Got Gas? Try These Handy Aids
When was the last time you checked your nitrogen regulator assembly? As we pointed out in the Aug. 2 Workbench, these assemblies can leak, depleting a nitrogen tank in no time.

Hardware Store Finds Can Protect Test Gear
Entercom Scranton's Ray Russ found a good use for the inexpensive tool cases that you find at Lowes or Home Depot.

Looking for Leaks? Try Formula 409
Yes, antennas and line sometimes will leak air. But if you're losing tanks of air on your pressurized FM lines, more than likely you will find the problem on the ground.

Solutions to AM Impedance Issues
The reliability of today's broadcast equipment means many products are forgotten for many years - they just do their jobs over and over.

I Don't Like Squirrels and Snakes
Bob Meister was reading the May 24 column about methods for securing signs to towers and fences.

Take Notes to Protect Yourself
Good weather usually brings not only remotes but construction projects. Here are a few tips from West Virginia Radio Corp. Vice President of Engineering Noel Richardson.

Why Equipment Misbehaves
There are a lot of Boston Acoustics HD receivers out there now.

Simple Methods for Securing Signs
Scott Todd of Salem's Twin Cities KKMS(AM) in Eagan, Minn., offers a tip that can save your department some money.

Code Violations Can Be Costly
Dwight Morgan, CE for KOOL(FM) in Phoenix, commented on a previous topic, the cost-savings of using a shipping container for a transmitter building.

Failures From Wire-Wound Resistors
One of the best things you can do to foster teamwork among fellow department heads is to pass on useful information. For programmers, it may be a new feature that your hard drive automation system will perform.

Increase Efficiency - Add Cooling
It won't be long before transmitter buildings that lack air conditioning will turn into hot houses in many parts of the country, as higher daytime temperatures approach.

The King of Shipboard Containers
Grady Moates of Loud and Clean Consulting in Boston has a contract client who is king of the shipboard storage containers. I'd heard of using these steel containers for transmitter buildings, but never seen the idea implemented in such a grand way.

Make a Case for Organized Remotes
Spring, at most stations, brings the start of another remote season. Engineers in warmer climes haven't even had a winter break like the rest of us.

Bleeding: It's Good for You!
Last issue I encouraged you to inspect and clean transmitter capacitors. Through an inspection with a bright trouble lamp, you can spot potential problems like leaks, bulges or heat-discolored terminals that indicate pending capacitor failure.

Bright Lights Spot Pending Failures
Heading to the transmitter site? When was the last time you looked inside that big old rig?

A True Remote Transmitter Reset
Ed Bukont of Commstruction and Services remarked about our reminder to check filters and heat sinks on solid-state transmitters, often overlooked because the transmitters run so reliably.

AM Site TLC Stops Off-Air Headaches
Cold winter mornings are not the time to babysit AM contactors. If you maintain a directional AM, chances are these little workhorses are hidden somewhere in your site, switching twice a day. Like all moving parts, they do need periodic maintenance.

Dig Safe or Don't Dig at All
Have you experienced underground cable failure? During my time as a chief, one station lost an underground feeder for the three-phase electrical service, silencing both AM and FM. With no generator, we were on exciter power while the utility laid new cable.

We Love That 'Mr. Clean Attitude'
Aren't solid-state transmitters great? You just plug them in, and forget about them! Too often that's what happens, unfortunately; and this "out-of-sight, out-of-mind" attitude eventually will cost you. Dirty air is no friend of the broadcast engineer and it can have a dramatic impact on the operation of solid-state transmitters.

Decipher Tube Serial Numbers
Cumulus Youngstown Market Engineer Wes Boyd sends a note regarding our picture of the Eimac serial number in the Nov. 23 column. Keeping track of the serial numbers on high-power tubes can aid in warranty issues. But what does the code stand for? Wes received an e-mail from Jim Keen at WRMU, who forwarded a comment from engineer Joe Mauk.

Performance Rx for Reliable Tx
The FM exciter's reflected power is a good place to start your "inside" transmitter site inspection checklist ...

Rodents and AC Don't Mix
There's a reason you want to plug cable entries around your transmitter building. This time of year, the warmth of a transmitter building will draw small rodents like a flame attracts a moth.

Document Your Site Economically
Last time, we provided a starting point for inspecting the outside of the transmitter site. For best results, perform that procedure quarterly, if not monthly. Now let's move inside. What follows is a basic list that an entry-level technician can use. Whether you're at the site for a routine inspection or to troubleshoot an emergency, this advice will serve you well.

Limit Site Liability - Inspect!
When was the last time you visited each of your transmitter sites - when it wasn't an emergency?

Pest-Proof Your Site With Steel Wool
This is the time of year to protect transmitter buildings and AM antenna tuning or coupling units from infestation by rodents. Pests can cause no end of engineering nightmares. And it's just not buildings.

Mystery Cable - Identified!
Our picture of a "mystery" cable in the Aug. 17 column brought back a lot of memories.

When a Ground Isn't a Ground
Before you grab a ground wire to check if it is attached to something, you should short the unknown ground to a known ground, or at least use a pair of lineman gloves, with a HV rating, to protect yourself

Pinholes Take a Station Down
Broadcast engineers are an ingenious bunch. It seems we're always pressed to do more with less or to cut corners just to get a station back on the air.

Sparkling Remotes Make an Impression
It's the season for remote broadcasts, and I thought I'd share some ideas from Market Engineer Jon Bennett and his staff at the Cox facility in Richmond, Va.

Digital Cameras Offer Protection
We've shared thousands of tips in this column through the years. Perhaps the best, though, involves a recent technological development: the digital camera.

Bargains You'll Find on the Web
by John Bisset
Just as the Web offers reference data for engineers, it has also provided links to some great products.

Backups Mean Peace of Mind
Translating this into a commercial situation could save a facility thousands of dollars in damaged equipment and station "down time."

Keep Your Cool With Racked Equipment
One of the problems with using vented rack panels to separate your equipment is that they are too large, eating up prime space in the rack.

No-Bull Tips for Transmitter Sites
Ever have equipment installation interface problems? Here's one solution.

Follow the Light to Your Lost Parts
Not all transmitter buildings have to be 15 x 20 feet.

A Pillbox Is a Healthy Addition
Don't you hate to lose or misplace parts when you are disassembling equipment? Joe Stack has a cheap solution.

Out of the Closet and Onto the Rack
Looking for a cheap source for wire racks? Try the shelving and closet organizer section of a hardware store.

A Shrubbery. Not Too Expensive.
After my presentation, chock-full of pictures showing how not to engineer sites, Clear Channel Charleston's Willie Bennett commented how much he enjoyed my "tree" pictures.

Dum-Dum Makes You Smart-Smart
Let's visit a neglected transmitter building in the woods. See how many security "issues" you can find

Wanted: Info on E.F. Johnson Parts
Performing an assessment of the array, he discovered a melted roller contact on an old E.F. Johnson variable inductor.

PVC Pipes Help Rack Up Savings
Like most engineers, I'm impressed with the scope of product found in the Middle Atlantic Products CD. These guys think of everything.

Infrared Cameras Can Catch Vandals
Perhaps there is some money - and good will - to be had in this idea for a smart broadcast supplier who adds IR cameras to its line.

Start the New Year Securely
The recent rash of transmitter site break-ins has gotten readers' attention.

Steel Wool Ends Rodent Munchables
Hunting season is upon us. It's a good time to monitor your line pressure frequently.

They Work Hard So You Don't Have To
I received two notes from engineers regarding the wasps and the rubber ice-flaps used to "weatherproof" outdoor padlocks.

Forget the 'Scope, Grab the DMM
With the prices dropping, hopefully everyone has a DMM in their toolbox.

Let a Scaffold Boost Your Productivity
Construction supply companies can really come in handy when you're building a transmitter site.

Open an Umbrella, Save a Transmitter
Fall is a wet time of year, and you may have been challenged recently with water entering your transmitter site. But never like this!

Put the 'Squeeze' on Dawn or Joy
Obtaining the longest life from a high-power tube - whether a triode or tetrode - can only be achieved when you have a full understanding of the tube's operation.

Sage Advice: Put on Your Caps
Mark Ward of WTSN(AM) in Dover, N.H., writes on the subject of Sage Endecs. In a previous column we published a tip that Sage Endec memory batteries were coming up on 10 years of age and should be replaced. Installation of fresh batteries would eliminate the need of reprogramming the unit should the batteries and AC power fail.

Moving Day at the Transmitter Site
At least once in your engineering career, move a transmitter. Not you personally, mind you. But the project is an experience an engineer should enjoy. Here are some tips.

Slicker Charts and Cooler Racks
Kinko's and other copy centers can do marvelous things. Copying your large transmitter schematics is one.

Condition Air Without Losing Your Hair
Here's an inexpensive add-on that will help you sleep at night and enjoy long weekends without the panic call of a flood in the studio.

Save Money and Maybe Save Lives
Charlie Rohde is an old DFW, Texas, broadcast engineer who'd gotten tired of calls in the middle of the night.

Be Nice to the Soda Machine Man
If you want to move big rectangular devices with care, consider people who do it all the time: the folks who transport vending machines.

Come Over, Red Rover, Good Boy
A way to make Cool Edit Pro version 2.0 and higher, including Adobe Audition, fire from the board through a series of remote contacts.

Surge Suppression, in Series
If you don't have surge suppression at your studio and transmitter site, make it a priority.

On Towers, Rust Never Sleeps
We've heard the phrase "out of sight, out of mind." Sometimes it refers to an abandoned AM site no one has time to visit.

Zap! Ouch! Flames From the Fingers
Two-thirds of the way into spring, it's time - past time - to take a close look at what winter did to your outside cabling.

Revenge of the French-Fry Finger
The Public Inspection File is one of the big inspection items, so don't blow this off.

Rebuilt Tubes That Work
I've only worked with one engineer, now many years retired, who made soldered RCA plugs a work of art. As widely used as these plugs are, they are without a doubt the most cantankerous.

An Air Conditioning Failure Plan
Danger comes in many forms in our profession. Some situations might seem harmless.

What's Wrong With This Photo?
Let's have a "can you spot what's wrong" photo.

Beware the Pulsing Mattress
Bob Gonsett's CGC Communicator newsletter had an interesting item recently, about an electric mattress pad that generates radio frequency interference, or RFI.

Inexpensive Backup Solutions
Given the catastrophic calamities experienced by some engineers over the past couple of years, the topic of reliable backup systems is a popular one.

A Life of Tests and Inspections
This series of photos is a good example of why an engineering due-diligence inspection is necessary when properties are acquired.

Back Up Your Backup Systems
Given the catastrophic calamities experienced by engineers over the past couple of years, reliable backup systems have become "top of mind" matters.

Stretching a Dollar in a New Year
Every engineer has recurring needs for small electronic parts from time to time, as well as an occasional urgent need for parts to get you back on the air.

Care and Feeding of Broadcast Gear
A number of years ago, I picked up what has become an engineering classic, Eimac's "Care and Feeding of Power Grid Tubes." This softcover book is chock-full of good information for anyone maintaining a tube-type transmitter.

Winds Aloft! Batten Down the Coax
To say the weather throughout the country has been bizarre recently is an understatement. From flooding to fire and hurricane-force winds, it seems broadcast engineers are dealing with new perils every day.

Holiday Lights for Your Racks
Most satellite receivers are located inside dark equipment racks. I've had numerous suggestions from engineers who have used "rope lights" inside a rack to illuminate the equipment

Pies for Passwords
Maintaining order in your station's computer systems can be as difficult as keeping the PD happy with the audio processing.

Keep the Goodies Under Lock and Key
Why do snakes love transmitter sites?

One More Radar Lover Gone
Larry Schropp of Schropp Electronic Services was called in to work with Winston Hawkins, technical director for the Vernon Family Stations, on a KU satellite receiver problem. It seems that one station's satellite receiver was dropping out periodically from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

The Importance of Site Visits
You may not want to read this column while eating your breakfast.

When Catastrophe Strikes
What a season of storms! Severe damage to both sites and equipment.

Discovering the Root of the Problem
We've all visited transmitter sites where the grass, vegetation, weeds, vines and trees seem to spring up overnight ... In most cases the sites have been neglected. Sometimes this is unintentional; the engineers simply are overworked. But visiting every transmitter site is time spent well.

The High Cost of Compressed Air
A discussion developed at one of my NAB transmitter workshops about cleaning these specialized devices. A participant complained about the high cost of cans of pressurized air for "dusting" transmitters, computers and other gear. A similar discussion showed up on Dave Biondi's radio-tech@broadcast.net listserv with some interesting comments.

Summer Is Time to Keep Your Cool
The dog days of summer upon us and so are all the cooling deficiencies and thermal instabilities of broadcast equipment.

Cellphones in Them Thar Trees
From the "why didn't I think of that" department: Have you spotted the new cellular "trees" sprouting up across our country? I guess these are in response to environmentalists who feel that regular cellular towers are ugly.

Pole Vaulting in the Studio
We highlighted a station in Thomas Jefferson's hometown of Charlottesville, Va., a while back. Eure Communications used "Jeffersonian" style columns in their studios to run wires from the console tabletop to the ceiling. A unique way to hide wires, and still keep a colonial Virginia theme ... So what do you do when you have the same wiring problem in a studio used for an outrageous morning show?

A Cheap Cable Reel Holder
Our recent stories about technically challenged operators generated a number of replies recounting similar episodes. Here are a few.

Here, Hold This Light Bulb
Scott Dennis runs InfoTech Alaska in Anchorage. He tells about a studio technician who was training in RF. One day, visiting a transmitter site, the tech started to walk inside the fence of the 10 kW tower. Scott stopped him when the tech was about two feet from the tower.

I'm an Engineer, Not a Bricklayer!
For too many years, engineers have included the title of plumber, electrician, even exterminator when it comes to our day-to-day duties.

Trees That Grow Over Night
Fred Greaves, Jr., is director of engineering for Susquehanna Radio Corp., and got a chuckle over our comments about FCC inspections and the inspectors. Fred adds a tip for chiefs of AM directionals.

Learning From Our Mistakes
A few months ago, engineers visiting Dave Biondi's radio-tech list serve on broadcast.net discussed self-inflicted problems. Without naming names, a couple of interesting stories were shared.

Lights, Camera ... Chainsaw!
If you maintain an older tower, lit with traditional red lighting, you might want to investigate the Dialight 860 series of red LED obstruction lights and beacons.

A Story of Radio Mice and Men
How does that nursery rhyme go, "Hickory, dickory, doc-tor ... the mouse climbed up the contac-tor!"

Protection Inside the ATU
Tower light monitoring is still high on the "hit lists" of the FCC and the FAA. The interface Ray Fantini provided for tower light telemetry caused John "J" Harris at KUAC(FM) in Fairbanks, Alaska, to drag the following circuit from his files.

He Found the Fix in the Drawer
In this era of consolidation, things are done a little differently.

How to Expand Scrunched Screens
We'll start off with a simple yet effective tip from Fred Greaves Jr., director of engineering for Susquehanna Radio Corp.

'Old' Tricks for New Engineers
Brent Barber, station manager and chief engineer for WDSO(FM) in Chesteron, Ind., read the June 19 Workbench in which we talked of RF interference issues. He could write a book about interference issues at WDSO.

Lightning Strikes; So Do Thieves
John Stortz of the Moody stations in Florida protects his VRC-2000 remote control from the southern lightning by using an Optilator from Stormin' Products, available through most broadcast equipment vendors.

Stupid-Proof the Lockup
You may remember last year's photo of all the gate locks, looped through each other, to give everyone with a key their own point of entry. Yes, it works; but when some yahoo locks someone out by inadvertently forgetting to loop his lock through the right hasp, it's time for the bolt cutters! (You do carry a pair in your trunk, right?) ... Well, a Charlotte, N.C., company has come up with a better way.

Modulation and the Older Tx
Like it or not, at some point in your career you'll probably need to keep an aging transmitter running

Install This Insurance Tray
Now that summer is in full swing, consider adding a safety "insurance" tray designed by Jon Banks, a contract engineer in Colorado.

Understand the Rules on RFI
It's probably one of the most disturbing phone calls you'll receive as a chief engineer. A neighbor calls and explains he is picking up your AM or FM station on their new television, and the new TV is encased in this nice big piece of furniture they bought from Sears.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane ..
Pulling cable? Make sure you place two labels on the cable runs, as shown by Brian Edwards, technical director for New World Radio in Fig. 1. If one label gets ripped off or damaged, identification is still easy.

Wasps, Pine Trees and Meter Bulbs
A recent inquiry comes from an engineer in charge of three AM stations, with the studios in one building. Unfortunately, the building also housed one of the AM transmitters.

Can't See the Tower for the Trees
Backups are great – when they work! Winter's elements can force dependence on a generator. If the operation is not monitored, however, disaster can strike.

Last-Minute Gift Ideas for Work
Here’s a column you’ll want to cut out and give to your friends and family as they wrap up their holiday shopping. Maybe they’ll take the hint!

Nice Things for the Staff and You
Figure 1 begs the question, "Will lightning run backward?" It’s always a good idea to add a cable ground kit, as shown in the photo, but the best protection occurs when the ground wire is not looped and runs straight to the ground strap.

Deadbeats
If you’ve spent some of your nice fall days cleaning your transmitter site, watch what you use for the job.

How to Find Old Xmitter Parts
We’ve all worked for owners who thought transmitters last forever, but the truth is that as a transmitter ages, the availability of parts becomes a real problem.

Whose Standards Are Being Compromised
As I inspected a site where a bush hog operator had bent a guy wire anchor, I thought of how such an accident could be prevented by simple marking of the wires at the anchor base plate.

Infrared Finds Your Hot Spots
If you maintain stations and are planning your budget, visit the Web site of Mid-Atlantic Infrared, at...

Care and Feeding of a Dehydrator
One of my biggest disappointments watching broadcasting evolve is the lack of mentoring programs for entry-level engineers.

Take the Sting Out of Your Site
Fall is a beautiful season in much of the United States, and it gives us a chance to winterize our sites before the really nasty weather strikes.

Be the Windshield, Not the Bug
Sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug. Good planning can make the difference.

What to Do When You Inherit a Dump
Some good news to report. The station that allowed tower tenants to share their transmitter building, and installed a "haywire" rat’s nest of wiring in connecting their equipment, was "shamed" into cleaning up the mess, after seeing the picture in Radio World!

Cords, Columns and More Ground Rods
Keeping things clean is the bane of the broadcast engineer.

Take This Rod and Shove It!
Great summertime weather means it’s time to follow through with the ground-rod projects we talked about in the March 30 issue.

Now You See It, Now You Don’t!
Remember the pesky problem of infrared remotes not working in fluorescent light environments?

Nigerian Scam: Too Good to Be True
It was probably 10 years ago that I received a fax that was too good to be true.
Coming into the office early one morning, I found the fax on official letterhead from a government official in Nigeria.

Knicknacks for Your Tool Kit
Every once in a while, peruse those non-broadcast catalogs and you’ll come up with a "find."
Ed Bukont of TESSCO shares just such a product from the Markertek Video Supply catalog.
The Niles RFS-1 is a voltage-activated A-B switch. The RFS-1 accommodates two RF inputs and provides a single RF output. Using a small RF relay, the default mode passes input "A" to the output.

I Ain’t Climbin’ That Thing!
A tower owner calls in a rigger to climb his tower. Before he even sets foot on the structure, the rigger makes a visual inspection. Sorry, there will be no climbing today.Figure 1 shows why: the hollow legs of the tower have split...

Keep the Console Bulbs Burning
Many engineers are all too familiar with the task of changing switch lamps on consoles.Over the years, we’ve seen improvements in console designs, the most recent being the use of LED replacement lamps.

Not Just Any Rubber Glove Will Do
I’ll never forget the first time I witnessed an engineer "hot-tune" an AM tuning unit. The OIB dials were set for 50+j0, and the engineer grabbed the coil clip with his bare hand and "tapped" it around the coil ’til the null meter on the bridge read zero.