Is anyone aware of any full-time authorized stations signing off during nighttime hours? Not running as a daytimer station but killing their signal late at night?
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Signing off
- Thread starter NoTimeForSleep
- Start date
Not off the top of my head. Although there's a 50kw ND-D / 250watt DA-N around here that's signed-off TFN. And there's a 50kw DA-D / 1.4kw DA-N CP for sale here too!
Here's a Radio World Article called "Sign Off, and Save Some Money" http://www.radioworld.com/article/85412
Here's a Radio World Article called "Sign Off, and Save Some Money" http://www.radioworld.com/article/85412
Interesting thoughts. However, I would say that most stations that can run 24/7 should sign back on no later then 5:30am. It is very true that the AM band at night is a cluttered mess except for the lucky 50,000 watters. Where I am, at night I can't pick up a decent signal from more then one of the smaller AM's that operate 24/7. Get this, the 1420 AM in my Cleveland, Ohio market used to run "The Savage Nation" beginning at 9pm. But I wasn't listening to it there. Instead, I heard it on WRVA 1140 AM booming out of Richmond, Virginia. Why? BECAUSE THE SOUND QUALITY IS SO MUCH BETTER! I at least partially blame the FCC for licensing new stations on the same frequencies too close to eachother, and for allowing former AM daytimers to stay on air with severly reduced power overnight. There's a station in Pennsylvania that runs 2 watts at night.
Unfortunately, there is some evidence that being on-air overnight enhances the credibility of the whole operation. Additionally, the broadcasters view is that there is significant late-night listening, so to shut down would have the effect of having late night listeners dialing in another station. Then when they wake up in the morning, that other station would be the one that gets first dibs on their listening.
Unfortunately, there is some evidence that being on-air overnight enhances the credibility of the whole operation. Additionally, the broadcasters view is that there is significant late-night listening, so to shut down would have the effect of having late night listeners dialing in another station. Then when they wake up in the morning, that other station would be the one that gets first dibs on their listening.
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bl40modulimiter2
Guest
I just heard via the DX lists that WDCD 1540 in Albany, NY is now signing off at night anywhere from between 10 and midnite, depending on if the slots are sold. That's a nice DX target for those in the NE.
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strangelove
Guest
What sort of stress, if any, does signing on and off daily put on a transmitter? Obviously they were meant to be shut down if needed but does it wear out faster if it's turned off and back on regularly?
My old high school station used to sign on in the morning before school and sign off after school. Some days, it signed on for a few hours in the evening for sports broadcasts. The transmitter lasted for over a decade and still works as of June. Now, it stays on the air 24 hours during the school year, but signs off for school breaks and the entire summer (don't know if that's legal at all, but it has never in its entire 30+ year history operated full time).
After having a transmitter off for even a few minutes that's been running for 6 months I get a bit nervious when hitting the Plate ON button. Just a couple weeks ago an HT30CD caused quite a ruckes with all the combiner alarms after it decided to thow spurs from the preamp (damn preamp removal kits not here yet). It had been only off for an hour to blow the dust out.
Thermal cycling causes connections to loosen and degrade. Moisture can condense causing high voltage flash over. Back in the 90's couple TV stations around here with RCA transmitter never shut them off and ran color bars/ID overnight instead. Greatly imporved the reliability.
Thermal cycling causes connections to loosen and degrade. Moisture can condense causing high voltage flash over. Back in the 90's couple TV stations around here with RCA transmitter never shut them off and ran color bars/ID overnight instead. Greatly imporved the reliability.
boiseengineer said:
It causes stress for sure on components running 8kv plate voltage or over 15000kv beam voltage. We did that in Albany Georgia when we had an RCA 25FH transmitter. Left it on and just put color bars up with a bug that gave call letters and city of license. We stopped programming for only 3 hours during the week, made no sense to turn the transmitter off.
I can say this with certainty...back when stations signed off in the evening & signed back on at 6AM, my phone would ring at 6AM several times a year...now it's more like several times a decade at that time. Partly due to 24 hour operation & partly because the 1960's tube type transmitters are giving way to 2000+ solid state transmitters. I recall when EBS tests called for carrier off for 5 seconds, carrier on for 5 seconds, carrier off for 5 seconds & then carrier on. I speak from experience when I say that method was not a very good idea...
I can tell you this. My little class A's used to sign off at midnight and go back on at 5am. When I took over the CE job we went 24/7. Actual failures (read non-power related outtages) have went from a few probs here and there to nearly notta. The stuff just keeps on singing. Ratings keep climbing up and up steadily. In the year 2009 I think the public expects to have radio working any time they turn it on, just like the power. Any disruption that pattern will shed listenership as the public will go tune in elsewhere. 24 hour service and backups to quickly fix problems are a good way to keep an audience (along with good programming of course). The little bit of cost savings realized for overnights to me just seems not worth it in the maintence and audience loss dept.
Another thing I truely like about 24 hour service is that problems that arise can be fixed BEFORE morning drive (hopefully). Before we were 24/7 we would have an occational issue that happened overnight when we were off and then it was panic time in the morning. I'd rather be fixing something overnight when there is a very small audience than tear up morning drive. I'd rather have the forwarning. Leaving it running and keeping the silence sensor/ remote control engaged lets ME be more in control of getting stuff fixed right instead of being nervious about having to get it fixed right away during mornings.
Nostalgia said:
The stupid thing just calls me. "Site 43 2 C Night C P Below lower limit", "Site 43 Status 4 ANTENNA RELAY TRANSFER FAIL".
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necrat123
Guest
I know this is a slightly old thread, so forgive me.
At my old station, our analog TV transmitter was a first-generation IOT transmitter (for you TV TX geeks, a Comark "S" series rig).
For the Sunday night into Monday morning "sign off", we would just kill the RF drive to the rig. Leave the beam and filaments on.
When working during that "maintenance" window, we never had an issue with the actual HV beam voltages flashing or anything. What seemed to not like being shut off were the 8-9 year old relays that were left on all the time. The relays were more problematic than anything.
The stations I am at now, our UHF station's IOX transmitter when it would get cold would be ok, except the Crowbar tube would get gassy. Nothing like having the crowbar fire at 3:30am in a relatively small transmitter room. (it was always fun to be working ON the crowbar unit, and having it fire a good 6-7 times till it stabelized). I miss having UHF tube transmitters (our stations are now all VHF Hi-band solid state). They were rather fun to work on.
At my old station, our analog TV transmitter was a first-generation IOT transmitter (for you TV TX geeks, a Comark "S" series rig).
For the Sunday night into Monday morning "sign off", we would just kill the RF drive to the rig. Leave the beam and filaments on.
When working during that "maintenance" window, we never had an issue with the actual HV beam voltages flashing or anything. What seemed to not like being shut off were the 8-9 year old relays that were left on all the time. The relays were more problematic than anything.
The stations I am at now, our UHF station's IOX transmitter when it would get cold would be ok, except the Crowbar tube would get gassy. Nothing like having the crowbar fire at 3:30am in a relatively small transmitter room. (it was always fun to be working ON the crowbar unit, and having it fire a good 6-7 times till it stabelized). I miss having UHF tube transmitters (our stations are now all VHF Hi-band solid state). They were rather fun to work on.
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