Security Protocol for New Z/IP ONE Users 

We've made a little change to the way we configure Z/IP ONEs before they leave the factory. Even if you're not in the market for an IP codec now—heck, even if you're not a Telos customer—this change is something you should contemplate.

In recent months, the last thing our technicians do before boxing up a new Z/IP ONE will be to change the password needed to access the web page. Each new codec will receive a unique password, based on characteristics that cannot be discovered from the network side, but which are easily seen by the user. An instruction card accompanying each new device will describe how to access the web page.

Topics: Security

Ed-gineering with Axia

It was the typical FM studio layout of the day, Ed Bukont explains. Air, Production, News, and Tech Room all clustered at one end of the second floor of a two story office building. “I built the original facility at WSMD Star 98.3 FM in approximately 1988." Three stations, under many hands, have been added in the meantime. "At some point, as the situation of the aggregate plant became untenable, someone suggested calling the guy who built the original place.”

Ed did a site evaluation and found the production room had been cannibalized to keep station 2 operating, and stations 3 and 4 were using a witch’s brew of equipment, some of which he had been partially involved in the installation of. Meantime, the rack room, which had grown from two to four (now six) racks, had suffered, in Ed’s words, some very unfortunate feats of engineering.

Vintage Audio: Zenith Allegro Modular Stereo

The 1970s saw the music industry grow in to a multi-billion dollar business. This explosive growth was one of the driving forces behind a comparable expansion in consumer electronics, and in particular, hi-fi gear.

Component stereo gear was the bread and butter of companies such as Pioneer, Marantz and Denon. Consumers could purchase tuners, amps and tape decks at a price point they could afford, and upgrade as new technology and/or larger paychecks became available. At the other end of the spectrum were modular stereo systems. These devices usually had all of the above components, along with a turntable, in one chassis. Since all of the electronics were usually on a single motherboard, and there was only one chassis, they could be manufactured fairly inexpensively. There were two varieties of modular stereos. The large cabinet systems found in virtually every living room during the 1970s was one type, and there were also tabletop units.

Topics: Vintage Electronics

TWiRT 307 - Auto-testing Remote Sites with Doug Irwin

Having designed and installed remote control systems and automated testing on both sides of the US, Doug Irwin is uniquely qualified to talk about the benefits and some pitfalls.  As the Technical Editor at Radio Magazine, he’s also seeing changes in broadcast engineers’ skills and work emphases. Doug joins Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack on This Week in Radio Tech.

Guest: Doug Irwin, Director of Engineering - iHeartMedia Los Angeles & Technical Editor, Radio Magazine

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

Links from the show: 

Programmable Logic Controllers - Failure Mode Management

Radio stations that Stream Like They Mean It (mentioned in the Z/IPStream sponsor message)

Universal Love for Telos & Axia

Bob Page may have the best radio job ever. Working for Universal Orlando Resort, he is the radio broadcast specialist who interfaces with station personnel who are broadcasting from Universal Studios Radio Broadcast Center. Universal Orlando Resort uses this facility as another vehicle for promotion. Stations come to the resort and describe the beautiful surroundings, rides, and attractions to the home audience.

Topics: Broadcast Engineering

Vintage Audio: B&W 410 Distortion and Voltmeter

A recent trip to the attic reminded me of the long-forgotten ritual of an annual proof-of-performance, required of all stations by the FCC. Sitting in a dusty corner was a B&W 410 distortion and voltmeter. Time to bring it down for a general cleanup and photoshoot.

The theory of total harmonic distortion measurement is simple. Feed a low-distortion sine wave into the device under test. Connect the output to the distortion analyzer. Filter out the fundamental frequency. What's left is second and higher order harmonics and noise. Of course, when theory is put into practice, things can get complicated.

TWiRT 306 - A Day's Work with a Side of Ham with Charles Wooten 

Charlie Wooten - ham call NF4A - is our go-to guy for what’s happening in an Amatuer Radio. Charlie joins Chris Tobin with highlights from the Dayton Hamvention including a new member of the D-Star family.  It’s broadcast engineering with a side of ham!

Guest: Charles Wooten - Director of Engineering and IT, iHeartMedia, Panama City, Florida

Host:  Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist 

VR Comes to Broadcasting

Virtual Reality, or VR, was one of the hot topics at the recent CES and NAB shows in Las Vegas. The technology began to develop in the early ‘90s, when everyone was sporting those funny goggles. The novelty quickly wore off, and VR fell off the radar. Development continued however, and 2016 may be the year it finally reaches critical mass. No one is certain what the most popular applications for this new medium will be, but broadcasters are carving out a piece of the VR pie for themselves.

Topics: Virtual Reality

HD Multiplex with Philipp Schmid

What if you could transmit fifteen radio program channels from one FM transmitter, and receive them on existing FM-HD radios? Philipp Schmid, Research Engineer at Nautel, has been demonstrating exactly that. How does it work, and why might a broadcaster want to do this?  Philipp joins Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack to explain.

Topics: Broadcast Technology

TWiRT 305 - HD Multiplex with Philipp Schmid

What if you could transmit fifteen radio program channels from one FM transmitter, and receive them on existing FM-HD radios?  Philipp Schmid, Research Engineer at Nautel, has been demonstrating exactly that.  How does it work, and why might a broadcaster want to do this?  Philipp joins Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack to explain.

Guest: Philipp Schmid, Research Engineer - Nautel, Ltd.

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

Links from the show:

The HD Multiplex: What Will Be Possible?

BEC Preview: More on the HD Multiplex

Nautel on HD Multiplex

HD Radio Transmission Modes, including MP3 Mode

Paessler PRTG Network Monitoring Software