TWiRT 316 - Radio on the Cheap

Engineers seek out tools and products to get the job well done while saving money. It’s important to be frugal when you can, so you’ll have the resources for when you can’t.  Chris Tobin, Andrew Zarian, and Kirk Harnack look at some low-cost solutions for radio engineers.

Guest: Andrew Zarian - Founder, GFQ Network

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

Links from the show:

BM 8000 Studio Condenser Mic

Mic Pop Filter for many side-address condenser mics

Behringer HA400 4--Channel Headphone Amp

CR2032 Batteries for many PC motherboards

Behringer Xenyx 1204USB

Grandstream 4-Line ATA (SIP to POTS adapter)

Refurbished Dell 755 Core2Duo for PC-based projects

Radio World Magazine

ARRL Hints & Kinks book - 18th Edition 

Topics: Broadcasting

Vintage Audio: VOMs and VTVMs

Accurate measurements of voltage, current and resistance have been an essential part of electronics troubleshooting since the beginning. Early repairmen used pocket watch meters, which were the topic of an earlier Found in the Attic. Using different meters for voltage and current, as well as for different voltage ranges, was pretty inconvenient. Soon, with the addition of rotary switches, and 'A' battery and meter multiplier resistors, the VOM, or volt-ohm milliammeter evolved. It was a giant leap forward for convenience, but left us with one of the limiting factors of pocket watch meters, namely that the internal resistance of the meter loaded the circuit under test, resulting in inaccuracies.

Topics: Vintage Electronics

It's 9X/2 for 9 Stations at ARN

With nine FM radio stations, the Arabian Radio Network is the largest multi-platform radio network in the Middle East, and includes a significant streaming audio presence. Recently, our own Denny Sanders sat down for a few minutes with Murad Jahangir, Director of Information Technology for ARN in Dubai, to chat about his experience using the Z/IPStream 9X/2 for his streams.

Topics: Streaming Audio

Vintage Audio: Lafayette LT-81 FM Stereo Tuner

The 1960s were a transitional time for consumer electronics. The market for quality equipment was dominated mostly by American and German companies. By the mid-1970s, Sony and Panasonic were the names to watch. It didn't happen overnight. The earliest Japanese imports were laughable examples of shoddy workmanship and design. But they quickly learned from their mistakes, and began to roll out quality products rather quickly. In the end, American companies either went out of business or changed directions and went into things like government contracts.

Topics: Vintage Electronics

Amazing Sound Quality for BestRadio Brasil with Z/IPStream

For one Brazilian internet broadcaster, finding the right sound proved a challenge. BestRadio Brasil in São Caetano do Sul, outside São Paulo, was born of an idea to create an internet radio station with the best possible quality—quality programs, music, and an amazing audio quality.

Topics: Streaming Audio

TWiRT 315 - Connectorized! 

Connectors! They come in many shapes and sizes, and usually have specific purposes.  Sometimes the same type of connector is used for very different things. Just because it fits doesn’t mean it’ll work. Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack talk about the most common connectors for audio, power, RF, and data on This Week in Radio Tech.

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

Links from the show:

Installing a PL259 connector (video)

Installing an RJ45 connector (video)

List of common audio connectors and purposes

Pyle Network Cable Tester

Topics: Broadcasting

Telos' Triple Threat

Whether it's the sale of a single piece of gear, multiple items, turnkey installations with custom solutions, or equipment training, Triple Audio serves the needs of broadcasters across the Netherlands. In fact, there isn't much related to broadcast equipment that the company doesn't do. Among that is sales and distribution of gear from The Telos Alliance.

Marijn Fluitman, a project engineer, has been with Triple Audio for four years. The company is definitely engineering-driven. There are two managers and twelve employees, all engineers. They step into the administrative, sales and training roles as needed. “We're a bunch of young guys with the drive to do it all,” explains Fluitman.

TWiRT 314- Summertime Blues? No Way!

Stealthy antennas from those tricky mobile carriers... Can you count on mobile data bandwidth now - or in the future? Sun transit fade - on a terrestrial microwave path? A better Ethernet switch will solve that and more. And some TV stations are sharing the same frequency! Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack talk radio engineering on TWiRT!

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

Topics: Broadcasting

Vintage Audio: Wilkinson Transmitter Extension Meter

This chapter of Found in the Attic explores a forgotten chapter in the history of broadcast remote control technology, transmitter extension meter panels.

In the earliest days of radio, the Commission required all operating transmitter sites to be manned by someone with a First Class FCC license. That person was required to take meter readings every 30 minutes, maintain the transmitter log, and make repairs, or switch to a backup in the event of failures.

As technology evolved, and transmitters became more reliable, the rules were relaxed so that sites could be controlled remotely. In FCC lingo, the studio where the operator on duty was stationed was known as the control point. They Commission allowed most stations to have operators with a Third Class license and broadcast endorsement on duty. There were exceptions for directional stations, and those with higher power, which still required the First Class ticket.

Topics: Vintage Electronics, Vintage Technology

Thank You for Your Support

One of the things we frequently hear from our customers is how great our Telos Alliance Support team is. The 24/7 Support team regularly receives rave reviews from broadcasters from coast to coast and around the world. And while issues range from the straightforward to the very complex, the result is always the same for our customers—prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly service in minutes, not days.

Topics: The Telos Alliance