was, of course, Y2K.      Now we have a new fear about how computers are getting smarter to the point that they could be able to think for themselves.   Today, the news is full of talk about ‘AI’.    Perhaps you recall ‘Hal’ in 2001’ in a Space Odyssey from 1968?  In this famous film a computer named ‘Hal’ (actually Hal 9000) was able to take over.  Seems to me there are a lot of that kind of thinking going on now.

One of the fears is that computers are now able to replicate things to the point that you can’t tell whether it’s true or, computer generated fiction.

One place where Radio continues to enjoy success is in vehicles.   The problem is that today’s radios are embedded into the modern dashboard along with a myriad of other gizmos.   Additionally, thanks to the fact that everyone has a phone with a touch-screen, vehicle makers feel compelled to control everything the same way.

The result of this is that Buttons and Knobs may be coming back….At least that’s what I have been reading.   The problem is that many feel that knobs and switches are ‘old-school’   Did you ever try and operate a touch screen with gloves on?

Speaking of which – I could not help but notice that Toyota is making available a Manual Transmission in 3 of their new Tacoma’s.    There are those of us that appreciate ‘Old-School’.

Ford recently set off a ‘stink bomb’ with their announcement they were dropping AM Radio from their vehicles.    Interesting how this action got the attention of many who have, previously, been silent on the matter of the struggles of AM.   As the expression goes….’They came out of the woodwork’.     Many in Congress took a break from fighting with the other party to support the idea that AM should remain in vehicle receivers.

Now if we could get the FCC to enforce their own rules and address the issue of the ever- increasing Noise-Floor caused by all the electric/electronic trash generators out there.

Here’s a look at how AM station formats break out:

.The following map of PEP (Primary Entry Point) AM stations shows how this system relies on AM:

NASBA, the organization of State Broadcast Associations noted –

Almost all survey respondents (99%) indicated they participate in the Emergency Alert System (EAS). According to FEMA, Primary Entry Point or PEP stations – designated distribution stations for EAS messages that are mostly on the AM dial – can reach 90% of the U.S. population in the event of an Emergency

Some have pointed out how this is a matter of money – Vehicle makers receive subsidies from SiriusXM while receiving no financial benefit from Broadcasters.

As the dust continues to rise – Ford threw in the towel and agreed to keep AM in their vehicles.

Today we have fewer AMs as the number of stations vs. the number of listeners is being equalized.  Today, if you wish to replace your 5, 10 or 50 Kw transmitter, a broadcaster has a choice of ONE manufacturer- Nautel.   As Washington State University recently discovered when they needed to replace their failing transmitter at KWSU in Pullman.

Here’s a recent picture of a High Power AM  Transmitter in final test at the Nautel Factory. Yes, that’s a 200,000 watt model.

Low Power FM’s (LPFM’s) are not supposed to be selling advertising.   Apparently, for some, the temptation to make a few bucks was too much.   Example – KELS, in Greeley Colorado (North of Denver)  has been asked to pony up 15 Grand for doing so.

Ever wonder what happens when one of those big wind generators gets hit by lightning?   It’s not pretty. The machinery cover is gone and a lot of things that used to be white are now black.  Betcha this is an expensive repair!

A recent project in my area was a 3-way transmitter shuffle – The Primary Goal- Upgrade the KING-FM Transmitting equipment so that, should it be used, it would be transparent to their listeners broadcasting in HD with HD2, RDS etc.  (KIRO did the same thing a year or so ago)

• The KNKX Collins transmitter, built in about 1978, which they purchased from CBC in Vancouver a few years ago, will moved to an adjacent building where it will be parted out
• The KING-FM- Continental transmitter will be moving 12 feet to the west to become the new KNKX Auxiliary
• The new KING-FM, GV-15 Nautel transmitter will be installed where the Continental was. This will be the second Nautel for KING-FM, their Main Transmitter at West Tiger is GV30N installed about 6 years ago.

The light-brown unit here is the KING-FM Auxiliary Transmitter that was given to KNKX

A couple of ‘old guys’.  Mike on the left and me on the right

One of the ‘younger guys’:

]Things that strike me funny from Facebook

That’s it for this month.

Lord willing, I’ll see you here next month.

Clay, K7CR, CPBE

SBE Member # 714

Since March 1968 / 55 years.

Congratulations to Stephan Brown on becoming SBE’s newest Fellow.   I met him, years ago, ,  during one of my many trips to Wisconsin…A very nice guy.   Fellow is the highest membership level in the SBE. Members must have made significant contributions to the broadcast engineering field or the SBE. Candidates are nominated by their peers. Since the Society‘s founding 59 years ago, 83 members have been honored with the Fellow rank.   I’m proud to say that I’m one of them.

The move to eliminate AM Radio from vehicles is getting a lot of attention from a number of quarters.  I’m not sure that anyone in the vehicle making business is concerned about the dust-up this has caused. Likely the decisions have been made and they are just wanting for the noise to die-down.

Meanwhile …NAB launched a new campaign to amplify the voices of the 82 million Americans that AM radio reaches each month and highlight the importance of AM radio in the car for news, community engagement, entertainment, and vital public safety information.   Read more here –

https://www.wearebroadcasters.com/dependonam/default.asp

The name ‘Shively Labs’ has been associated for many years with their FM Antenna, Combiner, and filtering products for many years.   Early this year, Howell Laboratories announced they were going to sell off Shively to concentrate on their other business interests.   Essentially, they hung out the ‘For Sale’ sign.

On the 13^th of April, a buyer for Shively was announced.   AAT otherwise known as American Amplifier Technologies announced they had purchased the company.

If are like me, you have…from time to time, built something with LED’s   If you are using them in a circuit whose voltages are in excess of the LED’s rating, you use a dropping resistor to provide the proper forward voltage.   Here’s a handy table.

One of my other projects is the installation of a new Auxiliary Transmitter for KING-FM at Cougar Mt.    Part of this process was the installation of a piece of Orban equipment.  To my surprise, the device was made in Hungary.

How to stop that circuit breaker from tripping -That’s why they put holes in the handles, right?

In the good old days, vehicle radios almost always had a radio antenna shaped like a ‘Whip’. Designers of cars did not like them…and from this came the radio antennas that were make of tiny wired embedded in windshields and rear-windows.     Today, antennas have evolved to what’s commonly called the ‘Shark Fin’

Ever wonder what’s inside one of those?   Now you know.

Proving that not everyone wants to be on the Radio 😊

That’s it for this month.

Lord willing, I’ll see you here next month.

Clay, K7CR, CPBE

SBE Member # 714

Since March 1968 / 55 years.

As we approach Spring – It’s Show Time!   Here’s a summary of some of the events on my Calendar –

APRIL 14-15

SBE Ennes Workshop at the NAB Convention, Las Vegas

SBE Schedule of Events

Friday, April 14
SBE Ennes Workshop @ the NAB Show
          9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• SBE registration required
Westgate Conference Rooms 7, 8, 9, 10

Saturday, April 15
SBE Ennes Workshop @ the NAB Show
          9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• SBE Conference registration required
Westgate Conference Rooms 7, 8, 9, 10
Certification Committee Meeting
          6:30 – 10 p.m.
          LVCC Meeting room TBD

Sunday, April 16
SBE Board of Directors Meeting

LVCC Meeting room TBD

SBE Booth Drawing $200 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
          5 p.m.
SBE Booth TBD, sponsored by Nemal Electronics

Monday, April 17
     SBE Membership Meeting
         5 – 6 p.m.
LVCC Meeting room TBD

SBE Booth Drawing $200 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway
At the SBE Membership Meeting, LVCC W307/W309
drawing sponsored by Linkup Communications

Membership Meeting prize drawings:
• Prizes TBA
SBE Member Reception
         6:15 – 7:15 p.m.
         LVCC Meeting room TBD

APRIL 15-19

NAB Convention in Las Vegas, NV.

https://nabshow.com/2023/

Reports are there will be over 1000 exhibitors.

And the Headline Read –

Three seconds of audio could end up costing Fox $500,000

Once again someone failed to understand that you don’t use EAS Tones for anything but – REAL – EAS Events.   In this case, Fox used the attention tone to promote an NFL show that aired on a number of channels.

This is, obviously, in the category of ‘When will they ever learn’

Kudos to the Seattle Times for an excellent story in the Feb 19^th NW Magazine –

As tech jobs melt, the trades beckon. This Tacoma plumber makes $140K+.
You don’t need a four-year degree and massive college debt to make a very comfortable living.  Around Seattle, jobs — and money — are waiting in skilled trades.

The FCC is, once again, making changes to EAS. This change will require EAS Equipment Owners to purchase an upgrade that would cause the unit to favor an Internet feed of an alert over one that may have come from legacy sources such as a local radio station etc.   As is often the case, many broadcasters are pushing back citing how EAS is an un-funded federal mandate etc.   This has started many of the broadcast oriented remailers to be a sounding board for those that feel the whole EAS should be scrapped etc.

The Commission is also, via Docket 22-329, making it a requirement that EAS participants report un-authorized access to their EAS equipment.   This too has not been welcomed by many, including the NAB that’s gone on record of calling the proposals as ‘Expansive and Expensive’

The National Radio Systems Committee, NRSC, is out with some new guidelines for EAS – Here’s the link – Inside the NRSC’s New Guidelines for EAS Implementation – Radio World

One local firm has done very well in this industry – Tacoma based BSW – known then as Broadcast Supply West – Now Broadcast Supply Worldwide.    Their latest catalog notes how the firm was started by Irv Law back in 1973.      I too have memories of that little operation behind the Pinecone Café in Tacoma’s University Place neighborhood.   One of their businesses was re-winding audio cartridges.  Now the firm is one of the major players in the business.   The Pine Cone Café is still there, but BSW is now headquartered on 19^th Street just about across the street from KBTC-TV.

AM Radio continues to make the news with the announcement by Audacy they are going to shut down two of their AM Stations in Las Vegas – KDWN and KXST.    One of the major factors in the decision was the pending sale of the property the stations towers sit on for $40,000,000.    Today, with the ever diminishing AM Radio Audience, it would perhaps be very difficult to obtain 40 mega-bucks in revenue from the stations.   Certainly, this is not the first time that a broadcaster has been faced with the fact that the land where the stations transmitter is located is worth far-more than projected income making the decision rather easy.

In terms of technical operation …These are not small stations.

KDWN operates on 720 kHz with 25,000 Watts Day and 7,500 watts at night via a 3-tower directional antenna system.   They were first licensed in 1975.

If you have ordered a piece of Broadcasting Equipment recently, you know that the time between the placement of the order and the receipt of the hardware has become extensive as supply issue continue to negatively impact manufacturers.    This makes planning a project quite difficult.   Often it takes quite a while to gain approval for some purchases, once granted, the expectation is that you will simply order the equipment and it will be operational in a few days…Not anymore!    I recall, recently, shopping for something to find the vendors stating delivery was out a year.

If you are a manufacturer this is a big problem.  Conventionally, you would not stock many of the components necessary to build a product but rather order them a bit ahead of need so your product could be constructed and shipped to the customer.   Then there is the impact of all of this on the price of the product.   Gone are the days when you could, safely, post the price for a piece of equipment.  A manufacturer may not know, until the last minute, what their costs will be.

They made that junction box too small for the number of holes on the side

Lord willing, I’ll see you here next month.

THINK SPRING !!!!!!

Clay, K7CR, CPBE

SBE Member # 714

Since March 1968

Welcome to Spring!   At long last the days are getting longer and things are, again, turning green.  Not to forget we jumped to Daylight Time.   Wonder if that debate will ever end?

The Sun is getting a lot more active – with some predicting power outages and other solar related disasters.  Will be interesting to see if there are some impacts on all of the new communications systems we’ve developed in the last few years.   Some are predicting it will mess-with GPS!

For Hams …This is great news as the 10 Meter Band has been open all day for some fantastic, low power DX.    Reminds me of back in the 50’s when my school ham station was a popular place.    We had a 3 element Yagi on 10 meters and had a blast.  BTW, the Club Call was W7SBE!  (Back then the phonetics were Sugar-Baker-Easy) According to the experts, the sun is going to be at a peak for some time.   If you are a ham, time to dust off the old gear and get on the air.    If you are not…You can still enjoy the light show with some predicted stunning auroras.    All you need is – Clear sky and a view to the North.

The big news these days seems to be all about ‘AI’.   Many are racing to see just how this technology can be put to work in broadcasting.   Certainly, the NAB show will be filled with some examples of not only what you can do with it.  Certainly there are some interesting products coming.   Many are concerned that this will have a negative impact on jobs, probably at the same time employers are wondering if it will save money.

One of the more interesting developments has been the ability of a ‘machine’ to communicate with not only us, but with each other.   I keep thinking about how they communicated with ‘Computer’ on Star Trek.   Here we are folks!

We’ve all watched how text-readers have advanced in our daily lives.   My Vehicle will read text messages to me with remarkable accuracy.    My smart phone will do the reverse, turning my voice into text messages.    Who would have thought this possible a couple of years ago?

The NAB show is celebrating 100 years this year.   Time does go fast.   This year the newly constructed – 1.4 mega-sq.ft – West Hall will be put to full use.   Seems not that long ago they opened the South Hall….The one that was on the other side of the highway.    I will not be there this year as I no longer have someone to represent and pay the bills.

The move to eliminate AM Radio from vehicles has certainly raised a lot of stink.  One comment I thought was interesting was ….If Mr. Musk can figure out how to launch spacecraft, you’d think they could figure out how to eliminate RFI in their vehicles.  I suspect that this is more about saving a few bucks in the cost of a car which is all based on the notion that AM Radio is dead.       What’s interesting is how this has become a mission for some politicians. Representative Josh Gottheimer has gone as far a calling on the National Highway Safety Administration to require all automakers, including those that make EV’s to include AM radios.     Too bad the congressman does not feel the same way about having the FCC enforce their own rules regarding devices that create radio interference.

Here’s a question for the brain-trust….I know that Tesla and Ford (and perhaps others) have been in the news for dropping AM from their vehicle radios….What about off-shore makers?

Seems to me that there are electric vehicles being made by various firms – Are they dropping AM as well, or have they figured out how to make it work?

For you that are going to the NAB Convention and are SBE Members a couple of reminders

Gordon Moore recently passed.   He was the co-founder of Intel in 1968.   Moore was very well educated having a PhD in Chemistry and Physics.   Intel, by most measures, has been a very successful company.   He is, perhaps, most famous for observing the number of transistors on microchips had, roughly, doubled every year since they were invented.   That prediction became known as ‘Moore’s Law’.

Why would you show a picture of a cell-site when marketing AM Transmitters?

SOLID STATE AM TRANSMITTERS – sender.cl    

The company is based in Migual, Santiago, Chile.

Later that morning, just south of SR-112 on the Joyce – Piedmont Road.    Had to stop for traffic.

That’s it for this month.

Lord willing, I’ll see you here next month.

Clay, K7CR, CPBE

SBE Member # 714

Since March 1968 / 55 years.

So much for long-range-forecasting – Back in November California was supposed be having below normal precipitation …And look what happened!

HD radio is in the news again.  This this time, with Hubbard announcing they are activating an HD5 at their WDC area station.   Apparently to accommodate other broadcasters that are looking for additional coverage and who cannot put on an FM Translator of their own.

I’ve always wondered why smaller FM’s or AMs don’t seek out wide-area coverage HD Channels.   Think about it.   KIRO-AM can be heard on KIRO-FM’s HD-2.   KWKN can be heard on KPLZ’s HD2.  Is there a rule prohibiting a broadcaster from leasing an HD Channel to another broadcaster?  Anyone know the answer this one?

To come up with the needed bandwidth to make this possible, Hubbard turned on what’s known as MP11 Mode.  This yields additional bandwidth for the additional HD’s at the expense of the parent FM signal.    I suspect that some FM Receivers will see their noise level increase as a result.    It’s all about trade-offs.

The FCC is after a Pirate Radio Station in Florida.    In this case, the Commish is going after the property owner where the station is located.    The FCC has been talking about doing this for some time. It will be interesting to hear whether they are actually successful.  According to published reports – the Enforcement Bureau took 38 actions against alleged operators of unlicensed stations, including issuing 21 notices during 2022 to property owners.

– My thoughts –

Catching pirates, or identification of the property owner where the offence is taking place is one thing…Getting them to pay a fine is quite another.   The FCC has been a pretty poor bill-collector.

From the ‘I learned ‘Something New’ Department –

My Cellphone recently started making caller’s sound severely distorted.   As I dug into getting it repaired I came to learn what the folks in that business call these things ….It’s an EAR-SPEAKER.  I guess that makes sense…Just that, in the 60 years I’ve been in this business, I’ve never heard someone call it that.

From the ‘Good News’ Department –

The two perps that caused $3 million in damages to electrical substations in Pierce County recently were caught and have been charged.    The pair were from Puyallup and, apparently, thought by causing a power failure they could get away with other crimes while the power was out.    Perhaps they did not figure that the FBI would be involved and would quickly identify the suspects.

I suspect there will be moves toward increasing the security of these facilities.  Obviously, just a chain-link fence is not going to stop many bent on causing damage.

Looks like there is a lot of support for efforts to hike the HD Power Levels.   One reservation has come from NPR who has asked that such a move come with a notification requirement prior to a power increase.    We need to remember that the HD Radio Signals are, actually transmitted on the station’s adjacent channels

Shown here is a (sorry about the reflection in the picture) shot of the spectrum display at KING-FM.  Here you can see how this actually looks.  In the case of KING-FM.  Their lower digital power level is 10 db below the FM, while the upper is 14 db below the FM.    This operation is termed ‘experimental’ by the FCC and requires an annual report be sent to the Commission.  Hopefully, if these changes are approved, this type of operation will be ‘permitted’ for all.

The amount of HD power that a station can operate and not interfere with stations on their adjacent channels is easily determined thanks to an ‘HD Power Calculator’

https://support.nautel.com/content/user_files/sites/2/2018/07/HD-Radio-Power-Calculator-NUG-2014.pdf

Back in the last century Radio is where you discovered new music.   Stations were anxious to play the latest recordings and record companies were anxious to get those records on the air.   It was a partnership where everyone benefited.

The concern about AM Radio continues to be a topic of concern for many.   Adding to the concerns is the fact that some of the new vehicles, especially EV’s, are coming without AM receiving capability.   There are a couple of reasons for this  – 1) Issues involved with electrical interference within those vehicles and, 2) Belief by many that AM does not exist anymore.  Yes, there are those that have not listened to an AM Station, perhaps ever, and consider it to be something akin to Black and White TV or Phonographs.

Sure, the FCC has tried to help out by granting FM Translators to AMs, however, those facilities are typically low power with limited coverage – If  you can get a frequency!  What generally happens when an AM gets that FM Frequency is that they stop promoting their AM with their ‘Brand’ becoming the FM. Example – A 1340 AM with a 101.7 FM translator simply becomes 101.7 FM.

I have some thoughts –

• Seems to me if an AM gets an FM Translator and, essentially becomes an FM Station with an AM Translator….AND – That station wishes to turn off his AM and surrender the license, they would be able to do so. Perhaps this will enable another AM station, should they choose to do so, increase their power, relax their directional antenna etc. and, in the process make that AM more viable.
• Similarly, an AM Station should be able to ‘move its business’ to an available FM HD Channel. This would, of course, require a business relationship with the parent FM who could, rightfully, be concerned that his new tenant could hurt his own business model.
• There needs to be a recognition that the number of AM listeners is only a fraction of what it used to be and that the Laws of Supply and Demand are not likely to be altered by FCC actions. (I don’t see the FCC having the ability to increase demand) Less demand with the same amount of supply is going to cause the pain we see today.
• All Digital AM needs to be more seriously considered. Today, we don’t have ‘In-home’ radios.    (When was the last time you saw a Clock-Radio on a retailers shelf?) In home listening has become something you do on a ‘Smart Speaker’, or some streaming device, that does not depend on an AM Radio Transmitter.     Radio exists, perhaps, only because of the receiver in a vehicle?   And, almost all, of today’s vehicles are coming with HD Radio capability.    It is inevitable that AM Radio will come to the point where the number of AM listeners (and perhaps advertisers) dimmish to the point that going to all Digital will make economic sense (I can hear the cries of the AM forever crowd now).
• With All-Digital AM, perhaps the makers of vehicular receivers will reconsider their move to eliminate AM from their new EV’s?
• Then there is the FCC who is complicit in this mess due to their refusal to enforce their own rules regarding RF noise pollution. A chore for the owners and their organizations is to make it clear that the FCC has been a part of the problem and they need to do more than just permit applications for FM Translators.

My $.02

Time to make plans for the NAB Convention in Las Vegas.

• The recently completed CES had over 3200 exhibiters and over 115,000 attendees! This tells us that COVID is over and to look for the crowds at NAB to return.
• This will be the 100^th anniversary of the NAB event.
• The newly enlarged LVCC is – HUGE!
• Dates this year are April 15-19

Time to make plans for the Annual Mike and Key Clubs Electronics Swap Meet in Puyallup

• This is their 41^st
• Location is the Pavilion Exhibition Hall at the Washington State Fairgrounds
• Ticket Sales open at 8AM; Doors open at 9AM
• If you wish to sell at the event – Check out their website- https://www.mikeandkey.org/SwapMeet.php
• For many years a group of us gather for breakfast at Odd Fellas in Auburn at 730AM

(102 West Main Street – Just north of the Sounder Station) and car-pool from there.

Hope you can joins us !

The FCC recently announced they are fining Fox $504, 000 for EAS Violations.     According to the Commish – Fox ‘willfully violated’ Commission rules on transmitting EAS Tones during regular programming.   In this case, during an NFL promotional segment aired on Nov 28^th.

• If the fine is upheld, it would be the biggest ever fine issued by the FCC for misuse of EAS tones.
• The FCC says its proposed fine is based on Fox’s admissions and its review of a video recording of the promotional segment.
• The FCC said – “we conclude that a proposed forfeiture of $504,000 is appropriate in this case for Fox’s apparent egregious violation.”
• The Commission noted that Fox reported revenues of $4.44 billion in the relevant quarter…Stating “Fox clearly has an ability to pay, and there is nothing in the record that would indicate that the penalty is otherwise excessive”
• Fox told the Commission that “all personnel involved in creation and review of the Nov. 28 segment … lacked full understanding of Fox’s policy against use of EAS attention signals.”
• Fox now has 30 days to either pay the fine or to appeal, including seeking a reduction in its size.

I was recently reviewing some pictures of a home for sale when this got my attention.   I doubt that it actually works, however, it certainly a conversation piece.   Wonder how many have no clue on how to operate it?  (It does look like it’s plugged in however)

Inside more information about the original RCA connector.    Here is was simply called a Phono Tip Plug.    Old timers (Like me) Encountered a lot of these over the years.  Yes, they required soldering skills.  The only screwdriver required was to mount the connector to something else.

Of course, I have a picture from Dwight – Love the reflection from the Winter Sky

Honey, it’s your bathroom….You can use what ever kind of cabinetry you want….

And, from Dwight Small –

That’s it for this month –

Lord willing, I’ll see you here next month.

Clay, K7CR, CPBE

SBE Member # 714

Since March 1968

Welcome to the New Year!

Winter certainly got underway prior to the ‘official’ start of Winter with a lot of below normal temps…and lots of snow in the mountains …and period of it in the lowlands too.   This picture, from one of the AccelNet Web-Cams, shows conditions at the summit of West Tiger.   The tracks from a previous visit were now covered by new snow fall.

Travel to broadcast facilities, like West Tiger, with snow depths like this, are impossible with a rubber-tire vehicle with chains.    In the past, we would rely on the services of a fellow that had a small snowcat.     Those days are now gone thanks to the development of, smaller, 4 wheel drive, ATV’s fitted with Tracks.   More recently, AccelNet, has purchased a couple of these machines to service their own equipment at West Tiger.   Thankfully, they are based in Kent and have offered transportation services to others who have to get up there.

Travel to sites like this has changed, rather dramatically, thanks to the development of Tracks that replace rubber tires on ATV’s.   These machines come from many different makers and in many different styles and models.  Some, like the one pictured, can carry two people, larger ones can take more.  The term now commonly used for them is ‘Side-by-Side’ a reflection of their seating arrangement.

Here’s an example of one –

The advantage of these machines is that they are smaller and weigh less.  With their rather large ‘foot-print’ (Amount of surface area on the snow) they are able to go ‘over’ snow that a rubber-tire vehicle could not.

I found the following picture, on-line, of Browns Point.   The white structure on the left is the historic Lighthouse.   The tall-skinny pole on the right is the transmit antenna for 1360 AM.   According to news reports, the Lighthouse and park area behind it were covered with water.   This would likely mean that radio antenna had its base in the water as well.   The good news is it’s shunt-fed.   I have a lot of experience with this site as I was the Chief Engineer at KMO when the station moved to this location…Way back in the last Century

Last month I wrote about EVs and their impact on the power grid – Not long afterward I received this from Kent Randles…A short article on power for electric vehicles.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/what-effect-will-electric-vehicles-have-on-the-power-grid/ar-AA12OsKl

A slightly longer article, that notes that the fossil-fuel industry is behind the misinformation about charging electric cars.

https://climatenexus.org/climate-issues/electric-vehicles-power-grid-2022/

We are, certainly, living in the age of the ‘Hacker’.  A number of broadcasters have been hacked, in one way or another.    I found it interesting that a flaw has been discovered that would permit a hacker to gain access to a vehicle equipped with SirtiusXM that would allow them to unlock, start and honk the horns of cars of subscribers.   Apparently, they were able to patch the problem before some bad guys discovered it.

An old trick revisited – Recently one of the technical remailers frequented by broadcast engineers had a thread whereby several contributors recalled the old ‘Light bulb speaker protection scheme’.   The issue was that DJ’s, especially those whose hearing was shot due to listening to excessively loud audio, would crank-up the volume on speakers in the studio to the point that damage would be done to the speakers.    Some Engineers would simply put a fuse in series with the speaker…When the DJ complained a speaker stopped working, you would explain that it was their fault – etc.     The lightbulb solution was an automatic one.   It involved placing a 12 volt lamp, commonly used in automotive tail-lights, in series with the speaker.

With this the higher the volume, the lamp, acting like a current limiter, prevented the speaker from being blown.   Of course, today’s vehicles are swiftly moving away from ‘Light bulbs’ in favor of LED’s.   Has anyone else used this method?

The FCC has proposed new rules to bolster the security of the nation’s emergency alerting system (EAS).  The new NPRM wants broadcasters and cable systems to report incident of unauthorized access to their EAS equipment to the FCC within 72 hours.    Frankly, this is all well and good, but – what about those stations and cable systems that are operating un-attended for long periods of time?    I can fully understand, and appreciate, the intention here, however, I have to wonder if the proposed rule was fully thought out?    Oh well, this is why they call it a ‘Proposed’ rule making.   Will be interesting to see how responding parties address it.

On the subject of EAS – The CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), on November 23^rd released an advisory for those that employ the DASDEC EAS equipment regarding its apparent vulnerability to hacking.   If you have this equipment, you have already probably been advised and have installed the ‘Patch’

But wait, there is more!

EAS participants must soon submit their annual Form One filings for 2022.  The filings shall be submitted via the FCC’s ETRS, no later than Feb 28^th.   The Commish’s Rules require EAS Participants to renew their Station Information (Transmitter Location, Monitoring Assignments, make and model of their EAS equipment etc.

And – As you may have noticed, there was no National EAS Test in 2022. A date for the 2023 test has not been announced, assuming there will be one.

The FCC is upholding a $20,000 fine for a violation that goes back many years.   The Station involved is KSCO licensed to Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz California.  From what I understand, the AM station is licensed to operate with 10,000 Watts Day and 5,000 watts at night.   Apparently, the owners determined that their coverage at night was better if they operated with 1,000 Watts, non-direction rather than with their licensed 5,000 Watt Directional Antenna system —- So that’s what they did.   With one catch – They did not receive FCC approval to do so.   And – They did this for 30 years !

It’s that time again – Time to mark 2023 Calendars with major events for the year.

Here’s one to add – The NAB show in Las Vegas will be held April 15 thru the 19^th at the Las Vegas Convention Center.   Incidentally, this is the 100^th anniversary of the ‘Big Show’

I recently started work on a new project –

Replacing the Auxiliary Transmitter for KING-FM at Cougar Mountain where they share the American Tower Master Antenna with a number of other broadcasters that use the facility to back-up their Main transmitters on West Tiger.

Not long ago, KIRO-FM (97.3) did the same thing, for similar reasons.   Should the station have to use their Auxiliary, other than the difference in coverage (West Tiger is twice as high as Cougar) making use of the facility transparent to the listener.   The present Analog FM transmitter at Cougar will not transmit HD Radio signals, meaning that KING-FM’s listeners to their HD2 and HD3 programming would, when the switch is made, have the station disappear from their radios.

The new Auxiliary Transmitter will be a Nautel GV15, almost identical to their West Tiger Main which is a GV30

Underscoring the issues with obtaining components, the transmitter will not arrive here to be installed until April.

Quite unlike a lot of today’s electronic equipment, Broadcast Transmitters are built very well and are asked to work – 24/7/365 for many years.    Not many 35+ Year old transmitters still running, when you find one that is – it’s a testament to the people who designed and built it as well as those that have maintained in over the years.

Here’s some interesting data from a recent survey regarding what are called ‘Cord-Cutters’

• About 20% of TV Viewers do so via and Over-The-Air (OTA) Antenna.
  • Back when TV Started, they were called, simply – TV antennas
  • When Color came along, they were ‘Color Antennas’
  • Today they are called (you guessed it) – Digital Antennas.
• 58% of antenna owners say they are interested in local news and information about their local community.
• The term ‘Linear-TV’ is becoming popular. Perhaps because OTA Viewers watch the output of a station in a linear manner.
• Apparently most that watch OTA TV are happy with the experience, however, many long for the ability to have more channels to view (Cable or Satellite hangover?)
• Over half of TV viewers are interested in OTA, but many remain confused as to how to go about it. 13% of these say they are planning on making the switch.

Now to a topic more related to the Broadcast Engineer that installs and maintains todays Radio broadcast equipment.   Soldering!  Yes, we are occasionally called upon to solder something, but not often. (I recently had to make repairs to that old transmitter at KVTI I wrote about last month, the defective part was ‘soldered’ into a circuit).   Today, there are many in this industry, especially with the advent of computer/IT equipment that features connectors that don’t require soldering, like the RJ45 that is rapidly becoming the connector of choice for not only computer based things, but audio as well.    With that being said, there are times that you wished you did not have to solder something, especially when you don’t have soldering equipment with you.

The makers of equipment have been listening and have come up with a number of nifty solutions where connections that used to require soldering, can now be made using the  little screwdriver commonly called a Greenie

.

Following are some examples of what I mean –

THE DB CONNECTOR –

The DB connector, available in Male and Female versions with 9, 15 and 25 pins being common, used to always required soldering.   It was delicate work, not something you wanted to do standing up on a ladder etc.

To make things faster and easier and eliminate soldering, a number of new creations or  ‘work-arounds’ came along that involve crimping ‘pins’ on the ends of the appropriate wires and pushing them into the connector.  That method may still be viable, however, we have newer devices that don’t require little pins and a specialized tool – For these- All you need is something to strip the insulation off the end of the wire so you can push it into the ‘euro’ connector and use you ‘Greenie’ to tighten the screw.   I call these ‘Greenie Compatible’

These are commonly called ‘Breakout connectors’  The one pictured below is for a DB -25 Pin Male.   This model includes a ‘shell’ and clamp to hold the cable.

Here is a DB-15 Female – Minus the cover shell and cable clamp.

Here’s one for the popular DB-9.  You can get these with or without hoods to cover the individual connections.

Newer on the market are these that eliminate the need for soldering when using the XLR connector.   Certainly, these would be useful when working with a cable where there is little or no strain on the cable involved, such as within an equipment rack.   For a Microphone cable, where there are mechanical and stress challenges, those are still best soldered.

Here are a couple more examples of Greenie compatible connectors.    On the right, a Greenie compatible 3 conductor phone plug, with cable

How about a- Greenie compatible- 2-conductor, ¼ inch Phone Plug

Greenie compatible RCA type Audio Connector

Perhaps a Greenie compatible 1/8 inch or Mini 3-conductor phone plug

DC Power connectors come in various types – Here’s the answer for them

Not only will these little critters make life easier in wiring equipment that is not subject to human interaction…But I can think that having a collection of these in your tool box, ready to go, for surprize challenges would be a good idea.

If you have some other ‘finds’ in the area of ‘Greenie Compatibility’   Please send them my way.

B&H Photo has been around for a very long time.   Perhaps, at one time or another, you thumbed through their extensive catalog?    Evidently, they have been selling things they should not have…Namely, FM Transmitters that we – NOT- authorized to operate on the FCC’s controlled FM Bands.    Now these were not big and powerful, transmitters but little ones that could be used to connect, perhaps, a smart phone to a car radio (something you would normally do via Bluetooth)   An example was the Rolls Model HR 70, pictured here –

Apparently this was just one of several they were selling.   The FCC was not amused and told them to stop selling them.   If they don’t – expect to pay $22,000 for each one sold.  In another action, the FCC hit Pyle USA with a $685,000 fine because some of their wireless microphones interfered with FAA spectrum (A big no-no)

This item has absolutely nothing to do with Broadcasting…but everything to do with answering a question that, perhaps, many of you have had …

WHAT ARE THOSE LITTLE BLACK DOTS FOR ON THE EDGE OF YOUR WINDSHIELD?

Here’s an even better question to ask the person that usually has an answer for everything –

What are they called?

Answers  –

• Back in the last century they started using an adhesive to hold the windows in place. Previously they used a metal trim (Remember?).   The edges of the glass nowadays have a black ‘rim’ around the edges to hide the adhesive.
• They wanted to have a ‘pleasing transition’ from that black rim around the edge to the clear glass….so they decided to use a series of ‘Dots’ with decreasing frequency to soften the transition using what’s technically called a ‘Half-Tone’ pattern. Oh yes, those Dot’s have a name – They are call ‘ FRITS’

There are some other technical reasons for the ‘Frits’ …but that’s another story.

Now you have a question for ‘Mr. know it all 😊

Once again Copper Prices are expected to rise in ’23 due to the War in Ukraine, Covid in China and other economic factors.    Why am I saying this?   Because those that would like to claim some of the copper items in your broadcast plant will have some additional incentive for doing so.

That’s it for this month – Hope the Holidays were good to and for you.

Lord willing, I’ll see  you here next month.

Clay, K7CR, CPBE

SBE Member # 714

Since March 1968

Sports betting is a great opportunity for Broadcasters to boost the bottom line, I suppose.   (I’m not a lawyer, so this is only a guess).  I noticed recently some of the local Indian tribes are advertising their sports betting opportunities.    If you’ve been to Vegas, you have likely seen how much is dedicated to this endeavor.

I found the following FCC item to be interesting in light of all the Radio Broadcasters that have either never initiated HD operations, or those that installed their equipment long ago and are still running the initial power level (-20 dbc)

Released: 2022-11-28. MEDIA BUREAU SEEKS COMMENT ON PETITIONS FOR RULEMAKING PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO FM BROADCAST DIGITAL RADIO RULES. (DA No. 22-1226). (Dkt No 22-405). Seeks comment on petition for rulemaking and combines with earlier-filed petition for rulemaking, both proposing power increases for FM digital broadcasts. Comments Due: 2023-01-12. Reply Comments Due: 2023-02-13. MB. Contact: Albert Shuldiner at (202) 418-2721, email: Albert.Shuldiner@fcc.gov, Priscilla Lee at (202) 418-2957, email: Priscilla.Lee@fcc.gov, (202) 418-2957 or Tom Nessinger at (202) 418-2709, email: Thomas.Nessinger@fcc.gov. News Media Contact: Janice Wise at (202) 418-8165, email: Janice.Wise@fcc.gov. DA-22-1226A1.docx DA-22-1226A1.pdf DA-22-1226A1.txt

Released: 2022-11-23. PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES COMMENT AND REPLY COMMENT DATES FOR ALERTING SECURITY NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING. (DA No. 22-1225). (Dkt No 15-94 15-91 22-329). The Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announces the comment and reply comment dates for the Alerting Security Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Comments Due: 2022-12-23. Reply Comments Due: 2023-01-23. PSHSB. Contact: James Wiley at (202) 418-1678, email: James.Wiley@fcc.gov or Steven Carpenter at (202) 418-2313, email: Steven.Carpenter@fcc.gov. Action by: .. DA-22-1225A1.docx DA-22-1225A1.pdf DA-22-1225A1.txt

 Back when I was on the SBE Board and involved with Frequency Coordination we were working with the DOD on coordination matters that involved situations where broadcasters and miliary operations were discussed and resolved.     Perhaps this was why this headline caught my attention?

Broadcasters And Defense Department Agree To Share Spectrum Around 26 Military Bases.

Nearly seven years of technical study, along with laboratory and field testing, have produced an agreement between broadcasters and the Department of Defense to share spectrum that is currently used by broadcasters for electronic newsgathering and other purposes. The joint memorandum of understanding between the military, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the Society of Broadcast Engineers, will mean 26 military bases will have access to the spectrum. The military will use it for activities including test and training missions that the two sides say are needed to “assure readiness” and “enhance electromagnetic spectrum superiority.”

Robert Weller, VP for Spectrum Policy at NAB, calls it an “amicable arrangement” that will ensure that there is a sustainable model for frequency allocation..”

“Frequency coordination is one of the foundation pillars of the Society of Broadcast Engineers,” SBE President Andrea Cummis said. “This agreement provides our partners at the DoD and the NAB and the SBE the tools to ensure the public is best served through the shared use of this spectrum.” In addition to coordination among broadcasters in a market, Cummis said the SBE has worked with commercial groups and government agencies in the past to minimize if not eliminate interference in the limited RF spectrum available for broadcast operations.

The spectrum – at 2025-2110 MHz – was identified for potential sharing in advance of a spectrum auction that the FCC conducted in 2014.  The spectrum is presently used only by television stations, networks and content creators for video contribution. It is available to radio stations, however it is not believed any radio stations are using it.

I recently read a ‘Guest Commentary’ in Radio World where the author, Ron Schacht, suggested many radio stations are ‘over-technologied and under-prepared’.   This hit home as I have been preaching the same sermon for many years.

Here’s the way I look at it – Modern technology is a wonderful thing…it enables us to do things that just a few short years ago would have been deemed impossible.   Much of this is made possible thanks to the giant strides we have made with computers, smart-phones (add your favorite, created in the last 20 or so years here) and all the infrastructure we have created that permits them to all work together.

Those of us that work in this field have spent a great deal of time removing the old and installing the new.   The demand for this transition is fierce!    These new systems are ‘feature rich’ with what I like to call ‘Bling’.    Bling sells new things!   Just watch a spot for a new smart phone and how they present the new things the new creation can do and work to convince you that this is the reason to purchase the new one.     This does not stop with Smartphone…it extends to home appliances and entertainment systems, motor vehicles and ….of course, all manner of communications equipment.

This issue here is how we have become totally dependent on these new things and are quick to get rid of older, and in some cases, more reliable items because of their lack of ‘Bling’.  This is especially concerning when ‘Bling’ is more important that ‘Reliability’

There are a number of ways to increase reliability via better design.  In too many cases – “Price-point’ wins out over reliability.   Shortcomings like this can be overcome via redundancy, but this pushes up the cost.

The importance of having a ‘Plan-B’ cannot be overstated, however, it’s frequently ignored as dependency breeds complacency.   One thing a broadcast engineer needs to do is to constantly be asking ‘what would happen if something we count on, suddenly, was not there for us?

Sounds like the FCC is going to continue to ‘tinker’ with things in an effort to help AM Radio under the title of ‘Revitalization’.     I still believe they are, perhaps, ignoring the fact that many have given up on AM Radio (not to mention some auto makers that have omitted AM radios in new vehicles.     The fact is the percentage of people who listen to AM has been falling for years.   The laws of ‘Supply and Demand’ are here to stay, regardless of what the FCC does.    When there is a drop in demand, this is (usually) an indication there should be a reduction in supply.   Granted the number of AMs on the air is going down, however, I wonder if this reduction in supply is tracking the reduction in demand?

I still wonder how many AMs are on the air only because they are part of a group that operates profitable FM’s and whether these AMs would go silent should they have to stand on their own?

There are, certainly, a couple of factors driving this –

• European countries are moving away from AM and FM broadcasting toward digital radio systems
• Many of the new EV’s create their own AM Radio interference that the makers would rather not have to address.

Are you readying for the trek to the desert?  This year will mark the 100^th NAB Show.

This year the dates are April 15 through the 19^th.   Exhibits will open Sunday April 16^th at 10 AM and close Wednesday at 2 PM.   I suspect attendance will be considerably above the 53,000+ that attended last year, on the heels of the Pandemic.

If you’ve been in this business for a while you know there are a couple of things about Broadcasting that many citizens dislike –

• Nobody likes towers.  Citizens will often mount a campaign to try and force their local government to prevent them from being constructed, or, in the case of existing ones, make them go away.   Often this ‘visual blight’ will not be enough to change the minds of governments causing the objectors to dig deeper in their ammunition stash and come up with contentions that they cause cancer etc.
• RF Interference.  AM stations are famous for being demodulated by any number of consumer devices – Telephones, Stereo’s, Internet connections, computer-speakers     The FCC is well aware of this issue and had rules requiring new installation address these things during the first year of operation.    Occasionally, these efforts are not sufficient to quell the objections. In some cases, local citizens insist that their local government deal with the FCC in an attempt to resolve their complaints to their satisfaction.

 Thus is the situation on Bainbridge Island where KKOL has been trying to turn on what  the FCC has permitted – 50,000 watts on 1300.  In a rather unusual action, the FCC is siding with the locals and has told KKOL they can’t run the full 50,000 watts, but only 35,000.

We are all seeing a tremendous push to get us to ditch our Petro-Powered vehicles and purchase EV’s.   There are some issues created in this process that are not fully being understood by many.

• Where is all this electric power supposed to come from?
• What about the issues where power is turned off due to lack of capacity, fires etc?
• What will the reaction be when the EV owner discovers that his cost for a ‘fill-up’ of electrons exceeds the cost of a fill-up of a gas or diesel powered vehicle?
• What’s going to be the allocation/priority scheme when commercial vehicles (assuming they have a bigger tank (battery)?
• How many EV owners will be installing generators so they can charge their vehicle?
• Pardon my pun….But it seems to me that this matter is in Flux.
• Meanwhile – Toyota continues to think that Hydrogen is a better alternative.
• Government entities are, rightfully, concerned we will be having a lot of vehicles on the road that are not paying taxes associated with purchasing Petrol (Gas and Diesel).   These governments are already tinkering around with charging everyone based on the miles they drive.   The EV owner is not going to escape !

As many of you know, many broadcast stations are operating with very old transmitters.

Here’s the ID Tag of a stations transmitter in our area that operates 24/7/365 –

My question is this –

Are there any stations that are operating one that’s older?

If so, please drop me an email and let me know.

I love pictures of unusual transmitter sites – This one certainly fits that category

Here’s a picture of a rather unique FM Broadcast stations transmitter.

Another sunset from my house with some interesting vapor trails.

This is the road between the two Broadcast Sites on West Tiger. Only traffic has been on foot.  Taken on different days

Hope to catch you here in 2023!

Clay, K7CR, CPBE

SBE Member # 714

Since March 1968