When you are far from any supplier, getting a station back on the air can be a special challenge. Just accomplishing that much can save the day, but mystify onlookers. This file has been updated with a new submission. Interestingly, both stations are from the same general area. Terry Cowan saw the original […]

When a broadcast station is off the air everything comes to a halt, including income. So there is a great need to get the transmitter fixed, even if some of the repairs are temporary. These picture comes from such a situation. You are looking inside the back of a vintage BC-10B transmitter, in […]

Finding a good place to hang an antenna is not always quick and easy. But what seems reasonable in a rush may not look so good later in the light–assuming the installer actually was looking! It is hard to decide where to focus the eyes: on the antenna elements or the pole where […]

This is another in a continuing series. As we have mentioned many times, the goal is not to embarrass anyone – in fact, we often will not reveal where these place are located – but to help learn from things often overlooked or the mistakes of others. Your pictures and comments are sought. […]

When a storm rolls through, most engineers instinctively reach to make sure their cell phone is on (in the old days, it was the pager, wasn’t it?) and put their day on “hold.” While making sure that the ground system is in good shape and power line protections, etc., are in place, the […]

Time and experience repeatedly prove that having a good, solid station ground is essential for both a reliable transmitter system and for clean audio. Therefore you can imagine the consternation of the engineer who came upon this example of bonding copper strap: This is an ex-ground He reports: “I have to wonder just […]

Among other meanings, the dictionary defines “auxiliary” as “additional,” “reserve,” or “substitute.”Many stations maintain auxiliary transmitters, and some even have auxiliary antennas. The auxiliary usually is there to keep a station on the air in case the Main fails. Broadcast equipment is much more reliable than ever. Some of the solid-state transmitters seem […]