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ICE, VSWR and YOU!
- Thread starter DeadElvis
- Start date
Ice can cause many problems including bringing down towers, though I don't think we're going to have that happen here. Anyone with a transmit antenna will be busy over the next 48 or so hours.
WMC-FM used to have problems in severe icing if the deicers couldn't keep up with the rate of ice formation. Don't know if the new antenna will have the same issues. K97 used to be the most ice immune antenna in town as I recall. A lot of new ones since I left the biz, though.
One does wonder how many neglected AM elements may hit the ground, however...
One does wonder how many neglected AM elements may hit the ground, however...
It's the unfortunate situation in many cases that being off the air or at reduced power for some time is the choice over the expense of proper ice protection. After all, if you have the protection to your transmission system and you are on the air, but all you're doing is playing " Get Down Boogie Oogie Oogie" on an unattended station rather than giving timely reports to the listeners with a live report, then what use are you in "serving the public interest?" If you're off the air due to some weather element you can always claim you were hampered in informing the public. And now a word from Corey B. Trotts.
Well, you're right, it is a geeky post -- one that is particularly interesting to those of us with some engineering backgrounds (and, for many, ham licenses). Geeks like geeky stuff.
But for programming "goobs" (is that short for "goober?" That's a new term for me.), this is important stuff, too. While eyes may glaze with talk of antennas detuning, rising SWR, and transmitter fold-back circuits, remember that the best programming in the world is irrelevant without a signal.
Further, I am sure that as "Drifts of Death 2010" descends on the City, some needs will exist for public information. Roads ice, cars slide, and tempers fray as vehicles line up to cross the River (my poor wife had to go to West Memphis this morning; she was unhappy). And, let's hope power lines don't stop to droop. No signal? No information.
But, there is also simple fascination of watching the fireworks as stations flail about. Ice happens. Prepare.
DE
But for programming "goobs" (is that short for "goober?" That's a new term for me.), this is important stuff, too. While eyes may glaze with talk of antennas detuning, rising SWR, and transmitter fold-back circuits, remember that the best programming in the world is irrelevant without a signal.
Further, I am sure that as "Drifts of Death 2010" descends on the City, some needs will exist for public information. Roads ice, cars slide, and tempers fray as vehicles line up to cross the River (my poor wife had to go to West Memphis this morning; she was unhappy). And, let's hope power lines don't stop to droop. No signal? No information.
But, there is also simple fascination of watching the fireworks as stations flail about. Ice happens. Prepare.
DE
Trust me, I have always known how important the engineers were. Loved the fact that you could just tell 'rm what was wrong or what was happening...they'd look at you like you were a goob (Yes, short for goober!), maybe a little eye roll...then they'd fix it.
I remember a man named Skip threatening bodily injury to me next time I sprayed Lysol directly in the microphone. (He thought it was me, but it wasn't-there was a germophobe amongst us)
I didn't rat out the real offender; but I did remove the Lysol from the control room and it was never in there again during any shift of mine!
I remember a man named Skip threatening bodily injury to me next time I sprayed Lysol directly in the microphone. (He thought it was me, but it wasn't-there was a germophobe amongst us)
I didn't rat out the real offender; but I did remove the Lysol from the control room and it was never in there again during any shift of mine!
Skip? Not our beloved Skip! He wouldn't threaten bodily injury to anything but a nicely cooked piece of BBQ.
About the only way to find out if the automatic electric de-icers are not working is when they ice up. On the other hand, the antenna shields known as radomes can collect a lot of ice and cause structural failure as well as other issues like filling up with water or wasp nest, so it is a two-edged sword.
Based on experience (mistakes) with all these different configurations, other problems and the icing probability in this area; it seems a good broadband antenna with working power fold-back on the transmitter is the most effective option.
Of course, all in my humble opinion…
Best,
w/
Based on experience (mistakes) with all these different configurations, other problems and the icing probability in this area; it seems a good broadband antenna with working power fold-back on the transmitter is the most effective option.
Of course, all in my humble opinion…
Best,
w/
Can't be me... I love spraying as much Lysol on every mic.. Every Sunday Morning at WIKY, I used a libe
Re: ICE, VSWR and YOU!mi
It was not this "Skip".. Every Sunday morning up until the end of last October, I would spray liberal amounts of Lysol on all the WIKY mics in our Evansville control room.. Still do at 910/"TheDuck" here in Tennessee..... Must be and "EVIL SKIP", my "EVIL TWIN"?????
Hey, we had icing while I was snowed and iced in up in Nashville.. I had my Sales Manager who is learning how to run a station well, go up to the hill and I walked him through some steps with the solid state BE and the 'clothesline dipole'... I told him to hang up and call the guy.. back at the studio and turn down the modulation to about 40% peak.. We'd been off since sometime in the middle of the night, so the Gospel programming board op, who was still on 'stream', backed off and the transmitter stayed on without popping on and off. Then a few hours later I had him turn it back up to full 100% modulation.. It gave the BE time to warm up the wires in the sun and melt the ice off...
One time at the original Way-Fm site here in Mid-Tenn, the foldback finally got to below 25% power out and shut down the Harris (nice safety thing)... I waited until the next morning after the temp had been above 32 for about four to five hours.. Went to the base of the hill on the gravel.. Put on some HEAVY DUTY work gloves and walked up the steep hill to the southeast base of the guywires.. I gently massaged the lower wire under the two others (tower was about 195 feet off the hill)... With no wind, I observed a light sway and some ice falling straight down to the base of the tower (which was a good 15 to 20 feet from the building).... I had my car radio on and turned up to see if the VSWR would decrease and if my idea would work.. Wah-Lah! The carrier popped on clear and clean.. I called the remote control and we were back to 98% power out... Never told Bill the owner.. Thought he might freak.. Found out my Boss told him and he laughed, and said he would have done the same thing, but he was glad it was me and not someone else he did not trust....
It was not this "Skip".. Every Sunday morning up until the end of last October, I would spray liberal amounts of Lysol on all the WIKY mics in our Evansville control room.. Still do at 910/"TheDuck" here in Tennessee..... Must be and "EVIL SKIP", my "EVIL TWIN"?????
Hey, we had icing while I was snowed and iced in up in Nashville.. I had my Sales Manager who is learning how to run a station well, go up to the hill and I walked him through some steps with the solid state BE and the 'clothesline dipole'... I told him to hang up and call the guy.. back at the studio and turn down the modulation to about 40% peak.. We'd been off since sometime in the middle of the night, so the Gospel programming board op, who was still on 'stream', backed off and the transmitter stayed on without popping on and off. Then a few hours later I had him turn it back up to full 100% modulation.. It gave the BE time to warm up the wires in the sun and melt the ice off...
One time at the original Way-Fm site here in Mid-Tenn, the foldback finally got to below 25% power out and shut down the Harris (nice safety thing)... I waited until the next morning after the temp had been above 32 for about four to five hours.. Went to the base of the hill on the gravel.. Put on some HEAVY DUTY work gloves and walked up the steep hill to the southeast base of the guywires.. I gently massaged the lower wire under the two others (tower was about 195 feet off the hill)... With no wind, I observed a light sway and some ice falling straight down to the base of the tower (which was a good 15 to 20 feet from the building).... I had my car radio on and turned up to see if the VSWR would decrease and if my idea would work.. Wah-Lah! The carrier popped on clear and clean.. I called the remote control and we were back to 98% power out... Never told Bill the owner.. Thought he might freak.. Found out my Boss told him and he laughed, and said he would have done the same thing, but he was glad it was me and not someone else he did not trust....
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