This is Part 3 of Glen Clark’s look at EMPs (Electromagnetic Pulses): what they are, what dangers they present to broadcasters, and how to minimize damage from an EMP. The broadcast owner or engineer cannot prevent an EMP. But with understanding about the nature of EMPs and proper planning, service can be restored […]

EMPs are not magic nor death rays. They are physical forces and can be understood by physics and their impact can be minimized. Glen Clark carries on with Part 2 of his series on EMPs, and what you need to know. The purpose of this series is to present steps which may be […]

Sure, we just hit “Fall,” but Winter is already giving previews in some areas. In any event, Fall gives us time to get things ready for Winter – and smoother operations. A lot of folks like to do Spring Cleaning, to recover from the events of the winter months, but it is equally […]

Have you ever had an AM transmitter with intermittent VSWR trips caused by some problem you could not locate? Chip Morgan mixes water with electricity for a quick solution. Over the years, I have seen many strange and unpredictable things happen at high power AM sites. They have included arcs from the doghouse […]

For most of us, having one of every tool is probably not economically or spatially feasible. On the other hand, having a knowledge of various tools that can be adapted will come in handy. From time to time, I find some gadget which is used in some other industry unrelated to electronics that […]

Transmitter maintenance has changed in recent years as the transmitters themselves become more and more compact, including the use of FET power amplifiers.  Of course, when trouble happens, it may take a bit more work than replacing a tube! Not too long ago, I was caring for an ETG 3500,  a 3.5 kW […]

Remote site management systems are designed to reduce maintenance personnel’s workload and ensure operational efficiency. However, if not properly set up or versatile enough, they can actually increase workloads by generating an abundance of false, or nuisance alarms. By analyzing what is happening, unnecessary alarms can be reduced or eliminated. Remote site monitoring […]

The modulation depth of an AM station is more than a measurement of loudness. As has been known for many years, overmodulation in the negative direction results in “splatter” up and down the dial. And excessive asymmetry introduces audio distortion. Hence it is important to know what your station is doing. Alan Alsobrook […]