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Workbench
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by John Bisset
Radio World salutes John Bisset, author of Workbench, for his selection as the Society of Broadcast Engineers Educator of the Year.
An industry classic, Workbench provides "hands-on, in-the-trenches" tips -- by and for "hands-on, in-the-trenches" engineers. John Bisset, a chief engineer, contract engineer and industry equipment representative with almost four decades of experience, has compiled thousands of technical tips from readers around the industry, and adds his own special insights. Submissions for this column are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit.
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Deedleheads Are Wiry & Scrappy
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Also, How a Rain Drop Can Take Your Station Down
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by John Bisset, 1.02.2008
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This collection of 25-pair CAT-5 Deedleheads lives on the desktop of Meg Buenting, a producer for the network’s syndicated “Greg Knapp Show.”
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Microwave Oven Tester Evaluates WAP Operation
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Device Has a Use Beyond Your Station’s Kitchen
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by John Bisset, 12.19.2007
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Ed Dulaney is the market engineer for Crawford Broadcasting’s Denver cluster. He writes that for several months he’s had some old 2.4 GHz Wireless Access Points (WAPs) lying around in storage. From all outside indications they seemed to be functioning perfectly.
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Lubricant Can Be Your Enemy
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And a New Way to Put LEDs to Work Around Your Station
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by John Bisset, 12.05.2007
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The beauty of LEDs is that they are solid-state devices that offer high shock and vibration resistance. The LED mat is the ideal safety item for station remote vehicles, vans and trucks. Use an LED mat to drive traffic into a remote site.
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Eliminate Pesky Peromyscus Leucopus
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So Cute, and Such a Pain
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by John Bisset, 11.21.2007
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Peromyscus leucopus is the white-footed mouse, which seems to love nesting in phasors and tuning networks. These cute varmints can wreak havoc in any station setting.
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Tackle the Cell Phone Interface
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Hack Some Hardware, Fix a Problem
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by John Bisset, 11.07.2007
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Darren admits to a certain amount of pleasure in hacking apart and/or destroying anything related to cell phone “technology,” but the efforts paid off.
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Fiber Optics Provides Site Safety
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Also a Custom Automatic Controller to Build
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by John Bisset, 10.24.2007
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The module senses a break in the fiber optic loops, which would be cut when the thieves attempt to remove the ground bus or other equipment. Interruption of the fiber optic loop triggers an alarm condition and siren.
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Clip and Save: NOTAM Info You Can Use
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by John Bisset, 10.10.2007
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Greg Muir of Cherry Creek Radio offers additional links regarding the new FAA Automated Flight Service System (AFSS). This service recently was taken over by Lockheed Martin with respect to tower light outage reports.
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Ducting Isn’t Figment of Engineer’s Mind
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Visit Web Site for a Little Tropo Relaxation
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by John Bisset, 9.26.2007
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Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks I experienced as a chief engineer was trying to explain to my manager that the interference to our FM signal during morning drive was not our antenna or the transmitter, but rather tropospheric ducting.
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Keep Racks Organized, Toolboxes Dry
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And What to Do When Calling in a NOTAM
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by John Bisset, 9.12.2007
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Last issue Mark Ward offered a warning to broadcasters to check the phone number of the nearest FAA Flight Service Station.
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Trees Don’t Improve AM Propagation
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And a Bose Noise-Canceling Headset Comes to the Rescue
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by John Bisset, 9.01.2007
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An important reminder to have the transmitter field mowed regularly. Even if this area were cleared, a new ground system probably is warranted because the shrub and tree roots could not be removed without destroying the buried ground radials.
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Simplify Satellite Audio, Control Wiring
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by John Bisset, 8.15.2007
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Marc Mann of San Diego read our tip to keep A/C condensate drain line traps clean to prevent flooding and finds it timely.
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Control Your DA Over the Web
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Kintronic Offers an Online Controller
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by John Bisset, 8.01.2007
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With an eye toward HD Radio, a number of AM stations are considering transmission site upgrades this summer.
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Simple Ways to Keep Pests Out
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And a Creative Method to Isolate Studio Speakers
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by John Bisset, 7.18.2007
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Station acquisitions can tax the most seasoned engineer.
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Order in the Transmitter Shack
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Bees in Beaumont; Labeling Your Breakers
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by John Bisset, 7.04.2007
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The hornet nest that Harry Bingaman discovered in the attic of his transmitter building, pictured in the May 23 Workbench, is just the start of the season of bees, it seems.
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Keep Emergency Keys Safe
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by John Bisset, 6.20.2007
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Bill Sullivan starts out this column with a procedure to improve the accuracy of computer clocks, initially discussed in the May 9 Workbench.
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Fight Back Against Copper Theft
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by John Bisset, 6.06.2007
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One day, the tram supervisor called to ask if Tom had any ideas why the fuses kept blowing. His solution is something that should be in every engineer’s bag of tricks.
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Critters Invade Transmitter Buildings
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by John Bisset, 5.23.2007
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Dave Ernewein writes that he has enjoyed Workbench for years and looks forward to learning a new trick every now and then. He serves as a contract engineer for a number of facilities and has seen some “very familiar” things depicted in this column.
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Time and the Broadcast Engineer
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by John Bisset, 5.09.2007
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Time. In this business, it can control us. If time gets out of hand, it can destroy us.
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Radio Station Has Blowout Ad Sale
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by John Bisset, 4.25.2007
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Kevin Larke is the chief engineer for the Mid Michigan Radio Group; like many engineers he does a little contract work on the side.
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Hunka Hunka Burning Lug
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by John Bisset, 4.11.2007
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How many times have you reached for a tube of caulk, RTV or glue only to discover that the previous user did not seal and store it properly? Now the material has the consistency of concrete.
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