xNodes Link Community Radio for Northern Colorado

With its beginnings on the University of Northern Colorado campus in 1967 as KCBL, 91.5 KUNC serves residents of Northern Colorado with a unique blend of locally-produced news, music, and other popular public radio programming. Now owned and operated by Community Radio for Northern Colorado, the group has grown to a network of over 14 stations and translators throughout Colorado.

Vintage Audio: Heath SG-8 RF Signal Generator

Heathkit equipment has consistently proven that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get reasonable test gear. This Found in the Attic feature, the SG-8 RF signal generator, is no exception. It was introduced by Heath in September of 1953, and sold for $19.50. Production continued through May of 1961. Despite the low cost, the stability and accuracy of this RF generator is pretty impressive.

The circuitry is simplicity in itself. The RF section consists of a single 12AU7. One triode section is a Colpitts oscillator, while the other is a buffer between the oscillator and output section. Four coils, for bands A-D, are switched via the band switch. The coil for band E, which covers 25-110 Mhz is really a section of bus bar wire.  Additionally, useful calibrated harmonics are available up to 220 Mhz.

Topics: Vintage Technology

TWiRT 326 - Let’s Get Ready to Re-Aim

Well, that’s one of many subjects that Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack are discussing on this episode. Others include Burli newsroom software, Harris VistaMax, Shure SM7, Telos iPort PLUS parallel audio distribution, and Krone block patch cables. And, will President Trump replace FCC Chairman Wheeler?  

Hosts:  Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist and Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Links from the show:

Gentlemen, Move Your Dishes - Radio Networks Moving to AMC-18 (or SES-11?)

Krone Block information from the Online Engineer

Connecting the Land Down Under - via Satellite and Terrestrial Internet

Omnia.7AM is the Answer for WHK

We go to the far reaches of the globe to bring you stories about happy users of Telos Alliance equipment, along with the innovative ways they put it to use. But sometimes, a great story is right in our own back yard. This time, we'll take a short drive from our Cleveland headquarters and travel to legacy station WHK 1420 AM The Answer. It's now part of the Salem Media Group. The Cleveland cluster also includes WHKW 1220 The Word, WHKZ 1440 The Word, and WFHM 95.5 FM The Fish. When we get there, we'll meet up with Chief Engineer Brett Patram. He'll tell us about his experiences with Telos, and how the stations came to be a test site for Omnia processors, most recently the Omnia.7AM.

Topics: broadcast audio processor

TWiRT 325 - Old to New Engineering at WHRO

When you start from a solid engineering foundation, it’s much easier to pass the baton to your replacement.  John Heimerl retired from Engineering at WHRO in Norfolk, and the new engineer, Ray Lenz, has been building on John’s AoIP foundation. We’re talking with both John and Ray, plus Chris Tobin on TWiRT.

Guests: 

John Heimerl, Fine Tuning Associates, LLC

Raymond Lenz, Senior Radio Engineer, WHRO - WHRV

Hosts:  Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist and Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Links from the show:

WHRO, Norfolk, VA  

Vintage Audio: Shure M67 Mic Mixer

Some pieces of broadcast equipment are destined to become classics. The Otari MX5050, Gates Sta-Level and Spotmaster 500 cart machines come to mind. All were rugged, easy to service, and affordable. And so is our current attic discovery, the Shure M67 microphone mixer.

The story begins almost 50 years ago, in 1968 when the M67 was introduced. Production continued through 1987. In 1968, many stations were still using portable mixers with vacuum tubes, so an upgrade to solid state was a plus. One of the early footnotes in the history of the M67 was its use in the recording of Woodstock in 1969.

Topics: Vintage Audio Technology

IBS: The College Radio Resource

College radio stations often have limited resources to manage various projects or issues they might face. So where do college broadcasters turn when they have questions? Intercollegiate Broadcasting System is a 77-year-old volunteer organization that supports the mission of college and high school radio, and recognizes and promotes the efforts of these and other non-commercial broadcasters.

Topics: college radio, Intercollegiate Broadcasting System, College Radio Day, high school radio

Vintage Audio: GE Superadio III

Is it too soon for a Found in the Attic ‘90s flashback? Before you answer yes, think about how much the mass media and technology have changed over the past 20 years. In the early 90s, the Internet hadn't yet happened, and there was no streaming media. Radio was still an AM-FM thing. In this world, specialty receivers were not uncommon. A few people were still interested in long-distance AM listening (DXing), and to meet that need, the GE Superadio series was offered. This Found in the Attic examines that series, and the Superadio III in particular.

Streaming University: The Complete Broadcast Streaming Audio Resource

These days, streaming audio is everywhere, and the importance of streaming continues to grow for broadcasters across the globe. Anymore, simply having an audio stream isn’t enough - though it’s a start if you’re not already streaming now. If you aren’t, you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity to maximize listenership - and revenues! Broadcast streaming audio has become such an important facet of many radio stations’ offerings that it’s making up a larger portion of broadcast revenues every year.

Because this essential technology continues to proliferate, there’s a lot to know - even for those who have been streaming for several years. That’s why, earlier this year, the Telos Alliance developed Streaming University, a series of classes and an accompanying YouTube video series providing everything you need to know about streaming audio.

Topics: Streaming Audio, adaptive streaming, audio, streaming, broadcast streaming, streaming for radio

TWiRT 322 - Alex and Chris, The Radio Tech Guys

Alex Linger and Chris Moran are two radio engineers using the latest technology to help broadcasters create news, sports, and entertainment. What sets them apart is how they share what they do with the rest of us. Alex and Chris have a new podcast and they produce how-to videos about broadcast studio and transmitter systems.

Guests: Alex Linger, Director of IT - West Virginia Radio Corp and Chris Moran, Director of Technology - West Virginia Radio Corp

Hosts:  Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist  and Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Links from the show: 

Platinum Tools EZ-RJ45 connectors and tools

The Radio Tech Guys web site

The Radio Tech Guys YouTube Channel