[GreenKeys] Extel TTY printer and more

[Sheldon Daitch]

AP had a handful of the Extels in North Carolina, and we did
replace the flex cable to the print head on several machines. I know
I did.

We had a UPI Extel at WJNC/WRCM in Jacksonville, NC
One interesting note about that model Extel installed there is that
it relied on the print head reaching an electrical contact at the
left hand margin to start printing on the new line, so it didn't
depend on having enough CR CR LF to make sure the print head
was back to the left margin.

I found out an interesting aspect of that "function."  If one prevented
the print head from hitting the left margin, the printer stored the incoming
data.  There was a buffer, perhaps enough for 5-6 lines of text, before it
would overflow.  When the print head was released and the unit detected
the left hand margin signal, the printer would print out text about 50%
faster than the normal character rate until it caught up with the incoming
data.

I think I found out about this little quirk by listening to the operation of
the Extel.  You could hear the rhythm of the printer as normal, but when
it did a print head return, the first few printed characters where at a 
faster
print rate than then rest of the line.  Experimenting, I learned about the
buffer.

The VOA short wave service is still alive and well.  We ran over 2700 hours
of HF transmissions from Kuwait alone, using five transmitters.  One of the
HF transmitters is scheduled for 23 hours each day.  We have a spare HF
transmitter, so if one of the scheduled transmitters needs a little 
maintenance,
we swap the standby unit and lose very little air time. Nice to have more
transmitters than antennas!

The advantage of the satellite distribution system is the ability to have
high quality audio at each of the IBB transmitter sites world wide.  This
is particularly important when we are feeding MW transmitters and even
more important for our FM transmitters at key cities where we have the
FMs on the air.  Some of our FMs are running stereo programming and
we'd never be able to have this audio quality on the air if we have to
rely on HF relay operations as we did up into the mid to late 1980s.

Your concerns regarding the vulnerabilities of satellite communications
is noted, and is a real concern.

See:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203501304577088380199787036.html#ixzz1hqttLZKu

This is happening for real.

I thought the "missile launch" from a few years back was settled as
basically an optical illusion of a jet contrail.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/11/09/mystery-solved-missile-launch-jet-contrail/

http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/

Agree, we'll have to chat this and more, sometime in person.

73
Sheldon



On 1/10/2012 7:18 PM, George B. Hutchison wrote:
> Sheldon - - -
>
> Good to hear from you.
>
> The Extels were certainly a mixed blessing.
>
> New they performed very well, but unlike a 15 or a 20, grew very
> weak in the knees in a surprisingly short period of time.
>
> UPI never did pony up and replace the model 15 at KCID in Caldwell,
> Idaho.
>
> That machine was in an insulated plywood box with no ventilation.
>
> They would never allow PMs during the day, and only when it had
> crapped out completely would they allow access after nine PM at
> night.
>
> It ran so hot that you could have cooked a Marie Callender's Chicken
> Pot Pie in it. Sweep off the rust if you didn't need iron in your
> diet.
>
> Anyway, those are days of yore..
>
> HOPE that the VOA or whatever they call themselves is treating you
> well. Don't hear much of or about VOA short-Wave service any more..
>
> I think the world's transition to all-satellite distribution is a
> big mistake. My nephew, ITTY's "Well-Placed-Source", strongly
> believes that the government's doing us all a dis-service due to the
> quietly downplayed vulnerability of satellite communications. The
> Chinese are actively working on EMP Weapons, as I believe are the
> Iranians.
>
> The mysterious submarine-launched Rocket Trail which appeared
> somewhere west of Los Angeles a couple of years ago and the
> curiously coincidental incident of a cruise ship in the same area
> which went electrically completely dead in the water at about the
> same instant has not been mentioned much at all by anyone.
>
> And apparently it is not nice to ask too many questions.
>
> Take care, and it would be a real pleasure to someday meet you so we
> can swap, lies, truths, anecdotes, stupidities, etc.
>
> 73,
>
> George - W7TTY
>
>
>
>