TWiRT 316 - Radio on the Cheap

Engineers seek out tools and products to get the job well done while saving money. It’s important to be frugal when you can, so you’ll have the resources for when you can’t.  Chris Tobin, Andrew Zarian, and Kirk Harnack look at some low-cost solutions for radio engineers.

Links from the show:
BM 8000 Studio Condenser Mic
Mic Pop Filter for many side-address condenser mics
Behringer HA400 4--Channel Headphone Amp
CR2032 Batteries for many PC motherboards
Behringer Xenyx 1204USB
Grandstream 4-Line ATA (SIP to POTS adapter)
Refurbished Dell 755 Core2Duo for PC-based projects
Radio World Magazine
ARRL Hints & Kinks book - 18th Edition

Guest:
Andrew Zarian - Founder, GFQ Network

Hosts:
Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by Lawo and the crystalCLEAR virtual radio console - crystalCLEAR is the console with a multi-touch touchscreen interface. By the incredible Omnia.11 FM HD audio processor. Get a free upgrade to Omnia.11 3.0 today. And by Axia and the family of Axia xNodes. Upgrade to xNode version 2.0 for free, and get mixing, routing, and more!  

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TWiRT 316 - Radio on the Cheap

TWiRT 315 - Connectorized!

Connectors! They come in many shapes and sizes, and usually have specific purposes.  Sometimes the same type of connector is used for very different things. Just because it fits doesn’t mean it’ll work. Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack talk about the most common connectors for audio, power, RF, and data on This Week in Radio Tech.

Links from the show:
Installing a PL259 connector (video)
Installing an RJ45 connector (video)
List of common audio connectors and purposes
Pyle Network Cable Tester

Hosts:
Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by Axia AoIP audio consoles and routing systems. Now with fully compliant AES67 built-in to Axia xNodes and audio consoles. By the incredible Omnia.11 FM HD audio processor. Get a free upgrade to Omnia.11 3.0 today.  And by Lawo and the crystalCLEAR virtual radio console - crystalCLEAR is the console with a multi-touch touchscreen interface.

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TWiRT 315 - Connectorized!

TWiRT 314 - Summertime Blues? No Way!

Stealthy antennas from those tricky mobile carriers.
Can you count on mobile data bandwidth now - or in the future?
Sun transit fade - on a terrestrial microwave path?
A better Ethernet switch will solve that and more.
And some TV stations are sharing the same frequency!
Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack talk radio engineering on TWiRT!

Links from the show:
Cisco business network switch that fixed some problems - SG300-28
IP-STL links article in Radio World
Solar Transit outage on terrestrial microwave systems

Hosts:
Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by Lawo and the crystalCLEAR virtual radio console - crystalCLEAR is the console with a multi-touch touchscreen interface. By Direct Current, the weekly broadcast technical newsletter from The Telos Alliance.  And by the Axia Fusion AoIP audio console. Fusion is the Axia modular console packed with features refined from over a decade’s worth of IP-Audio experience.

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TWiRT 314 - Summertime Blues? No Way!

TWiRT 313 - New Tower Light Regs with Richard Hickey

New tower lighting standards from the FAA mean FCC licensed broadcast stations need pay attention.  Richard Hickey with Hilights, Inc. says that some of the rule changes could mean lower compliance costs for broadcasters - but others could cost more. Great advice on tower lighting with Chris Tobin and Kirk Harnack, on This Week in Radio Tech.

Links from the show:
Hilights, Inc.
FAA website designed for lighting and marking information
FCC Form 854 for refiling structures
FAA AC 70/7460-1L (the “New Rules” for lighting and marking)

Guest:
Richard Hickey, Business Development Manager at Hilights Inc

Hosts:
Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by the Axia IP-Audio driver.  It lets you send and record single or multiple channels of stereo PC audio directly to and from Axia networks via Ethernet. By Direct Current, the weekly broadcast technical newsletter from The Telos Alliance.  And by Lawo and the crystalCLEAR virtual radio console - crystalCLEAR is the console with a multi-touch touchscreen interface.

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TWiRT 313 - New Tower Light Regs with Richard Hickey

TWiRT 312 - Rx for TX with Mike Patton

What conditions bring radio transmitters to an early demise?  What items does a professional transmitter restoration job include?  And what technologies are worth maintaining versus those no longer appropriate for daily use?  Michael Patton helps radio station owners face these and other questions about keeping their stations on the air and viable.

Links from the show:
Michael Patton & Associates Transmitter Repairs
Nautel - Recommendations for Transmitter Site Preparation
Lightning Strike Map
Blitzortung Lightning Dynamic Map
Industrial Risk Insurers’ Pre-Emergency Planning Guide

Guest:
Michael Patton, Owner - Michael Patton & Associates

Hosts:
Chris Tobin, IP-Solutionist
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

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TWiRT is brought to you by Lawo and the crystalCLEAR virtual radio console - crystalCLEAR is the console with a multi-touch touchscreen interface. By the new Telos VX Prime - VX Prime is the affordable multistudio talkshow and on-air phone system for smaller facilities.  And by Axia Livewire+.  Livewire+ includes fully-compliant AES67 audio over IP built-in. Livewire convenience plus worldwide connectivity.

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TWiRT 312 - Rx for TX with Mike Patton