Sometimes doing repairs is as easy as exchanging modules. Other times, just finding a replacement part can become a real hassle. As technology leaps ahead, Mike Patton sees more and more parts becoming unobtainium. Some solutions are offered. No one can dispute that many pieces of broadcast gear we work with every day […]

As technology progresses, some things do get left behind. Trying to find parts for an older car might send you to the dealer, an aftermarket shop, the Internet, or that sad realization that not only is it no longer made, the manufacturer is out of business, and since no one can make money […]

Broadcasters have a lot to do each to get the programming on the air. Sometimes this leads to a lack of preventive maintenance, especially where the site is remote and/or rural. Still, this is essential to prevent trouble that often can be easily avoided. Building a good maintenance program is […]

You normally do not wait for your vehicle to break down to do maintenance repairs, do you? So, what about your program and transmission systems? Predicting potential problems, as Rolin explains, can prevent downtime for your station – and problems for you. Have you ever wondered how automobile manufacturers can […]

Over the years, either due to budgetary issues or the fact that some new products can solve a problem in the studio or transmitter sites, many stations have purchased consumer electronics to do jobs from CD players to security camera. There are some aspects that need consideration before implementation. Ron Schacht elaborates; Anyone […]

When you are buying new equipment, sometimes customer service is not a major consideration. After all, the gear is new. It is tested. But, over time, there comes a time you will need to get help from the factory. Unfortunately, getting customer service these days is not always easy. More often than not, […]

It has become quite common for several stations to share one engineer on a contract basis. Even in some larger companies, where there is a fulltime engineer on staff, he may be out at one of many sites when something “happens.” Now what do you do? For a broadcaster, there is nothing worse […]

The measurement of RF power has gotten more complicated with the introduction of complex digital waveforms and multi-carrier formats. To get an accurate measurement of RF power is a challenge, requiring an understanding of the both traditional and newer, improved techniques of power measurement. The Diode Detector For decades the average responding diode […]

Sometimes it is easy to remember the colors of wire used for connections, especially if there are only a few – black and red, for example. But if you have to remember a bunch of wires, it gets more complicated. Rolf has a mnemonic for you. The color codes evolved with the evolution […]

Have you ever wondered how some of the connectors you use every day got their names? Some are easy, like the DB9 or the DB25, for example, but why is the RJ45 so named? Rolf has been looking into this topic. Back when the Bell System was the mother of all US Telephony, […]