Jack E. Roland KEØVH

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From: BDR <[email protected]> On Behalf Of The BDR via BDR
Sent: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 11:51 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [BDR] NPT a Success! / Getting the Right Antenna

 

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The Broadcasters' Desktop Resource ... edited by Barry Mishkind  

Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert...
This is the BDR Newsletter 739, Volume 15, #12 for October 11, 2023

Here are some things you might want to know about:

THAT WAS AN NPT THAT WAS
The NPT on OCtober 4 came off pretty much as expected, with the FEMA pleased, although there were a couple of curiosities, depending upon where you were.

First, the WEA came two minutes before the NPT. That was intentional. The public notices had specified the WEA was not at the same time as the NPT. It was a surprise to those with smartphones in two ways: the two-minute early timing, and the fact that there was no audio, after the tones, just a graphic. Some folks did not know where to look, so this is something that needs improvement in future.

The NPT receiption was generally good. There was some comment that some stations got the clean, crisp CAP audio while omhers got the audio, as usual, from their LP1 or LP2. The reason is not a complete mystery. Remember, it was decided years ago not to have the FEM "push" tests and alerts, but have stations "poll" the FEMA server to see if there is traffic. So, it all has to do with the polling times for individual station EAS boxes. Unless you had the DASDEC with the CAP option (not yet required by the FCC, but a good feature), it was a matter of whether you or your LP station polled the FEMA IPAWS first. Since the timing was random, it was just chance which got it first. If the LP did, and relayed, you got that audio. If you were first, you got the CAP audio.

Note: This will no longer happen after December, when the new FCC-mandated software requires EAS boxes to "look" for CAP audio before running "local" audio.

ESTO ES SOLO UNA PUEBA
One additional "new" feature was that some Los Angeles stations intentionally took the Spanish component of the CAP and broadcast the NPT is Spanish. Reports are the "pueba" came off clean and clear.

GETTING THE RIGHT ANTENNA
Ordering an antenna is a bit more than just calling a supplier and having them send an antenna. In addition to the frequency, there are a number of other considerations - including power level, distance from your market and other coverage issues, maintenance, multiplexing, polaization, and more.

This week on the BDR Lunch Gathering, Tom Silliman is our guest. He will discuss how to specify the right antenna for your situation, and answer any questions from the field on considerations.

The time is 2 PM Eastern (1 PM Central/11 AM Pacific) on Thursday - tomorrow. Join us. The link is available at www.theBDR.net/TLG/ and we also will be live on YouTube.

EXACTLY WHO IS CUSTOMER SERVICE?
Within the station, many issues can be resolved more easily when staff and technical folks respond with a "teamwork" spirit, rather than adversaries. Kevin Trueblood comments on how to smooth tensions and get problems identified and fixed.

AM RADIO SUPPORT
Congressional members continue to build support for "AM in Every Car" ... although while the Act recognizes one part of the problem it does not fully address the RFI problem.

GRASS ROOTS RADIO
Hyper-locally oriented radio stations - most often NCEFM or LPFM - can do a lot for their communities. From October 19-22 a conference will be held in Charleston, WV to provide ideas and resources. A representative of the conference will be with us tomorrow on the BDR Lunch Gathering.

MRL CLOSES DOWN
You probably have not bought a calibriation tape for your open reel or cart tape machines in a while. Nor have most others. After 51 years, MRL, a familiar name in the 70s and 80s will be closing, after the dead of its founder, Jay McKnight. The company will still fill orders through the end of the year.

WANTED
On the ForSale page this week, a whole garage-sale is listed, from STLs to Processors to a console. Also someone is looking for an AM Mod monitor and a PI antenna monitor. Check them out on the ForSale page.

SUBSCRIBE?
If you are like us, you get a flood of emails each week, sometimes it can be difficult to manage them all. We invite you to recommend the BDR Newsletter to your friends and colleagues - we are just one-time-a-week.

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May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
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http://www.myat.com/
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Some recent articles of interest:

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May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[] 
mailto:[email protected]

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MANUFACTURERS' NEWS

Inovonics is introducing the new 677 Triple Tuner for AM/FM/NOAA reception and monitoring. Reports after the 2023 NPT indicate the new receiver worked well.

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Gorman-Redlich has released their V2.81.0.1 for their EAS receiver. It is the update to the CAP program ready for the required changes in December. The company will help install the new version for $150, in any receiver with previous updates already installed. More information is here.

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WorldCast Systems' Audemat MC6, designed for DAB/FM test and measurement, was awarded the Best of Show Award at IBC2023

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Sennheiser has several new products, including their MKH 8030 figure-of-eight RF condenser microphone and a new filter for the Sennheiser MKH 8000 RF condenser microphone series. Also and AMBEO 2-Channel Spatial Audio live renderer plugin will be available later this year.

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StreamGuys will hold a web seminar on October 11th at 10AM Pacific time. Ralph Dallons will learn a discussion on Powering Visual Radio with AIM Rapid. The program is a follow-up to their interoperability announcement during IBC earlier this month.

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There are often more news items from manufacturers (and links) at: www.thebdr.net/manufacturers-news and https://www.thebdr.net/quick-takes/

[] 
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[] 
http://davicom.com/
[] 

Do You Remember? This week in history:
Broadcast related items:

... and 278 years ago (10/11/1745) Dean Ewald Jurgen von Kleist invented the Leyden Jar (the first capacitor).

Here are a couple of more newsy-type items:

... and 231 years ago (10/13/1792) the White House Cornerstone was laid.

[] 
May we please recommend this fine company which supports the BDR - and you!
[] 
http://imediatouch.com/
[]   

WEEKEND BONUS

Perhaps you think your yearly car registration is expensive. Can you guess what it costs to license a car in Singapore?

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PLEASE INVITE A FRIEND
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TELL US WHAT'S WHAT
There are so many areas into which we would like to expand, but it is feedback from you that helps us decided where to go first. Are you interested in a certain piece of gear or technology? Let us know. Even better, would you be willing to do a user report and share your experience?

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We sure do appreciate you spending time with our Newsletter. And even more so
when you recommend us to your colleagues and friends.

barry

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Now ... some extra stuff .. some important ... some just interesting.

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