Radio World Redux

I was reading the July 14th radio world, online because I still haven’t subscribed, and found this blog quoted by the editor.  More specifically, on page 4, the editor writes about this post where I debate keeping my radio world subscription.  Without actually naming the blog, asks how well he (the editor) is doing his job.

One of my aims in writing this thing is to provoke thought.  The fact that the editor of Radio World is asking his readers about the direction the publication is heading is a sign that, at least in one case, I have been successful.

My other aims are:

  • pass along useful information
  • tell my story
  • write stuff (I am compelled to write things)

Regarding Radio World itself, I still read the digital version of the magazine found on the Radio World website.  The importance of impartial reporting of radio broadcasting’s technical issues cannot be overstated.  These days there are many pressures being applied to Radio in general from things like the FCC, Big Group Radio, MMTC, Ibiquity, NPR, the recording industry, and others.  Some of these groups do not have the radio industry’s best interests in mind, but rather are looking to improve their take.  Indeed, some of the schemes proposed are technically flawed or downright destructive.  Biased reporting degrades the integrity of any publication and diminishes its value and when it comes to the most-read technical trade magazine, that is alarming.

I applaud Radio World for its recent publication of articles that bring to light HD-Radio’s technical issues.  That is a welcome development and such things should continue.   Technical writers need to be technically minded people, not someone that retypes press releases.  When it comes to new technology, the hard question need to be asked and answered, that is a reporter’s job after all.

Pandora and me

I finally broke down and purchased a smartphone.  Instead of the ubiquitous iPhone however, I opted for a HTC Incredible Android phone.  Not that I have any distaste for Apple, Inc.  Rather, it is more because of the lack of ATT coverage in areas where I travel and the new data plans from ATT.

The phone is great, I enjoy the functions, the GPS navigation tool, Gmail, news, and all the other apps.  It fills many roles while I am out gallivanting around earning a living.

HTC incredible Android phone with Pandora App

I have tried Pandora in the past on my computer.  I found it to be okay, not great.  I guess my main issue was it seemed a little boring just listening to music.  It was good music, and when I interacted with the programming, voting a song up or down, the music selections got better.  But it was distracting to interact while I was trying to work on the computer and in the end, I turned the volume down and it became background noise.

In the car, I figured, things would be different.  I could listen to Pandora the same way I listened to my car radio.  Lots of music would be great and not distracting at all.

Except…  I found it to be… boring.  The music was great but the whole thing lacks personality.  I suppose we are blessed around here with several radio stations that play new music.  With Pandora, there was almost no new music, even if I created a new music radio station.  Further, it seemed like something was missing:  human interaction.  I enjoy hearing the deeeejay talking about some band factoid or some such.  Just listening to music endlessly left me wanting something more.  Perhaps that is just me.

Whilst on the road to various places, I like to listen to WEQX in Manchester, VT; WDST, Woodstock, NY; WKZE, Salisbury, CT; WXPK, White Plains, NY.  All of those stations have personalities and play great music.  They also stream audio, which means I can listen to them on my phone.

So Pandora gets a meh, and the phone gets a thumbs up.

Ready for CAP? (AKA Common Alert Protocol)

Like any good government agency, the FCC in conjunction with FEMA is working on upgrading the acronym-heavy EAS system with CAP, which stands for Common Alert Protocol. CAP includes something that  FEMA has been working on something called IPAWS, which stands for Integrated Public Alert Warning System.

The FCC is still in the comment/response process (FCC Docket 04-296) which can get long and drawn out.  I would not expect to see any NPRM until late fall 2010 with any changes taking effect in early 2011 or so.

Basically, CAP looks like this:

An EAS to CAP converter monitors a CAP source (think e-mail server) and when a CAP message is received, it converts it to EAS protocol and sends it to an input source of an EAS encoder/decoder.  The EAS encoder/decoder then passes that information through and broadcasts it.   Of course, the EAS encoder/decoder can still be programmed to pass through specific types of messages for specific areas and ignore all others.

Thus far, several manufacturers have designed CAP converters for use with existing EAS units:

Implementation would look something like this:

EAS CAP converter diagram

For a TFT-2008 system.  Others such as SAGE and Trilithic are integrated into the EAS encoder/decoder units.  Basically, the CAP part of the EAS system needs an ethernet port with access to an IP gateway to receive messages from the CAP server located off site.  That is the weak link in the system, as far as I am concerned.

It is not like some of our so-called trading partners have been trying to tinker with the inner tubes or anything.  It is also not like that same trading partner makes most of the cheap ethernet switches and routers found in many radio stations, hardware that can be easily configured remotely.  Configured to redirect certain IP addresses to new, exciting, and exotic locations such as Iran or Pakistan.

Perhaps I am paranoid, or not.  It falls back to my time in the military when somebody said “It’s good to be a little paranoid if everyone is out to get you.”

The history of Carborundum

There is a very good blog called Arcane Radio Trivia which publishes interesting tidbits of radio trivia, and a lot of stuff that a reader might not have heard before, hence the name.  A post put up last week, when I was out of town, deals with carborundum (Silicon carbide) which is one of the first semiconductors used to produce diodes, and thus detectors for radio.

Certain naturally-occurring minerals can be used to detect radio signals, including galena, zincite, silicon,bornite and others. Carborundum was unique among the early crystals because it was synthetic. It was durable, and at 9 mohs much harder than most available crystals. More here. Also interestingly it requires it requires a negative potential of 1 volt to be used as a diode. Carborundum was not created with this purpose in mind. It was created in the early search for artificial diamonds

Like many things in early radio, there are several plot twists in this story and if one is interested in radio history, it is work a click to read.  While you are there, check out “It’s 105 degrees and rising“