FM CP Logs

[greg.hahn]

I didn't say not to use a single sheet of paper or two a month to check things... I have a log book at every TX site that I write everything down in when I visit them. All TX parameters, remote control calibration, tower lights (when applicable), generator (when applicable) even inside and outside temperature.

What I was speaking of was reams of paper where the jocks are taking readings every single hour. If the remote control is not calibrated, then those won't be worth anything anyway, since they will most likely be taking readings from said remote. That's a waste of time to me. The remote is more descriptive and more accurate when it calls me on a weekend than, "Uh, I think we're off the air. Okay maybe not. Wait, which channel again do you want me to go to? Huh? We have one of those? Ohhhh, right." etc etc.

I can log in or call in and get the whole scoop. And if something does drift out, it'll let me know as soon as it happens.

Well, yeah, if the remote control isn't calibrated the readings won't be very useful. :

But whose job is it to calibrate that?

And if the remote control isn't calibrated, then it won't be any more descriptive and accurate when it calls you on the weekend than it would be if it called them!

And who said anything about taking readings every hour? My personal rule is once per shift. And why not do that? We're paying these guys to be there. They can't pick up the phone one time and call the remote control and write down what it says, following a carefully designed, reasonably idiot-proof procedure? I think they can.

Meanwhile.... you have parameters checked and documented once a week or once every 10 days. Mine are checked and documented several times a day. (And my meters are properly calibrated, by the way.)

They already have to log tower lights and EAS, so you're not really saving anything by interrupting their TV watching to go take some meter readings. It's all a matter of training and setting some reasonable expectations.

 

[TomZ]

One school of thought is to record the parameters every 3 hours because it CYA on the FCC's 3 hour shut down criteria.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Well, yeah, if the remote control isn't calibrated the readings won't be very useful. Roll Eyes

But whose job is it to calibrate that?

And if the remote control isn't calibrated, then it won't be any more descriptive and accurate when it calls you on the weekend than it would be if it called them!

And who said anything about taking readings every hour? My personal rule is once per shift. And why not do that? We're paying these guys to be there. They can't pick up the phone one time and call the remote control and write down what it says, following a carefully designed, reasonably idiot-proof procedure? I think they can.

Meanwhile.... you have parameters checked and documented once a week or once every 10 days. Mine are checked and documented several times a day. (And my meters are properly calibrated, by the way.)

They already have to log tower lights and EAS, so you're not really saving anything by interrupting their TV watching to go take some meter readings. It's all a matter of training and setting some reasonable expectations.

Who calibrates my client's meters and remotes? I check calibration once a week, when I'm at each site and compare to the meters on the TX and other gear. I do RF power verification by indirect method using the meters on the TX if the place doesn't have a separate wattmeter each week. If they have a separate meter and the TX and it jive, I'll skip the indirect and usually do it every month. I can log in and verify the Nautel against the remote control without even going to the site physically.

Since I'm a contract guy, they can have the jocks do whatever they want. All I know is that I'd rather get the call from the remote than from a jock trying to explain what the remote is saying to them and wasting even more time; time that I could be using to call and troubleshoot the problem. So yeah, knowing that I'm the guy calibrating everything and verifying it once a week, I'd much rather get the call from Mr. Roboto directly.

 

[WNTIRadio]

PS- Most of the remotes I have installed automatically log at the interval I specify, which is 3 hours. It's all on a hard drive that gets backed up to Carbonite and the sever's RAID array.

Like I said, no reason to have reams of paper wasting trees and space anymore. I stick each year on a pair of CDs and put one in the station's file and one in my office.