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Nautel VS 2.5

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OKCRadioGuy

Does anyone else have one of these goofy things or maybe a lower power level unit? Their book is a 300 page paperweight that talks in circles LOL! Supposedly the thing is able to fail over from the main audio source (MPX) to the backup streaming feed. So far, I haven't found "the button". Does anyone have experience with this 'thing'? The menus/GUI on this 'thing'is as bad as the book. LOL!
 
OKC, I love Nautel, but their manuals sometimes read like bad Frenglish translations.

I remember the first one I picked up, and thinking "what the hell is a PWB?"
 
Heh... Yeah stacker. Tech support is helpful, but I hate having to call them for a "translation". With this new stuff that they themselves really don't know very well, it's gets a bit interesting. Most of the time they have to ask others in their group and 'get back to you on that'. I think I'm going to just use the thing as a basic transmitter and buy the other things that this thing is supposed to do, like a remote control and a backup audio player as external devices that can be relied on to work correctly. 3 years from now this thing might be ready for prime-time. For now it's a fancy overgrown basic transmitter. :)
 
I have the earlier V2.5--that manual not quite ready for prime time either. Had two sets of instructions for hooking up the interconnecting cables--one of an "connect 3j22 to 4j95" type, the other a narrative. Turned out the narrative had combiner connections completely flipped.

Once I got past that--and not having enough holes in the box for ventilation--been a reliable transmitter. Tries its best to stay on the air.
 
They must have learned their lesson on the heat thing with the new vs2.5. It runs really cool air out the back. It's quite a bit of air but not by any means hot. Now if they could just write a book and better GUI programming lol!
 
Yeah, my transmitter building was designed for a tube transmitter--lots of air moving through, but not cool air (Well, this time of year, yes. Not in August). Old 2.5H perfectly happy in 90 degree weather, not the Nautel. Nautel had to re-program the over-temp program in my V2.5 to keep it going...and we knocked a hole in the cinder-block wall beside the transmitter and put in a window air conditioner.
 
Ahh that makes sense. The room I'm in is a recirculated closed air conditioned system. That would make some sense on why the Nautel had an issue I guess.
 
In terms of initial cost, operating costs (my power bill shrunk noticeably with the change from the Harris tube transmitter to the Nautel), reliability (a bad reducer at the antenna- 7/8th to 1 5/8th into the antenna--didn't take the transmitter off--it just backed down to where the vswr was comfortable) and fidelity ( noticeably reduced signal distortion in multipath areas) this transmitter series makes sense, especially for Class A stations.

However, few Class A stations have air-conditioned, filtered transmitter shelters for their tube transmitters. Tube transmitters don't mind the heat so long as they have good air flow. So these transmitters are going into shelters, like mine, designed more for air flow rather than cooling.

Also exposes another weakness with the V series--the filters, besides being on an air intake that is too small--are nothing more than pieces of foam. Hence the front panel vents on the VS. Our site-in the middle of a pasture field--was dusty & attracted critters, but we taped a standard furnace filter over the 2.5H's air intake & the transmitter stayed relatively clean inside.

Incidentally--just purchased BE's STX 1 kw as a backup for my other class A. That site is a used concrete equipment shelter with re-circulated air (think shelter for a cell site).
With two tube transmitters--one running around 3 kw, the other near 4 kw. Air conditioners run almost all the time. (I rent--landlord worries about the electric bill)
 
I have one site that's a 'cell site' building. After 15 years, the building is as nice as when it was installed. No leaks, no problems, just works out great for us. I'm all for the cell shelters these days. They pay for themselves over and over. I agree that the foam filter is pretty minimal. Nautel uses those flimsy filters on all their transmitters. At the AM I used to work we ended up having welders make a frame on the back for some good Farr pleated filters. It really, really helped as the room has a lot of dust issues. (block building in a field) The good news for me and our VS 2.5 is that the room is very tight. I don't think I'll have much problem at this site with dirt, thankfully.
 
Yes, my only main criticisms of Nautel transmitters are those flimsy foam air filters and some of their manuals and GUI programming. I would mainly recommend to them using US English on those manuals for those who don't understand UK/French English terms.
 
Amen to that. They aught to hire one of us "US" broadcast engineers with some writing skills to make a small book that's readable for each of their models. To be honest, 20 pages most of the time would do the trick. It doesn't take much to get the point accross if the info is presented clearly once.
 
Yes, my only main criticisms of Nautel transmitters are those flimsy foam air filters
Click to expand...

The key to long foam filter life is to never clean it.

Seriously though, I've run three ND-1's over time and they all had the foam panty liner filter...Never tore one up. I've come close. Guess that's why they give you a spare. I've got an XR-6 and it has a regular AC type filter in the back panel.

I agree with OKC on the cell type shelters. I moved a site about 3 years ago and bought a surplus cell site building to house two AM's. There are quite a few of these buildings on the market. Clean and tight, wired (for the most part) and air-conditioned out the wazoo.
 
Considering there are nice used ones out there like you got for you AMs at a reasonable price, I'll never build a Tx building again. Even cheap broadcasters should be able to buy the prefab at used prices opposed to block and stick.
 
I'd rather work on a Nautel than a Harris DAX series. The Harris PA modules have had a history of problems, and Harris loves to trade yours and a thousand dollars plus.

Nautels are sturdy rigs.
 
Agreed about the Harris DAX. I considered one, took a look at a unit at a station who owned one. I thought to myself, just what sensibly run small town radio stations with good engineers don't need to own. A fault that's $25-$30 in parts on most any other rig, is over $1200 on a DAX. Just what you do not need in lightning country. And add to that Big H's lack of support on older gear.
 
Chuck,

Many thanks for that link. Will look at that webinar. Overall, I do love your company's FM and AM transmitters and Nautel's superb tech support. And due to that parts depot in Memphis, I can get parts in 1-2 days when they're rarely needed.
 
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