Tech Tips
I Audited Our Metadata and Here’s What I Found
Would your station earn a green rating — or a red flag?
Cris Alexander, CPBE, AMD, DRB, has been director of engineering for Crawford Broadcasting Co. since 1984 and oversees the technical operations of 23 radio stations from coast to coast. He is the former tech editor of RW Engineering Extra, and he is managing partner of Au Contraire Software Ltd., which produces AM-FM allocations and engineering software.
Facilities
Solving the Variables in the FM Equation
Design of an optimized FM transmission system requires careful analysis
From the Editor
Projects Are an Opportunity to Learn
They stretch us and boot us out of our comfort zones.
From the Editor
Powering Broadcast Transmitter Sites Isn’t Always Easy
In low-power installations, alternative energy sources can be the answer
Tech Tips
Shocker! It’s Time to Prepare for Lightning Season
What’s on your lightning protection checklist?
From the Editor
Servers: Love ’em or Hate ’em
They are taking on a whole new role in our broadcast infrastructure
From the Editor
Tower Lights Ain’t What They Used to Be
We’ve come a long way from pulsing red lights and mechanical flashers
From the Editor
Sometimes It’s Best to Roll Your Own
There is great satisfaction in building your own problem-solving gadgets.
From the Editor
FM Directional Computer Simulations — Why Not?
Computer modeling of FM antennas can save time, effort and money
From the Editor
A Stream of Thought … on Streaming
Streaming is not the also-ran it used to be, we’ve got to get it...
From the Editor
The Right Solution Is Often the Simplest
Then if you can’t figure it out, proceed to the unknown
From the Editor
Broadcasting — A Virtual World?
More and more, broadcast infrastructure is moving to the cloud
From the Editor
A Trip Down Remote Control Memory Lane
Remote control systems and technology have come a long, long way
From the Editor
A Good Plan Is Key to a Successful Project
Accounting for variables reduces pressures
From the Editor
Does Your Site Have Good Bones?
Pay attention even to small things for the health of your site
From the Editor
Engineers Should Never Stop Learning
Pandemic or no, it’s more important than ever to keep our skills fresh
Columns and Views
Are You Prepared for the Worst?
Critical analysis of vulnerabilities is a key part of the broadcast engineer’s job
Columns and Views
Is the Time Right for All-Digital AM?
What has to come first: a critical mass of receivers, or a significant number...
Columns and Views
Green Tower Lights Are a Viable Option
Structural illumination changed little over many years, but we now have new options
Columns and Views
What Does a Broadcast Engineer Do, Anyway?
Today, wiring changes are done with a mouse, making and breaking crosspoints in software
Columns and Views
Surveillance Systems Are Powerful Site Monitors
Modern, high-resolution video systems can take site monitoring beyond your remote control
Columns and Views
Are You Doing Your Part?
Without mentors, broadcast engineering knowledge is headed toward extinction
Columns and Views
Get It Right the First Time
If you have time to do it twice, you have time to do it...
Columns and Views
Are You Up to the Challenge?
Heraclitus has more to do with latency than you might think
Columns and Views
Finding the Right Balance
The FCC offers some choices for Class A night protections
Columns and Views
Alexander: Bring Consistency to AM Measurements
NRSC is likely to be one of the lesser problems an AM could have
Columns and Views
The Value of Standards
Adhering to standards keeps things safe, orderly and consistent
Columns and Views
Broadcaster Headaches From an Aging Infrastructure
It’s often up to the broadcast engineer to track down power issues
Columns and Views
Small Signals in a Big Signal World
Balancing interests of translators and full-power broadcasters isn’t an easy task
Columns and Views
The Connected Transmitter Site
Those with connected sites wonder how they lived without them
Columns and Views
A New Tool for the Broadcast Engineer
Small unmanned aircraft systems offer a lot for tower maintenance
Columns and Views
Tower Structural Standards Evolve
A revision in the TIA/EIA RS-222 standard builds on changes introduced in the prior...
Columns and Views
Revised AM Proof Rules Lighten the Load on Broadcasters
Do you manage a directional AM array? Take note of what the FCC did...
Columns and Views
Using DF Techniques to Track Down Pirates
Doing the legwork yourself can result in faster resolution of a pirate problem
Columns and Views
Tower Work Insights From an Industry Leader
P&R Tower’s Jason Kardokus provides a candid look at the tower service industry
Columns and Views
The Continuing Journey of AM Revitalization
The latest rollout in the FCC’s AM improvement initiative is great news for many...