Not every problem is electronic or mechanical. Even with the best of plans things happen that cannot be anticipated. And, sometimes, there is nothing you can do but wait it out. It was not supposed to be a big deal. WURI in Manteo, NC needed to do some repairs and update their main […]

You have to love it. Broadcasting with the big transmitters can definitely present the occasional bang – or worse. No wonder we call them “flamethrowers!” Here is something that happened as part of the growing pains that can occur when diplexing a pair of 50 kW signals into a directional array. Andy Skotdal […]

Among the most annoying times in life is when you return back to the studio (or home) and realize the remote control system is still set for “local.”

As most competent engineers know, it is not “if” a piece of gear will fail, it is when.

Michael Barnes has seen a lot over the years, the good, […]

Marvin Collins, former Chief Engineer of KFI, Los Angeles, shares this picture of two units of a popular battery, which brought about a baffling situation.

Many structures have been used for AM antennas, from thousand-foot towers to those “classic” BlawKnox diamond-shaped towers to modest emergency wires strung to keep a station on the air.

Sometimes keeping an older piece of equipment running takes ingenuity. Witness the way this transmitter was kept in service until a new one was installed. Here is a picture that shows a rather unusual use of a steak knife. It was late one Tuesday night, according to our correspondent, when this solution was […]

Whenever someone is are working on a project, one of Murphy’s Laws says: “what can go wrong, will.” Another law, it seems, is that any wire will always be an inch or so short of connecting. There is an old tailor’s line that comes to mind: “Measure twice, cut once.” Apparently, someone missed […]

FCC Rules require that broadcast stations receive and log two EAS tests a week, and send and log one test a week. For the past 14 years, strips and rolls of paper have been part of the documentation proving compliance. At least that is true for most stations. One of the ABIP inspectors […]