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EAS Logging Software..?

S

spinjector

Hi all,

I'm trying to remember the name of a piece of software. It was a 3rd-party EAS logging utility that you install on a pc with multiple COM ports. Each port went to a Sage Endec, and the software just sat and logged the ASCII plain text coming from the port. On screen, it had eight boxes, each in a different text color, showing in real time the data coming from each EAS box.

Does anyone know/remember the name of that software?

~thanks
 
We use it on three stations. It sorta works. I'd like for them to update the listener module. The database catches pretty much everything, but the listener often gets bogged on 'parsing error'. It is looking at three i.p addresses, the EAS boxes have little com port servers on the network.
 
I use it with six Sage Endecs all serial port connected with a PCI card that gives 8 more serial ports. Never noticed the problem that littlejohn has. It's much better than dealing with Endec printer paper!
 
Eng.Mike said:
EAS Scriber Pro by TDM Data solutions.
Click to expand...

Ahhh yes - that's it. I remember the name now that you've said it.

And yea that's a good description.... "It works... Sorta..." =-)

I wired up a PC with an 8-port COM card to Sage Endec's in 7 air studios. Took me like 2-3 weeks of working on it a couple hours a day when I could. I forget what brand of COM port card, but it was like $199. Signal came back from the studios on telco 25-pair copper between 66 blocks, with 8451 for the end wiring to the DB9 connectors. The PC was just an old barebones HP of some kind with Windows 2000 and not much else. The whole setup worked about 95% of the time, and never really figured out what the problem was before I left that company for another.
 
At my college station, we have an EAS printer that prints whenever it rains within 100 miles. On any day when there's a thunderstorm, the paper is strewn all over the studio. If there is a line of severe thunderstorms, that thing will run out of paper. It prints some really useful warnings such as "Special Marine Warning for Area 031560" or "A Civil Authority has issued a Civil Emergency Message until 4PM".
 
Nick, I'm guessing that some of your odd messages may be showing up because of a needed firmware update. You might compare notes with another station in the market to see if they are getting the same messages. My solution (although almost laughable) is to use an old Oki serial printer with fanfold tractor paper. It's extremely reliable and can be easily read by the on-air folks for weather reports. It doesn't lock up or do goofy crap like a computer can do. I have a nice and easy hard copy to show anyone that wants to see it. Of course the stupid goverment requires us to LOG the alerts so that's on another sheet with the signatures, etc. I got the printer for free from someone tossing is out, so it was also a very cheap solution. ;) They don't call me the Cheap Engineer for nothing....
 
At my old college station WBNY 91.3 in Bufafalo, we had an Okidata Swingline 320 dot matrix printer on our AP Newswire modem. They are the Laserjet 4 of the dot matrix world; they are as indestructible as an M1 tank with 12" armor.

It ran...and ran...and ran...and ran...nonstop. For three years straight. Day & night. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And this was just during the time I was there - rumor said it had been there for years before I got there.

When I first arrived, it had no ribbon, because someone had taken it out and left it lying next to the printer. The ribbon was literally shredded and tattered from what was probably years of use. The staff was actually using a pencil to rub the paper and make the indentations from the dot matrix pins stand out so they could read the news.

So yea... Okidata printers are okidokie with me. =-)
 
I know the Sage can be set to disregard incoming alerts such as weather alerts, marine warnings and amber alerts but is it legal to do so? We did that at a station I used to work at because much like Nick we were getting a ridiculous number of alerts during the summer.
 
If you aren't a relay station, you must originate and air required weekly tests, and forward required monthly tests. You must forward messages from the Nation Authority. Past there, there's no reason that you air much of anything. You need only log what you air and the tests you receive. I think.
 
So is my EAS printer not supposed to print "Special Marine Warning for Area ###" or the Civil Emergency message?

It seems to print the marine warning message when there's a thunderstorm over the water, and the Civil Emergency printed during an Amber Alert.
Announcing that a civil authority issued a civil emergency won't help find the missing kid, and no one's going to listen to our station in a boat or have any idea where Area 031560 is.
Fortunately, those messages don't take over the airwaves, they just kill trees.
 
My opinion only: set your ENDEC to disregard those messages and even the weather alerts if you so desire. The way I look at it if the Sage can ignore everything except the RMTs and RWTs then it must be ok to do exactly that. Besides, most of the violations and forfeiture orders I've read from the FCC that pertain to EAS logging were issued because weekly and monthly tests were either skipped or not logged. I can't find an instance where someone was fined because their ENDEC wasn't configured to receive a weather or amber alert.

Your station probably has a consultant engineer who could better lay it out for you.
 
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