Have you ever wondered why the FCC requires the NRSC measurement each year? Or, has the FAA called concerning interference to ATC frequencies? While the appearance of spurs will jangle your nerves, Ron Schacht says most of the time, the solution is quick and simple. If you are the keeper of an AM […]

Jeff Welton has been around long enough as a tech support person and a district sales manager to hear and see all sorts of the problems station engineers run into as they maintain transmission systems. One of the main lessons he is always ready to share with old and new friends is that […]

Not every venue has access to the Internet … and some have only spotty cell coverage. Especially for smaller stations, the old Marti is still the “Go To” for remote broadcasts. Phil has some tips on keeping them going – especially if other options are not working.   Until the 1990’s most […]

At some point, almost any piece of equipment will have problems – even if they have operated perfectly for years and years. Chances are good that you will eventually need some help from “technical support.”  With today’s broadcast engineer ever approaching critical overload, the need for support assistance from manufacturers is greater than […]

Earlier in the year, Clay talked about the range of solderless connectors now available. This time, he goes deeper into the “Phono Connector,” discussing what is available, but also delving into the history of the connector. Simply finding ways to avoid using a soldering iron is good, but knowing more about the tools […]

This is Part One of a five-part series on how to deal with an EMP event in a radio broadcast setting. Ten years before TEXAR was incorporated, Lyndon Johnson decided that I would look good in a green uniform and carrying an M-16 rifle. One of the places that the Army sent me […]

Among the first talents a new engineer used to learn was to solder something cleanly, with no solder bridges or cold solder joints. But, like all else in the world, everything is new again. Clay shares a way to use a tool we had almost forgotten to do a lot of things. Although […]

There are many things that a broadcast engineer needs to keep in mind so as to keep a station on the air and operating without problems. While we do not go “looking to find trouble” it turns out that if you do not look for it, trouble will find you! Whether you have […]

This is the final, fifth part of Glen Clark’s look at what EMPs (Electromagnetic Pulses) are, what dangers they present to broadcasters, and what, if anything can be done to minimize damage from an EMP. It is important for us to stop and rethink the length of time that we need to be […]

This is Part 4 of Glen Clark’s look at the dangers EMPs (Electromagnetic Pulses) present to broadcasters, and how to minimize damage from them. If you have just started reading this series about EMPs, and missed the first three parts, here is the basic point to accept: if an EMP happens, most likely […]