• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

STL Suggestions?

DarkStarPDX

DarkStarPDX

This summer, we will be erecting a new AM tower due to age/safety of the old tower. At the same time, I would like to make some suggestions on a new STL to have a higher quality signal running to our BE AM 1A transmitter. Currently we're paying about $80 per month for an 8 khz balanced line from the studio to the transmitter.

I'm curious if there would be a more cost effective STL for us since it seems like $80 is a lot, especially since we could put in a high-speed network connection for less than that a month.

Any suggestions? Thanks!!
 
DarkStarPDX said:
I'm curious if there would be a more cost effective STL for us since it seems like $80 is a lot, especially since we could put in a high-speed network connection for less than that a month.
Click to expand...

While $80 a month for a program loop isn't bad, the problems I'm seeing is that fewer field techs know how to work on the things when they go down. I had a client with a program loop down for a week 'cause Bellsouth had nobody to fix it that knew what they were working on.

If you can get broadband at the transmitter, you should seriously consider the Barix IP codecs that are out now (www.barix.com).
 
kyscott said:
If you can get broadband at the transmitter, you should seriously consider the Barix IP codecs that are out now (www.barix.com).
Click to expand...
The first time I saw the Barix IP gear I was pretty excited, however I learned that encoders only do VBR encoding, no CBR. Also, with only a maximum of 192 kbps, it's lower than what I would want for an STL (I would want a minimum of 256 kbps CBR, preferably 320 kbps).

I thought I heard that they are doing MPEG-2 now, that might be more acceptable at the lower bit rates, however I haven't seen any documentation yet to that effect...

Thank you for the answers so far!
 
If you have a line of sight path, just get a Marti STL.

1. You own the path
2. Marti STL's have been around for a while, proven design
3. Not much $$$
4, If the power goes out you don't have to wait for them to reboot
5. They don't "blue screen"
 
Nice to be able to use the IP devices but nothing beats the reliability of fixed channel dedicated rf.

Some of the Italian units are rather inexpensive. Cosnidering their reliability is better than a Starlink affected by cell phone rf and such being analog you might look at these.
 
DarkStarPDX said:
kyscott said:
If you can get broadband at the transmitter, you should seriously consider the Barix IP codecs that are out now (www.barix.com).
Click to expand...
The first time I saw the Barix IP gear I was pretty excited, however I learned that encoders only do VBR encoding, no CBR. Also, with only a maximum of 192 kbps, it's lower than what I would want for an STL (I would want a minimum of 256 kbps CBR, preferably 320 kbps).

I thought I heard that they are doing MPEG-2 now, that might be more acceptable at the lower bit rates, however I haven't seen any documentation yet to that effect...

Thank you for the answers so far!
Click to expand...

Barix units do both MP3 and MPEG-2, however I take exception to your statement that a 192kbps MONO stream is inadequate for an STL. That high a bit rate mono equates to an over 400K stereo MP3 stream! Since most believe that MP3 files at bit rates over 256kbps to be essentially CD quality, a 192kbps mono MP3 file IS CD (or better!) quality!

You have an AM station here and you're quibbling over the difference between this kind of quality vs that produced by an 8 kHz mono analog line????!!!
The two aren't even in the same universe!
 
I put in an Armstrong X Link STL about 1.5 years ago at a station I contract for and it's been flawless. Transmitter and receiver for less than $5k. Hard to beat. At the time it was even cheaper than the Marti.
 
ChiefEngineer said:
Nice to be able to use the IP devices but nothing beats the reliability of fixed channel dedicated rf.
Click to expand...
I agree that 900MHz is the way to go, however even in the medium size markets, congestion is becoming an issue. I'm the coordinator in Louisville Kentucky and I would be hard pressed to find a new channel here.

After finally getting the settings correct on a Barix pair, I'm running them on the air now with no problems. They have been up two weeks with no down time. I'm running a 1500Meg DSL line at the transmitter site with the audio set for MPEG1 32kb/44.1kHz. The audio sounds just as good as the old program loops. As soon as the station owner gets a DSL line at the sister AM in Indiana, an Extreamer will be going over there, too.

I'm also using the same setup to get audio from Los Angeles to Danville Kentucky. With that much internet between here and there, it occasionally needs a reset. About once a month.
 
Is this AM?

What about the delay? How does talent deal with this? Most AM stations listen to program?
 
ChiefEngineer said:
Is this AM?

What about the delay? How does talent deal with this? Most AM stations listen to program?
Click to expand...

No, it's FM. They don't monitor off air in their headphones. I have a receiver wired to a silence sensor that sets off an alarm at the studio should either the AM or FM goes off.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom