ATSC3 is gradually covering the entire country, bringing new features to TV sets capable of decoding the streams. Yes, streams. ATSC3 …

A clogged air filter is a problem. Even if it is still keeping most of the dust and dirt out, it …

Somehow, it seems that no matter where you are, problems develop somewhere else. It used to be that meant a …

The recent ice and snow in Texas caused major power outages for days. Many companies have decided to acquire some backup …

When the power goes out and the generator comes on, usually there is a sigh of relief. But that relief can …

A broadcast station may invest a lot of money to build a transmitter site or studio. However, once it is built, …

When the power goes out, you want your generator to go on. And stay on. This is not a result of …

In an article from 2008, Jay White described a tactic to reduce copper theft by using a transparent, bio-degradable product he …

This year, even though prices are relatively low, we have seen a rash of copper thefts – even electrocutions – as …

This month saw several deaths of folks working on towers. Perhaps the warming Spring weather and the continuing pressures of the …

A fair amount of what broadcasters do is determined by the weather. Especially on mountain sites, weather may either allow or …

Every construction project has its own set of needs – and some unusual aspects – necessary to get the job done. …

With copper theft continuing to cause major problems at stations, security is always an issue, especially at unmanned sites – and doubly so …

A clean transmitter room brings lots of benefits, including longer times between problems. However, there are two dangers to a clean …

Updating systems at a transmitter site requires more than just trucking in a new transmitter and “plugging it in.” Attention needs …

A few years back, we discussed a major problem for Broadcasters: cellular sites locating close to an FM station, then making …

This article originally appeared in 2013 when the cell companies began pressing broadcasters hard over what they termed as “interference.” With …

When the storm hits it is already past time to get ready. Now you get to see if your preparations will …

What would you do if you could not reach your transmitter site for an extended period of time? Forest fires can …

Developing a new transmitter site can be major project. Toss in mountainous terrain and zoning board hassles; just getting it done …

Although an engineer is not really supposed to be a landscaper, largely due to the isolation of many transmitter sites he …

It seems rather contradictory: broadcasters install expensive, state-of-the-art equipment, then attach it to a tower reaching hundreds of feet in the …

Every broadcast station must post information signs of one sort or another, ranging from the Antenna Structure Registration Number to RF …

In the old days, if something went wrong at the station, someone would dial your pager pretty quickly to get your …

CPR – Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation – is something you hear about all the time. But in an emergency at your transmitter site, …

Perhaps the most pressure-packed part of a broadcast engineer’s life is dealing with off-air situations. Besides the pressure of figuring out …

Site security includes a good fence. But that can be a budget buster, especially for the more remote sites or those …

Safety is, as it has been said: “Job One.” Yet, broadcast engineers are often under pressure to diagnose and quickly repair …

Most every AM station has a fence surrounding the base of each tower. And it seems like vast majority of these …

Many stations have mascots, or even station pets – a dog here, a cat there.

Beyond that, animals are probably not …

Transmitters – and electronic equipment in general – do not do well when over-heated. Components deteriorate, moving parts develop friction, and …

As more and more wireless services seek tower space, broadcasters are being approached.

Can an AM broadcast tower host other services …

Sometimes a discussion on an Internet mailing list can range far and wide, leaving a lot of opinions (we all have …

As one of the biggest changes in AM directional applications since the “Approved Sam-pling System,” the FCC approval of the Method …

One of the skills a broadcast engineer may have to practice at some point is brazing. That is, where a filler material is …

If you maintain a Collins 831G2 or Continental 816 Series tra nsmitter that is not located in a “clean room” and …

With more and more stations operating unmanned at night and weekends, remote control systems are more useful than ever, especially with …

Sometimes not knowing the exact definitions can get in the way of understanding engineering terminology. Richard Fry discusses a pair of …