A day in the life of a lamptimer

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

* a tip of the fez to KOOL Listener Hearer Lauren...

Muchas gracias al doctor! La enfermera tambien. Thanks for remembering "Hearer"-- not "Listener"! What can you say, in a town of the Purple People Meter? When you two Buckeye Boyz wear the purple satin fezzes, that's when it's confused the most! (in more ways than one)

 

[asugeorge1]

The sign-off time for tonight, the final day in September, was 6:31 and 45 seconds P.M. MST. Oldiesfan can confirm that time if he wants. =)

Beginning tomorrow, we all know that sign-off time will be a lot earlier because it's a new month, October! Tomorrow's sign-off should be a lot closer to sunset than tonight's sign-off. Our friends at the Arizona Republic listed tonight's sunset at 6:14 P.M., a good 17 minutes prior to the Lumberyard signing off. Tomorrow's official sunset time is 6:12 P.M. Wonder how close Gumpdusky will get to that time? Or, better yet, maybe they'll employ their authorized post-sunset power for a breath of fresh air!

As a footnote, it will be interesting to see if the Lumberyard signs on tomorrow morning with reduced power like they have been doing all September long. We'll all be closely watching our morning clocks to see if that faint shout of the Isley Brothers fades in over the top of the hour news from Santa Barbara County, California!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Beginning tomorrow, we all know that sign-off time will be a lot earlier because it's a new month, October!

Daytime will be 6:30 AM-6:00 PM. As you inferred, we'll see what happens
in terms of any PSRA/PSSA action.

The KAZG page on PhoenixAirchecks.com has all the monthly times for
Lumberyard 1440. A tip of Akbar's fez (not the purple one, however)
to KOOL Listener Lauren for posting the times:

http://www.phoenixairchecks.com/KAZG

 

[DrAkbar]

As a footnote, it will be interesting to see if the Lumberyard signs on tomorrow morning with reduced power like they have been doing all September long. We'll all be closely watching our morning clocks to see if that faint shout of the Isley Brothers fades in over the top of the hour news from Santa Barbara County, California!

KUHL Santa Maria, CA should be using their nighttime pow-pow-power of 1kw and taking an RF dump due west in El Pacifico when Lumberyard 14~Forty fires up their pre-sunrise Gumpduskmitter at 6am. Operative word here is should. Nurse Czarina Jeff and I anxiously await Oldiesfan's October 1st ear-witness account!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

And now, ear-witless news for Thursday, October 1...cue the
Cool Hand Luke theme...

The required resetting of the lamptimer has been done (but it's
still running nearly two minutes late at this point and still gaining
:10-:11 every 24 hours).

Lumberyard 1440 popped on at 6:01:49 AM with either 52 watts
or whatever mysterious PSRA power calculation is used this month.
Somehow I think it's less than 500 watts--that formula needs a
rocket scientist to figure it out. <grin>

Sign-on came too late to capture the TOH legal ID programmed
into the music automation (must have been before the Spoonful
song that was JIPped), and we know by now the Gumpduskers
are unable to override the system and trigger an ID when the
the carrier comes on.

Power up to 5 kw was at 6:31:49.

 

[boiseengineer]

If the Gates-5 still has all those blown modules (shown in the pics posted not too long ago) it'll be easier to make the low PSSA power.

 

[catfish]

all the modules are fixed. That was not all the problem.. the gates 5 is running full power and with a blown module it still will not go down to the nighttime power level.. it's been fixed for several months and was only down for a couple of days to get all the parts in.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Yo, catfish (with a "C")...you seem to be in real tight with the folks
at the Londen Tower. Just what is the PSRA power level used by
Lumberyard 1440 this month?

And can you figure out how to calculate it from the authorization?

PSRA:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=4028

PSSA:
http://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/prod/cdbs/forms/prod/getimportletter_exh.cgi?import_letter_id=2018

As for the October 1 sign-off, it was 6:01:55 PM. There was a TOH legal ID
courtesy of the music automation at 6:00:15, but as usual no ID at sign-off.
(Catfish...maybe you could drop a hint about the ID thing too. <wink>)

 

[asugeorge1]

Shame, shame Lumberyard! Today, 10-06-2009, the Goldmine signed off without ever playing their 6:00 P.M. legal ID. The lamptimer kicked in around 6:01 P.M., right in the middle of a Beach Boys song. I assume that the legal ID WOULD HAVE PLAYED after the song, but the lamptimer did not allow that to happen. Guess the 5:00 P.M. legal ID will have to suffice! Keep up the good work Gumpdusky! =)

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Gumpdusky should realize that the TOH legal IDs played via the
music automation need to be treated separately from a legal ID
that is supposed to air at sign-on and sign-off, but doesn't, since
the lamptimer just pops the carrier--and the music automation--
on and off the air.

The only time you'll get an ID anywhere near sign-on and sign-off
is when the monthly time is at the TOH, but then you're still at the
mercy of where the ID comes up in the music sequence, so it may
not happen anyway. IIRC, boiseengineer came up with a viable
plan to interface certain relays into the lamptimer sequence and
get those start/end of broadcast day IDs on the air.

BTW--tonight's carrier dump was at 5:59:44 PM. Sometime over
the past weekend, the lamptimer was reset again--it had been
over 2:00 late, now it's almost right on the mark (give it another
day or two), but still drifts about :11 per day.

Two burning questions:

1) Does anyone make an atomic lamptimer?

2) Is it sold for a reasonable price at Home Depot? If so, we'll
get the Gremlin to hustle over to the KT'R Tower Plaza Depot,
pick one up, and deliver it personally to the Lumberyard. <grin>

 

[DrAkbar]

Two burning questions:

1) Does anyone make an atomic lamptimer?

2) Is it sold for a reasonable price at Home Depot? If so, we'll
get the Gremlin to hustle over to the KT'R Tower Plaza Depot,
pick one up, and deliver it personally to the Lumberyard. <grin>

The Nurse Czarina and I'll be happy to pick one up at the Home Depot, located smack in the middle of Sports Parkinglot 6~Twenty's xmttr site. A question back for you: should we pick up a couple of illegals undocumenteds to help with the install?

 

[oldiesfan6479]

A question back for you: should we pick up a couple of illegals undocumenteds to help with the install?

Only if they have a first phone. <wink>

 

[DrAkbar]

A question back for you: should we pick up a couple of illegals undocumenteds to help with the install?

Only if they have a first phone. <wink>

They do...along with driver's licenses and Social Security cards! No problema. Just let Nurse Czarina Jeff and I know which Lamptimer the Gumpdusky folks need and we'll point the Gremlin in the direction of Calle 36 y Thomas!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Only if they have a first phone. <wink>

They do...along with driver's licenses and Social Security cards! No problema.

Fake first phones? That does it, I'm calling ICE.

Not just a phony document, but a phony document with the forged signature of
Ben F. Waple! That's almost as heinous a crime as murder one. Book 'em, Danno! <grin>

 

[DrAkbar]

Only if they have a first phone. <wink>

They do...along with driver's licenses and Social Security cards! No problema.

Fake first phones? That does it, I'm calling ICE.

Not just a phony document, but a phony document with the forged signature of
Ben F. Waple! That's almost as heinous a crime as murder one. Book 'em, Danno! <grin>

But Steve....it's 95 degrees, the humidity is the same and you're wearing a buttoned black suit while driving a black Merc in the hot sun. No wonder Wo Fat calls you a big babooz, brah!

Does that Lamptimer need to be installed by a First Phone wearing a bright Hawaiian shirt?

 

[landtuna]

But Steve....it's 95 degrees, the humidity is the same and you're wearing a buttoned black suit while driving a black Merc in the hot sun. No wonder Wo Fat calls you a big babooz, brah!

But nary a hair out of place!

 

[asugeorge1]

The Lumberyard continues its new tradition of missing that 6:00 P.M. legal ID. Tonight's sign-off was really special because the lamptimer kicked in mid-way through the legal ID at 6:00 P.M. and 51 seconds. The legal ID was going, "KAZ......" and then, boom goes the dynamite! So we did get a partial station ID in, but no city of license. People are left wondering tonight whether this "KAZ..." is in fact the abundant life radio network or some other station like KAZA, Gilroy, CA or KAZE Ore City, Texas or maybe, just maybe, our friends from Northern Arizona are now on 1440 AM, KAZM! Shame, shame Gumpdusky! Next time, let the legal ID finish first before cutting off the valley's best radio station!

 

[DrAkbar]

The Lumberyard continues its new tradition of missing that 6:00 P.M. legal ID. Tonight's sign-off was really special because the lamptimer kicked in mid-way through the legal ID at 6:00 P.M. and 51 seconds. The legal ID was going, "KAZ......" and then, boom goes the dynamite! So we did get a partial station ID in, but no city of license. People are left wondering tonight whether this "KAZ..." is in fact the abundant life radio network or some other station like KAZA, Gilroy, CA or KAZE Ore City, Texas or maybe, just maybe, our friends from Northern Arizona are now on 1440 AM, KAZM! Shame, shame Gumpdusky! Next time, let the legal ID finish first before cutting off the valley's best radio station!

Sorry...but this particular lamptimer does not handle multi-tasking at all. Gumpdusky would have to invest a few bucks to do the job right. So for now, we'll have to put up with no legal id or one that is cut off when Lumberyard 14~Forty takes a carrier dump!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Tonight's sign-off was really special because the lamptimer kicked in mid-way through the legal ID at 6:00 P.M. and 51 seconds. The legal ID was going, "KAZ......" and then, boom goes the dynamite! So we did get a partial station ID in, but no city of license.

Too funny, asugeo, because the same thing happened in reverse this morning!

Carrier pops on with flea power* at 6:00:44 AM, right in the middle of the TOH
stager, but unfortunately just after the "K" in the calls. What one heard was
"(jingle singers)...A-Z-G, Scottsdale/Phoenix."


*: Still not known if this is the 52-watt night authorization or a PSRA of
unknown power. Paging catfish (with a "C") to come out of hiding and
reveal to us the Lumberyard PSRA mystery! If needed, we can put you
into the Buckeye Media Hut's Witless Protection Program and give you a
new identity...how about Katfish with a "K"? Oh wait, that's taken. <grin>

 

[oldiesfan6479]

As All Access would say...SHOCKER!

Lumberyard 1440 actually did a legal ID at sign-off tonight! It probably
won't happen again until the year 2525. If man is still alive. <grin>

But it was all the "luck of the lamptimer." About 6:01:02 PM the music
automation started the TOH stager, at 6:01:07 the actual legal ID part
("KAZG Scottsdale") of the jingle aired, and just after the superfluous
COL part ("Phoenix") finished at 6:01:12, the carrier was dumped.

It's not known if the Gumpduskers are having a celebration over at the
Londen Tower--or the lumberyard--this evening, but if so, none of us
were invited. "Hey, buy that lamptimer another drink!" <wink>