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Audio Issues

O

ojmurphy

Guest
I've been listening to a station today which was going on and off the air such that it sounded like a skipping CD. It was either on, or totally off (nothing in between) during songs, jingles and presenter speech. This went on for a good few hours. They offered an explanation on air that this was due to signal interference. I'm not at all technically minded, so I'd like to know if this is a realistic possibility? What could be causing this?

Thanks in advance guys<P ID="signature">______________
Owen</P>
 
Any number of things could cause this, but if their explanation of "signal interference" is correct it is probably interference to their microwave studio to transmitter link (STL). I've had this happen a number of times.

There is a local station that uses a telco T-1 line for audio and they get lots of click and pops and occassional drop outs. Not interference, but the result is the same.






> I've been listening to a station today which was going on
> and off the air such that it sounded like a skipping CD. It
> was either on, or totally off (nothing in between) during
> songs, jingles and presenter speech. This went on for a good
> few hours. They offered an explanation on air that this was
> due to signal interference. I'm not at all technically
> minded, so I'd like to know if this is a realistic
> possibility? What could be causing this?
>
> Thanks in advance guys
>
 
> Any number of things could cause this, but if their
> explanation of "signal interference" is correct it is
> probably interference to their microwave studio to
> transmitter link (STL). I've had this happen a number of
> times.
>
> There is a local station that uses a telco T-1 line for
> audio and they get lots of click and pops and occassional
> drop outs. Not interference, but the result is the same.
>

Especially if they're using a digital STL, like a Moseley Star Link. As the BER (Bit Error Rate) goes up, so do things like jitter and dropouts.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> Any number of things could cause this, but if their
> explanation of "signal interference" is correct it is
> probably interference to their microwave studio to
> transmitter link (STL). I've had this happen a number of
> times.
>
> There is a local station that uses a telco T-1 line for
> audio and they get lots of click and pops and occassional
> drop outs. Not interference, but the result is the same.

Sounds like the line may be <blink>intermittent</blink>...
 
> > Any number of things could cause this, but if their
> > explanation of "signal interference" is correct it is
> > probably interference to their microwave studio to
> > transmitter link (STL). I've had this happen a number of
> > times.
> >
> > There is a local station that uses a telco T-1 line for
> > audio and they get lots of click and pops and occassional
> > drop outs. Not interference, but the result is the same.
> >
>
> Especially if they're using a digital STL, like a Moseley
> Star Link. As the BER (Bit Error Rate) goes up, so do
> things like jitter and dropouts.

Thank guys...

So, in Layman's terms, you're suggesting it's their signal from studio to transmitter that's the problem? What sort of thing would interfere with this?

Forgive me for my technical stupidity!<P ID="signature">______________
Owen</P>
 
> So, in Layman's terms, you're suggesting it's their signal
> from studio to transmitter that's the problem? What sort of
> thing would interfere with this?

Things not normally considered like faulty microwave ovens can emit a signal that will lock out an STL receiver.

A malfunctioning doppler radar can do it as well...when the radar beacon is pointed at the STL receiver antenna.

TV station ENG trucks can do it, as can satellite uplinks.

All of that has potential to cause this type of interference...not to mention other station's STL setups, which may occasionally be reflected by temperature inversions to places long beyond their service area.

That's just the ones that come to mind.

Matt Smith
WGSR-TV
Reidsville, NC
 
With this discussion about STL interference and other issues... And since a lot of stations are clustered in one building, are there many stations left whose studios are located on-site with the transmitter/tower?

-Timmy<P ID="signature">______________
Perfection is overrated...
www.marinifamily.org</P>
 
> With this discussion about STL interference and other
> issues... And since a lot of stations are clustered in one
> building, are there many stations left whose studios are
> located on-site with the transmitter/tower?

Here in the Boston area, a number of the college stations have their transmitters and towers on their campuses, but not on the very same building as their studios.

For commercial stations in the Boston area, AM stations WJIB 740 Cambridge, WXKS 1430 Everett, and WNTN 1550 Newton have towers on land immediately adjacent to their studio buildings.

On FM, only WZLX 100.7 has studios in the building co-located with the transmitter and antenna on Boston's Prudential Tower. Many other Boston FM's transmit from the roof of the Prudential, but their studios are all located elsewhere.
 
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