TWiRT 610 - Building PCs and Servers for Broadcast with Van Clough

Most of us radio engineers have built custom computers. Nowadays, more engineers and broadcasters are outsourcing custom PC and Server construction to an expert like Van Clough. Van builds computer workstations and servers designed especially for broadcast infrastructure such as automation/playout systems. How much redundancy do you want? What factors go into choosing motherboards, RAM, data storage, cooling, and redundancy? Van will deliver the system you're looking for, designed to run for years.  We'll find out with Integrity PROracks founder, Van Clough on today's TWiRT! 

Show Notes:
SSD vs. Hard Drives (and M.2 storage) - updated article from PCMag

Guest:
Van Clough - President at Integrity PROracks

Hosts:
Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

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Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Nautel and the regular Transmission Talk Tuesday series of online engineering roundtable events.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. 

Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

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TWiRT 610 - Building PCs and Servers for Broadcast with Van Clough

TWiRT 609 - Where's that Noise Coming From? with Mark Persons

"In Minnesota we keep ourselves apart by one large Walleye."  

It's wisdom like this that keeps Mark Persons busy.  Mentoring new engineers, authoring radio engineering articles, or winning awards for his service to broadcasters, Mark is always sharing some wise words. Today Mark also describes hunting down a source of broadband electrical noise that rendered the 75 meter amateur radio band unusable in his neighborhood, This tale leads to a discussion about the future of the AM broadcast band vis-a-vis the man-made noise levels we’re experiencing.

Guest:
Mark Persons - Broadcast Engineer (Retired) and Mentor 

Host:
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Nautel and the regular Transmission Talk Tuesday series of online engineering roundtable events.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. 

Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

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TWiRT 609 - Where's that Noise Coming From? with Mark Persons

TWiRT 608 - Programmatic Tech for Streaming with Jean-Luc Wasmer

Fellow engineers, does the word "Programmatic" cause you to switch gears, pivot, and focus on something that seems more engineering-related?  "Programmatic" has had that effect on me, for sure! Well I'm pulling my head out of the streaming "sand" and getting a lesson in Programmatic ad sales and how RADIO ENGINEERING makes the difference in Programmatic working well, or working poorly.  Let's get this right together, as Jean-Luc Wasmer from Triton Digital explains to Kirk Harnack and Chris Tarr some key operational aspects of Programmatic ad insertion and the tech behind it.

Guest:
Jean-Luc Wasmer - VP, Architecture & Partnerships at Triton Digital

Hosts:
Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Nautel and the regular Transmission Talk Tuesday series of online engineering roundtable events.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. 

Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

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TWiRT 608 - Programmatic Tech for Streaming with Jean-Luc Wasmer

TWiRT 607 - An Engineer's Life with Jake Bechtold

Jake Bechtold was beginning his radio engineering career almost 10 years ago when he made his debut on TWiRT 159. Now Jake is the new Chief Engineer at Radio FM Media in Fargo, North Dakota, responsible for ten radio stations - from studios to transmitters - along with IT systems and IT security. Jake’s learned a lot about keeping these stations running and about improving their operational efficiency. Chris Tarr and Jake get to discuss several similarities and some differences in their approaches to engineering challenges.

Show Notes:
RadioLand app for iOS - “Find out what’s on your FM dial.”
FCCInfo.com visual database access on Google Earth
Chris mentioned Cavell, Mertz & Associates Weekly Facility Activity Report
Chris doesn’t like plastic cable ties; he prefers reusable “Velcro” Cable Organization Straps like these.

Guest:
Jake Bechtold - Chief Engineer at Radio FM Media

Hosts:
Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Nautel and the regular Transmission Talk Tuesday series of online engineering roundtable events.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. 

Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

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TWiRT 607 - An Engineer's Life with Jake Bechtold

TWiRT 606 - The La Crosse Incident with Chris Tarr

Some days even “The Ninjaneer” gets a workout of his troubleshooting skills. August 7, 2022, began for Chris Tarr with several radio stations and FM translators off the air. Silent FM carriers. After a lightning storm and brief power outages, it appeared that power and transmitters were ON at two tower sites, but little else seemed to work, including any remote access. What fault or combination of faults could cause these particular symptoms? Especially with wireless and wired IP network gear that had been reliable for a long time? Chris was about to find out, but would he be prepared for what greeted him inside FM Site #1?  Or FM Site #2?

Show Notes:
Chris uses a Bird Site Analyzer SA-6000XT to check antennas, coax, and connectors.

Guest:
Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media

Host:
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook

TWiRT is brought to you by:
Nautel and the continuing informative live webinars. Sign up for free!
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc. 

Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Nautel and the regular Transmission Talk Tuesday series of online engineering roundtable events.
Angry Audio - with StudioHub cables and adapters. Audio problems disappear when you get Angry at AngryAudio.com. 
And MaxxKonnectWireless - Prioritized High Speed Internet Service designed for Transmitter Sites and Remote Broadcasts. 

Look for in-depth radio engineering articles in Radio-Guide magazine.

Subscribe to Audio:
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TWiRT 606 - The La Crosse Incident with Chris Tarr