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RF Engineering

Prior Coordination for STLs 

No doubt, you have received frequency coordination notices. These notices form one side of the coordination process. It's up to you to follow through to avoid potential interference.

Translator Rules Revisited 

Some important events relating to translators warrant some attention.

Understanding Tee Networks 

The tee network seems almost magical as it has the ability to transform between almost any two complex impedances using only reactive elements.

Directional Antenna Basics 

Jeremy Ruck reviews the basics of directional antenna arrays.

Disaster Recovery 

It is prudent to create and maintain a plan for disaster recovery at your facilities, which includes maintaining a strong working relationship with your consulting engineer.

RF Safety 

FCC rules, IEEE and NCRP standards are designed to reduce the potential for human danger.

Tower Maintenance 

First and foremost in any tower maintenance program is to build a solid relationship with a tower crew; and you get what you pay for. Jeremy Ruck explains.

Method of Moment Proofs 

At the heart of the moment method proof is a computer model using an appropriate software package, however, the moment method proof, is not applicable in all cases or array designs.

Translators Today 

FM translator service, since its inception in the very early 1970s, has been subjected to several major technical overhauls.

Calculating STL Fade Margin 

Understanding the mechanics of your RF program delivery system, and maintaining a keen grasp of the associated fade margin can go a long way to diagnosing the rare, but ultimately problematic impact path failure can have.

Smith Chart Basics 

One good working definition of the Smith chart is that it is simply a graphical calculator for normalized impedance and associated RF parameters.

Transmission Line Maintenance 

The bottom line is that without maintenance, transmission line will ultimately fail. The good news is that with regular and periodic inspections, the likelihood of unplanned failures is greatly reduced.

Effects of Tower Standard 222G 

The bottom line is that Revision G is a good thing, and the standard authors have crafted an excellent standard.

Third-Adjacent Protection Review 

One of the hallmark missions of the FCC is to promote the use of the radio spectrum; the corollary is that the Commission ends up being a traffic cop to eliminate interference, more accurately stated as reducing interference.

Grounding standards for broadcast 

While there are similarities between various grounding methodologies, asking 10 engineers for their opinions will probably return a minimum of eight different and valid recommendations.

The Phasor 

The upcoming generation of radio engineers will encounter a new ease of measurement as a fact of the Commission's new directional antenna proof rules.

Using the operating impedance bridge 

The development of the operating impedance bridge by Delta Electronics about 40 years ago made antenna impedance measurements not only much easier to perform, but more accurate.

Living with the FCC - a History 

John Battison looks back on the early days of the FRC and the FCC, recalling some of the simpler times and possibly better methods of another time.

Thoughts about NEC 4-1 

As time passed and DA design work received increasing attention, it became obvious that more information was needed about how the antenna worked in its environment once constructed.

Do you remember MEOV? 

MEOV offered a wonderful means of providing a way around a potential difficulty in meeting the approved radiation pattern.

The application of NEC programs 

The NEC programs offer a great improvement over the slide rule era when the sheer volume of manual operations involved tended to influence full and comprehensive searches for perfection.

Transmission lines 

A transmission line is a far more complex piece of equipment than many people realize. In its simplest form it may be considered as just a pair of wires merely carrying ac power.

Vertical Radiators 

Sometimes we tend to forget some of the fundamental facts of electronic life involving radiation which, after all, are requisite for radio transmission.

Ground systems 

The average ground system is quiet, dependable and retiring, performing its work efficiently, without demand for attention. Unfortunately, too many stations try to economize when installing or maintaining ground systems.

Tweaking the antenna system 

The last link in the broadcast chain under the control of the broadcast engineer is the transmitter and antenna system. From then on quality of reception is left in the hands of the listeners. Thus it puts the onus of transmitting the best possible signal on the station engineer.

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Today in Radio History

Milestones From Radio's Past

The history of radio broadcasting extends beyond the work of a few famous inventors.

EAS Information More on EAS

FCC Publishes Fifth Report and Order on EAS

The new rules take effect April 30, 2012.

FEMA Releases 2012 Supplemental Guidance Report

The purpose of the document is to promote consistency in policy across Federal grant programs, and to ensure compatibility among Federally funded projects.

EAS/CAP FAQ

Now that FEMA has adopted the CAP1.2 standard, broadcasters are asking questions about the deadline to install equipment and updates to the EAS rules.

NWS XML/Atom Feed for CAP Messages

The feed provides feeds for all US states and territories.

How Much Data in CAP?

Now that the IPAWS OPEN server is on-line, it makes sense to get your CAP-enabled EAS equipment going.

Wallpaper Calendar

Radio 2012 Calendar Wallpaper

Need a calendar for your computer desktop? Use one of ours.

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