A day in the life of a lamptimer

[asugeorge1]

Someone must have physically gone over to the Lumberyard to reset the lamptimer today because sign-off was exactly on-time at 6:30 P.M. and 45 seconds, right as Lulu was starting her 1967 classic #1 hit, "To Sir With Love." It's all starting to make sense now because also earlier today, the Goldmine started the limited / night-time power of 52 watts, which is well below their allowable pre-sunrise authorization for the month of September. That must have been a busy engineer over at the canal shack off Thomas Road in Scottsdale! ;D

As a footnote, whether "catfish" with a "c" or a "k" or an "x" is right or not, that wasn't 500 watts blasting out this morning because this morning's power was at the same level as the night-time power was during that infamous weekend in April when we were treated to night-time commercial-free oldies. Ah, the good old days! :'(

 

[johndavis]

Speaking of the Lumberyard, how long will the simulcast of Culinary Confessions on both 1440 AM and Trailerpark 1260 / no-power 96.1 FM last? This show I actually don't mind being on the Lumberyard since it seems to cater to an older crowd (who already love those nuggets from the Goldmine!) and is very unique. The morning sports show "The Positive Side" is one that makes little to no sense on the Goldmine. But, with this simulcast, is Sandusky actually thinking of giving it back to Jeffry O'Brien and Company since NBC 1260 has become a resurrection of sorts of Independent Radio 1310 KXAM? Inquisitive minds want to know! ???

I'm sure that as long as Culinary Confessions brings Sandusky a check every week, they don't care who else carries the show.

And as long as "Positive Side Of Sports" brings in its check, they can blow sunshine up the Goldmine all morning long.

 

[DrAkbar]

I'm sure that as long as Culinary Confessions brings Sandusky a check every week, they don't care who else carries the show.

And as long as "Positive Side Of Sports" brings in its check, they can blow sunshine up the Goldmine all morning long.

And if even more checks are made out to Gumpdusky, the Goldminers will probably get the pink slip. Who knows? Tons of checks could make the Valley's last daytimer a....(ready for this)... FULLTIMER!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Tons of checks could make the Valley's last daytimer a....(ready for this)... FULLTIMER!

But Doc, our buddy catfish (with a "c") insists the Lumberyard can't get its rig
down to 52 watts!

Well maybe tons-o-checks would let them spring for a new transmitter that can.

Remind them to pick up a new lamptimer, too. ;D

 

[asugeorge1]

So what exactly is going on over at the Lumberyard? One day, they are broadcasting at reduced power for fifteen minutes, another day they're not. After trying it out last week, I noticed this morning that KAZG did not power up at 6:00 A.M. with reduced pre-sunrise power. This morning, the day-time transmitter powered on at the normal sunrise time for September, which was shortly after 6:15 A.M. (shortly thanks to the lamptimer drift that continues to push power-on / shut-down time back 11 seconds every day).

What I'm thinking is that maybe the Sandusky engineers were testing out the reduced power transmitter of 52 watts (or whatever it is) in preparation for next month, October, when the pre-sunrise reduced power length will be significantly longer at thirty minutes (6:00 A.M. - 6:30 A.M). As a disclaimer, I'm no Lumberyard expert like Oldiesfan, the esteemed Doctor from Buckeye or the couple of catfishes we have patrolling this board so this may or may not be the case. But, either way, one has to wonder why KAZG powered up at reduced power last week for fifteen minutes and not this week. The Lumberyard mystery continues! ;D

 

[oldiesfan6479]

...one has to wonder why KAZG powered up at reduced power last week for fifteen minutes and not this week.
The Lumberyard mystery continues! ;D

Maybe it's an "every other week" thing, as this morning (September 17) there was
nothing until a full-power sign-on 2:04 after the specified monthly time.

Closed circuit for Gumpdusky...there's a nifty idea for a lamptimer you might try in
this week's Tower Site of the Week from Professor Fybush:

http://www.fybush.com/sites/2010/site-100917.html

Check the last pic in the piece, the "high-tech timer controls" at KAWC Yuma. Can't
be any worse that what you have now, and it makes a great cup of coffee too! ;D

"Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio..."

 

[boiseengineer]

We have the "Lamptimer".

What's the nickname for KAWC(AM) going to be?

 

[DrAkbar]

We have the "Lamptimer".

What's the nickname for KAWC(AM) going to be?

Mr Coffee-timer, but of course! A day in the life of the former Mr Marilyn Monroe. :

 

[LibertyNT]

this should be a book!

 

[DrAkbar]

this should be a book!

....placed on a Mr Coffee table, no less! Nurse Jeff and I are in negotiations with catfish (small c) for a picture of the lamptimer at Lumberyard 14~Forty. Our hunch is Mrs Gumpdusky gave it to the goldminers when she upgraded to a digital timer for her Christmas decorations!

 

[catfish]

maybe we can talk gary to put up Christmas lights around the building, just in time for my birthday ...

 

[oldiesfan6479]

"Christmas at the Lumberyard"...sounds so festive!

Can the lamptimer be programmed to do double duty--so when it cuts the KAZG carrier
at somewhere approximating monthly sunset, it also turns on the Christmas lights?
And does the reverse at either PSRA time or sunrise?

I feel a "holiday BBQ on the canal bank" waiting in the wings, too. Since it's at their shop,
we'll let the Gumpduskers decide on whether or not to invite the Prattster.

 

[DrAkbar]

I feel a "holiday BBQ on the canal bank" waiting in the wings, too. Since it's at their shop,
we'll let the Gumpduskers decide on whether or not to invite the Prattster.

After his comments about how strong Kay Youuuuuuu PD is because they're doin' the things he started years ago, the Gumpduskers are obliged to set a big red picnic table out for the Mayor! Real names are optional as we know catfish (with a small c) will be there along with Oldiesfan, Legend City and ASUgeorge.

"Christmas At The Lumberyard"...sounds pretty good to Nurse Jeff and Me. Perhaps a picture of the Goldminers as the Wise Men and the infamous lamptimer wrapped in swaddling clothes could drive up sales of the CD. With proceeds going towards the purchase of a xmttr capable of operating at 52 watts, this should be a slam dunk for Cactus Radio!

 

[DrAkbar]

Seeing that tomorrow is October 1st*, as a public service the Buckeye Boyz are reminding the Goldminers at Lumberyard 14~Forty to reset the lamptimer after the last shift tonight. On at 6am with pre-sunrise power of 500 watts, then bump up to 5kw at 6:30a. Please cut the carrier in the middle of a worn out oldie at 6pm and do not run a legal ID before doing the dump. We're counting on you miners to get 'er done right on Friday as this exercise represents 50% of your final grade at the Buckeye Media Hut.



* only a month and a half to go before All Ho-Ho-Ho music makes it's premature return!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Seeing that tomorrow is October 1st, as a public service the Buckeye Boyz are reminding the Goldminers at Lumberyard 14~Forty to reset the lamptimer after the last shift tonight. On at 6am with pre-sunrise power of 500 watts, then bump up to 5kw at 6:30a. Please cut the carrier in the middle of a worn out oldie at 6pm and do not run a legal ID before doing the dump.

All well and good, but you know it'll take Gumpdusky at least until October 2 to get this right!

We're counting on you miners to get 'er done right on Friday as this exercise represents 50% of your final grade at the Buckeye Media Hut.

What's the other 50%? Lube, oil change and deluxe wash on the Gremlin?

 

[oldiesfan6479]

It's 6:18 PM and Lumberyard 1440 has yet to leave the air! Must be the usual
beginning of the month lamptimerus not yet updaterus malady at Gumpdusky.

This morning too, they thought it was still "late September and you really should be
back at school" as the carrier popped on--with full 5 kw power and without a legal ID
--at 6:19:37 AM LST.*

We will continue to follow this breaking news story and will bring you our next scheduled
update after the bottom of the hour...bulletins at once. Now we'll all sit at the big studio
desk and play with our iPads. ;D

*: LST = Lamptimer Standard Time

 

[oldiesfan6479]

This just in...

I leave the room at 6:21 to the sounds of the Goldmine, come back in at 6:22
and...and...KAZG is off the air!

Someone must have made it out to the Lumberyard and cut the carrier manually,
rather than wait for the lamptimer to do its thing at 6:34-something.

Now how do you explain on the transmitter log of not signing off at (the specified)
6:00 PM? I guess the same way you explain signing on before 6:30 AM today!

 

[asugeorge1]

This just in...

I leave the room at 6:21 to the sounds of the Goldmine, come back in at 6:22
and...and...KAZG is off the air!

Someone must have made it out to the Lumberyard and cut the carrier manually,
rather than wait for the lamptimer to do its thing at 6:34-something.

Now how do you explain on the transmitter log of not signing off at (the specified)
6:00 PM? I guess the same way you explain signing on before 6:30 AM today!

Must be a continuing April Fool's Day joke at the beginning of each and every month over at the Lumberyard! Who wants to turn them in to the FCC?

What I'm interested in seeing is whether or not we'll hear the Goldmine on reduced power beginning tomorrow or, since it's the weekend, on Monday beginning at 6:00 A.M. It sounds doubtful, but something will have to be done come December when the Goldmine HAS to sign-on early in order for Roy Garibaldi's Sports and Entertainment Charade to be heard at 7:00 A.M. We all know Sandusky was testing out the reduced power transmitter earlier last month, but they didn't stick with it for the rest of September.

Any Sandusky engineers want to clue us in on what's to come over at the Lumberyard?

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Any Sandusky engineers want to clue us in on what's to come over at the Lumberyard?

LOL asugeo!

I doubt the Gumpduskers will even give us the time of day--real or the lamptimer version. ;D

 

[catfish]

There ain't but one transmitter at the site, it's a Gates 5KW that is not type accepted by the FCC to run at 50 watts.. ain't gonna happen, ain't no other transmitter in the building.. period..