A brief note

My apologies for the lack of posts; I have been extremely busy with the end-of-year business administration things; contracts to renew, taxes to file, new business to acquire, etc. A few projects are going on but nothing exciting or blog-worthy.

There are a few things in the works that when finished, would make some interesting material. In the meantime, feel free to rummage through the older posts.

TV sweeps

We have been really busy this fall working on multiple projects plus the day-to-day tasks. One thing that is always fun; sweeping antennas with a VNA.

In this case, WVIT Hartford, CT needed to repair a leaking transmission line section just below the antenna. To ensure that there would be no problems with return to the air at full power, we did a before sweep and after sweep.

WVIT is the ATSC 3.0 lighthouse station for the Hartford Market. FCCinfo.com has the station listed as ATSC 3.0.

WVIT Tower, Hartford CT

The WVIT tower is 1,100 feet tall and is located on Rattlesnake Mountain near Farmington, CT. Most of the other Hartford TV stations are on the same hill.

Tower crew, hitching a ride to the top
Selfie; return loss looks good

It is always interesting to see new places and meet new people. This site has an auxiliary TV studio, which they were using during COVID.

Watching the weather

The weather affects many things. When the weather improves, outdoor projects like tower work can be completed. When the weather is terrible, we may need to do extra work restoring broadcast signals. Today, I am looking at Hurricane Lee, in the North Atlantic basin. Historically speaking, September is the month when we get Hurricanes in the Northeast.

As of this writing, it is too early to be concerned about Lee. Hurricanes can be very unpredictable and there is a good chance the forecast will change many times over the next week or so. That being said, this time of year is a good time to call the fuel companies and top off the generator tanks since winter is coming in a few months anyway. As the situation develops, I may need to dust off the pre-storm checklist.

The basic pre-storm checklist looks something like this:

  • 96 hours or more before the storm: Schedule fuel deliveries for generators, and top off oil and water as needed. Test generators under load if possible. Check UPS batteries. Make an off-site data backup if it does not already exist.
  • 72 hours before the storm: Coordinate with programming to have backup programs available in the event that the satellite dish is damaged, the internet goes down, etc. Inventory and restock PPE, emergency food, water, blankets, first aid supplies, batteries, etc.
  • 48 hours before the storm: Procure supplies needed to secure buildings and sites (plywood, tarps, sandbags, rope, nails, screws, etc). Work out backups for internet STL systems if possible. Work on access plans to remote sites. Make sure that you have the proper tools available.
  • 24 hours before the storm: Secure your personal dwelling, and make sure you have a plan for pets and loved ones. Secure proper shelter for everyone. Fill vehicle gas tanks, and fill portable gas tanks. Update off-site data backup and secure in a safe location.
  • 12 hours before the storm: Secure buildings, park vehicles in areas where they will not be damaged by flooding or blowing debris, and make any last-minute supply runs for emergency food and water. Have a set or two of dry clothes and shoes in your vehicle (almost nothing is worse than spending 12-24 hours in wet and cold clothes). Coordinate response with other station personnel, prioritize the order of restoration, and coordinate with local authorities on their needs.

A few years ago, I purchased one of these LiPo battery chain saws:

DeWalt battery chain saw

These are great units because you do not have to carry cans of 2-cycle gas around. This model will cut trees 12-14 inches in diameter and I get about 25-35 minutes of cutting time per battery depending on the motor load. I have used it several times to cut small trees from access roads to tower sites.

Above all else, during and after the storm, be safe. Do not take any risks involving downed wires, damaged towers, satellite dishes, etc.

The sound of an ATU

I am not generally given to nostalgia as it is often a luxury I cannot afford. However, there are some times when I think; I remember the first time I experienced that. Here is a brief video of the WABC ATU coils singing with modulation:

I believe the arc at the 23-second mark came from the Delta base current toroid sample transformer and was due to heavy modulation. Sid, shouting into the microphone again!

The current sample toroid is at the highest impedance point in the system and the voltage exceeds 5KV on the positive modulation peaks. There are also some little black flies that like to fly into the gap between the antenna output conductor and the toroid sample. When I clean up the ATU every quarter, I find many dead flies below the base current sample toroid. A 50,000-watt fly zapper. Fortunately, the DX-50 doesn’t seem to notice this and keeps chugging along.

After about a minute thirty I realized I was probably exceeding my 6-minute SAR and left the ATU building for a while.