About This NewsletterMeeting AnnouncementUpcoming Meeting ScheduleMeeting MinutesFCC Gives Relief To Katrina Impacted StationsDon't Judge A Computer By Its OSAmateur Radio NewsGovernment And Not-For-Profit Organization Training SourcesSBE Short CircuitsEmployment OpportunityChapter Sustaining MembersReturn to 2005 Newsletter Archives The Chapter 24 Newsletter is published monthly by Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers; Madison, Wisconsin. Original hard copy edited by Mike Norton on Pagemaker 5.0. Submissions of interest to the broadcast technical community are welcome. You can make your submissions by e-mail to:
Information and/or articles are also accepted by US Mail. Please address them to:
SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter Editor
2029 Greenway Cross #11
Madison, WI 53713-3000
Please submit text file on DOS or Windows 3.5" floppy diskette if possible.
Steve Paugh is the editor for the Electronic Version of this Newsletter uploaded monthly onto SBE Chapter 24's web page.
Thanks to Leonard Charles for his work on the Chapter 24 WWW page and electronic newsletter.
Contributors this month:
Matt Kinnan
Vicki W. Kipp
John Poray
Tom Smith
Tom Weeden
© 2005 by SBE Chapter 24. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Society, its officers, or its members. SBE Chapter 24 regrets, but is not liable for, any omissions or errors. The Chapter 24 Newsletter is published twelve times per year. Other SBE Chapters are permitted to use excerpts if attributed to the original author, sources, and SBE Chapter 24.
Thank you to WKOW-TV for providing copying and folding facilities for the Chapter 24 newsletter!
Thank you to WISC-TV for maintaining the web server for the Chapter 24 Web page!
Could you be the next newsletter editor? Chapter 24 is seeking a volunteer to become the next editor of the award winning Chapter 24 newsletter. Good PC skills are helpful and experience with PageMaker for Windows a plus. Please contact the Chapter Chair for more information.
Telecast-Fiber Systems will demonstrate a fiber optic based solution to connect field cameras to ENG/SNG trucks. The FO system carries all bidirectional audio, video and control signals at distances up to several kilometers. This presentation is being sponsored by Joseph Electronics.
Visitors and guests are welcome at all of our SBE meetings!
| DAY | DATE | TOPIC | CONTACT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weds | Oct (TBD) | Jim Magee | |
| Thurs | Nov 17 | Steve Paugh | |
| Weds | Dec 13 | Steve Paugh |
Submitted by Tom Smith, Secretary
Chapter 24 of the Society of Broadcast Engineers meet on August 18, 2005 at the Overture Center in Madison, WI. There were 16 members in attendance, 12 whom were certified and 9 guests.
Chair Jim Magee called the meeting to order at 7:09 PM. The minutes of the July meeting were approved as published in the August newsletter.
Newsletter Editor Mike Norton reported that the deadline for the submission of articles for the September newsletter is at Midnight on Friday, September 2nd with the folding party on September 7th at WKOW.
Treasurer Leslie Franzen reported that the current balance was in the black. Sustaining Membership Chair Fred Sperry reported that WMSN had renewed its membership and that there were 25 sustaining members.
Program Chair Steve Paugh reported that the September meeting would be on fiber connection between camera and truck, location to be determined. The October meeting would be the Wednesday night program at Broadcasters Clinic, and that the November meeting would be the DTV Receiver Shoot Out and Stream Stiffing and would be held at WBUW, Channel 57.
Certification Chair Jim Hermanson reported that he would continue as Certification Chair with Vicki Kipp now assisting him. Vicki will conduct testing sessions when Jim is unable. Jim also announced that there were 3 members whom recently recertified and one member whom gained certification by exam. The next local exam will be November 11-21 with applications due September 23rd.
Frequency coordinator Tom Smith reported that there were not any local coordination requests, but he did receive Prior Notification Request for stations in Nekoosa and Shawano.
In new business, Chair Jim Magee reported that the National Office of the SBE asked Chapter 24 to place a bid for the 2006 National Fall Meeting. The issue was briefly discussed. The officers will examine the issue as far as costs are concerned, along with other issues and report back to the members.
In old business, a vote on the proposed bylaw changes allowing the posting of used equipment listings in the newsletter was taken. The bylaw changes were passed with no opposition.
The Chair then announced that the positions of Newsletter Editor and Special Events Chair were still open.
The meeting was adjourned and Vince Dastolfo and John Frautschy gave a guided tour of the Overture Center.
Chapter 24 Web Site Features
Visit SBE Chapter 24's home on the web at www.sbe24.org. There you will find a wealth of information– from Chapter meeting information, sustaining members listings, the Wisconsin State EAS Plan, to a list of past and current officers. You can also check your meeting attendance, which can be useful in completing recertification forms. Check it out!
On August 31st, the FCC gave some regulatory relief to broadcast stations and other licensees impacted by Hurricane Katrina. For all licensees, the FCC is extending the period for licensees in the affected areas to file their annual regulatory fee payments from 11:59 PM on September 11th to 11:59 PM on September 28th. Licensees will be required to certify that they were unable to make the payment on time.
For broadcasters, the FCC will allow the following actions:
• Requests for a STA can be made by either informal letter or e-mail with the FCC handling them as expeditiously as possible.
• Stations will have up to 10 days to notify the FCC that they are commencing the use of a temporary antenna. Normally, the FCC requires notification with 24 hours. This waiver expires in December 1, 2005.
• AM stations will be able to operate at nighttime with their daytime facilities with Section 73.1250(f) waived. Stations will have to notify the FCC with 48 hours of the start of such operations. The waiver ends on October 1, 2005.
• Stations limiting or discontinuing operation due to the hurricane will be given 30 days to notify the FCC that operations have been discontinued and 60 dates to file a request to remain silent. This waiver expires on December 1, 2005
• The final waiver the FCC has issued is that stations in the disaster area holding construction permits can request an additional 90 days to complete construction. Stations outside the disaster area can also file a request for another 90 days to complete construction. This would be for things like a delay because your new transmitter was sent to a station were the transmitter was destroyed.
There are also waivers for cable, including STAs for Cable relay stations. These waivers include commencement of operations upon local coordination with notification within 48 hours to the FCC. Cable systems also have the following technical requirements waived including performance tests, Section 76.605 technical standards except for leakage standards and system monitoring requirements. The Media Bureau engineering staff will provide service and coordination for all provisions of the Part 76 rules including waivers.
These waivers were issued under three different releases and include e-mail addresses for contact person at the FCC and a special e-mail address for cable STAs.
(From www.fcc.gov)
For years now I have used many computers, slow ones, fast ones, black ones, white ones, and some clear ones you can see through. Mostly, I’ve used and fixed personal computers that are designed for basic tasks such as word processing or e-mail, while others have had more specific tasks like editing audio and video or monitoring network traffic.
The one thing that I have noticed about all computers is that sooner or later they will have problems. No operating system or computer is perfect, and no one system is better than the other. Don’t ever fall into the trap of thinking that one OS is better than another, because they all have their weaknesses. Some operating systems work more efficiently than others when asked to perform certain tasks. The trick is to know which operating system is best for the task at hand.
If you’re not comfortable with an operating system, don’t just bad-mouth it because you don’t understand it, learn what makes it different. Try to get a hold of an old PC or Mac from the back room at the office, or you might get lucky and find one at a garage sale. Load the operating system you want to learn, and if you get stuck, look for help on the Web.
The more you understand about an operating system the more valuable you’ll be to your employer. Learn how to make different operating systems network to one another. I’ve noticed that all of these systems are similar, you just have to learn the differences. So before you judge an operating system, make sure you really understand what makes one different from the other.
I’ve become very comfortable working on just about any computer, no matter what OS. So keep an open mind and try not to show bias towards any one OS or computer. This has helped me to become more valuable to my company. Like being a member of the SBE or becoming certified in your field, it’s all about learning and making yourself move forward. Good luck and enjoy what you do.
[The catastrophe along the Gulf coast caused by Hurricane Katrina is still unfolding as of this newsletter’s deadline late Friday, September 2. Here’s one example from early in the disaster of how ham radio operators stepped in to provide communications in the area.]
• Amateur radio was instrumental in saving several stranded flood victims last week in Louisiana and Mississippi. At least one of the incidents received national media attention. On August 29, a call for help involving a combination of cell telephone calls and amateur radio led to the rescue of 15 people stranded by floodwaters on the roof of a house in New Orleans. Unable to get through an overloaded 911 system, one of those stranded called a relative in Baton Rouge. That person called another relative, Sybil Hayes in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, whose 81-year-old aunt Helen Elzy was among those clinging to the roof along with other family members.
Hayes called the American Red Cross chapter, which contacted the Tulsa Repeater Organization. Using the Red Cross chapter’s well-equipped amateur station, TRO member Ben Joplin, WB5VST, was able to relay a request for help on Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) net on 14.265 MHz via Russ Fillinger, W7LXR, in Oregon, and Rick Cain, W7KB, in Utah back to Louisiana, where the ARES net contacted emergency personnel who rescued the 15 people and got them to a Red Cross shelter.
"When all else fails, ‘Amateur Radio Works’ is more than a catchy tag line," says TRO’s Mark Conklin, N7XYO. "It’s a lifeline." National Public Radio interviewed Joplin about the experience for its "All Things Considered" program on August 30.
The Corporation for National and Community Service will provide a $100,000 grant supplement to the American Radio Relay League to support amateur radio’s emergency communication operators in states affected by Hurricane Katrina. The grant will help to fund "Ham Aid," a new League program to support Amateur Radio volunteers deployed in the field in disaster-stricken areas. ARRL Chief Development Officer Mary Hobart, K1MMH, said, "For the first time in ARRL history, we will be able to reimburse some of the expenses that hams incur in response to a disaster," she said. "We only wish that we could justify an expense reimbursement program like this every time Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers are called upon to help in a disaster or emergency, sometimes placing themselves in harm’s way."
• Locally, amateur radio sprang into action August 18 when two dozen tornados struck several Wisconsin counties. The National Weather Service (NWS) says the rash of tornados–which tied the single-day record for the Badger State set in 1988–first struck West Central Wisconsin, then moved to the east and southeast. Vernon, Richland and Dane counties were hardest hit. ARRL Wisconsin Section Emergency Coordinator Bill Niemuth, KB9ENO, says hams there were on the job even before any funnel clouds touched down.
The towns of Dunn and Pleasant Springs near Stoughton were severely stricken. One person died as a result of the brutal weather, and 18 others were injured there. Dane County Emergency Coordinator Joe Senulis, N9TWA, reports several tornadoes struck the county around 6:15 PM on August 18.
"There was already a SKYWARN operation in place, with a liaison at the Dane County Emergency Operations Center, when a strong tornado, believed to be an F3, struck the Stoughton area," he said. "Dane County ARES was activated and set up a damage net to relay reports to the EOC. In turn, the EOC informed us of areas where no reports had yet been received and required further investigation." Senius says a resource net was set up as a staging area for hams not involved in direct support.
Senulis says reports of large-diameter trees across roads, houses destroyed, power lines down, propane tanks leaking and more helped county officials gauge the extent of the damage. They also alerted them to areas where emergency services had not yet responded to critical safety needs.
In Dane County, 21 radio amateurs took part in the response as net control stations, liaisons between nets and the EOC, providing damage reports or standing by for assignment. "A number of the participants have only had their licenses for a few years," he added. "Everyone did a great job."
Niemuth says severe weather incidents like the August 18 tornadoes are why the more than 1300 Wisconsin ARES/RACES members train and stay ready to serve client agencies. "We do it to protect our families, neighbors and communities," he says. "After all, it is the Amateur Radio Service. I am always proud to lead our Wisconsin ARES/RACES team, but even more so after last week."
(Excerpts from the www.arrl.org web site)
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers 10-hour ("OSHA l0"), 30-hour ("OSHA 30") and OSHA 500 construction training courses at OSHA Training Institute Education Centers. Private companies also offer OSHA 10-hour, 30-hour, and OSHA 500 courses. To find an OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 course, contact the OSHA Outreach Training Program for a list of upcoming courses. Although these courses were created for the construction industry, they are relevant for tower technicians.
The OSHA 10 course for entry-level field workers focuses on construction safety and health. Students learn hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention. The course introduces OSHA standards, electrical standards and fall protection. Optional course topics include trenching and excavation, scaffolding, tools and personal protective equipment. Attendees receive a course completion card. The OSHA 30 course for tower work site supervisors covers the OSHA 10 topics in greater depth.
The five-day OSHA 500 course prepares private-sector tower company leaders to train employees or other groups in the OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 safety and health courses and authorizes them to issue course completion cards. There are some training and work experience prerequisites for OSHA 500.
OSHA compliance officers teach tower company leaders how to create the safest possible work environment. Students must bring a current copy of OSHA construction regulations 29 CFR 1926 to class. Besides covering the fundamentals of OSHA 10, OSHA 30 and hazardous situations, attendees learn instructional approaches and how to use visual aids and handouts.
To become an authorized trainer for the OSHA Outreach Program, students must pass a written exam at the end of the course. Maintaining current Outreach Trainer authorization requires attending OSHA course No. 502 at least once every four years. www.osha.gov/fso/ote/training/training_resources.html
First Aid Training
Basic first aid, CPR, and Automatic Electric Defibrillator (AED) courses are offered through the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. www.redcross.org and www.americanheart.org
This article is reprinted with permission from Above Ground Level magazine www.agl-mag.com
SCHERER ELECTED SBE PRESIDENT; OFFICERS, SIX DIRECTORS ALSO ELECTED
Christopher H. Scherer, CSRE CBNT, editor of Radio magazine, has been elected the 24th president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Scherer, of Overland Park, Kansas, will lead the Society’s 5,300 members beginning October 20, following his induction during the SBE Annual Membership Meeting in Grapevine, Texas. Scherer, who joined SBE in 1989, is a Senior member. He is completing a term as national vice president, is past chairman of Chapter 59 in Kansas City and Chapter 70 in Cleveland. He also currently serves as chairman of the SBE Certification Committee, a position he has held since 2001.
Elected vice president is Clay Freinwald, CPBE. Freinwald resides in Auburn, Wash. where he is a corporate engineer with Entercom. He is a member of Chapter 16 in Seattle and has been a member of the national SBE board of directors since 1999 and a member of the Society since 1968. He was elected an SBE Fellow earlier this year.
Elected to his first tem as secretary is Vincent A. Lopez, CEV CBNT, director of engineering at WSYT/WNYS TV in Syracuse, NY. Lopez has been a member of the national board since 2000 and has chaired the Membership Committee since 2001. He is immediate past chairman of Chapter 22 in Central New York and was elected an SBE Fellow in 2004.
Elected to a term as Treasurer is Barry Thomas, CPBE CBNT, vice president of engineering at Westwood One in New York City. He is a Senior member of SBE and a member of Chapter 15 in New York. Thomas previously served as national secretary and also two terms as a director. He has also served as a member and as chairman of the SBE Finance Committee.
Six members were elected to seats on the Board of Directors. They include:
SBE NATIONAL MEETING SET FOR TEXAS
The 2005 National Meeting of the Society of Broadcast Engineers will be held October 19-20 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine, Texas. Grapevine is just northwest of DFW International Airport in the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.
The National Meeting includes the fall meeting of the Board of Directors, the annual Fellows Breakfast, Annual Membership Meeting and the National Awards Reception and Dinner. The National Meeting is being held in conjunction with the Broadcast Engineering Expo (BEE) sponsored by SBE Chapter 67 of North Texas. The BEE will include an Ennes Workshop on October 19 and trade show on the evening of the 19th and all day the 20th. Technical presentations will also be held on the trade show floor on the 20th. To register and for more information about the SBE National Meeting and BEE, go to the Chapter 67 web site, www.sbe67.org or SBE web site, www.sbe.org.
DALLAS, BOSTON TO HOST ENNES WORKSHOPS IN OCTOBER
Ennes Workshops are being planned for presentation in suburban areas of Dallas and Boston in October. The first will be held as part of the Broadcast Engineering Expo (BEE), sponsored by Chapter 67, at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center on October 19. Cost will be just $25 and includes lunch along with a special viewing of the BEE broadcast equipment exhibition following the workshop.
An Ennes Workshop will also be held on October 25 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center in Marlborough, Mass. The workshop is part of the BOS-CON SBE Regional Convention which runs October 25-26. Again, the cost is just $25 and includes continental breakfast, lunch and preview of the BOS-CON exhibits with walk-around dinner.
Both workshops are full-day programs with most of the day dedicated to separate sessions for radio and television engineers. Radio presentation topics will include implementation of HD Radio, storage schemes for HD Radio and audio cable, 5.1 Surround Sound and Broadcast Management for Broadcast Engineers. Television topics will include digital archiving, passive RF systems and mask filters for TV transmitters, DTV transport system, Program Metadata Communication Protocol, DTV closed captioning and others.
To register for the Dallas Ennes Workshop, visit the Chapter 67 web site, www.sbe67.org. To register for the Boston Ennes Workshop, visit the Chapter 11 web site www.bos-con.com. You may also register for either event through the SBE National Office by calling or e-mailing Linda Baun at (317) 846-9000 or lbaun@sbe.org.
NEW SBE WEB SITE COMING IN OCTOBER
SBE will unveil a newly designed and improved web site during the month of October. The new site, which will retain the www.sbe.org address, will feature improved navigation, more functionality and modern graphic design. Among the new functions available will be an on-line new member application and on-line ordering of books and logo items from the SBE Store. The site will continue to feature the popular JobsOn-line, ResumeBank and Contract Engineer Directory as well as information about all of SBE’s services and programs. Watch for the big roll-out date in the next several weeks.
CERTIFICATION EXAMS AVAILABLE AT NAB RADIO SHOW, SBE NATIONAL MEETING
SBE will be offering a special certification exam session during the upcoming NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia. Any of the SBE Certification exams may be taken, including the new AM Directional Antenna Specialist exam. The exam session will take place on September 22 from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm, following the NAB seminar on AM directional antennas. Advance registration is encouraged but a limited number of examinees will be able to register on-site.
A special exam session is also being offered during the SBE National Meeting and BEE SBE Regional Convention in Grapevine, Texas. The exam session will be held on October 20 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. To register, contact Linda Baun at the SBE National Office at (317) 846-9000 or lbaun@sbe.org.
UPCOMING SBE REGIONAL CONVENTIONS
Six SBE regional conventions are coming up in September and October. These events are typically low or no-cost and include educational offerings and broadcast equipment and service exhibitions. If there is one near you, it will be well worth the effort to attend.
September 15, SEA-CON 2005, presented by SBE Chapter 16, VMI Inc. and eMedia Ministries. Boeing Museum of Flight, Seattle, WA.
September 28, 33rd Annual SBE22 Broadcast & Technology Expo, Turning Stone Casino, Verona, NY.
October 11-13, Broadcasters Clinic, presented by Wisconsin Broadcasters Assn. and SBE Chapter 24, Marriott Madison West, Middleton, WI.
October 19-20, 2nd Annual Broadcast Engineering Expo (sponsored by SBE Chapter 67) & SBE National Meeting, Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center, Grapevine, TX.
October 20, SBE Chapter 20 Pittsburgh Regional Broadcast Expo, Radisson Pittsburgh, Greentree, PA.
October 25-26, Bos-Con 2005, sponsored by SBE Chapter 11, Best Western Royal Plaza & Trade Center, Marlborough, MA.
FIRST FREQUENCY COORDINATORS RECEIVE SBE ACCREDITATION
SBE has begun a new Frequency Coordinator Accreditation program and more than 35 coordinators have applied for accreditation during the first few weeks of the program’s availability.
Accreditation provides volunteer SBE coordinators the opportunity to demonstrate they are part of a standards-based, nationally recognized program of local voluntary broadcast-auxiliary frequency coordination. It also allows SBE to demonstrate to the broadcasting industry the widespread acceptance of a voluntary set of standards guiding local coordination.
Though voluntary, the hope is that every frequency coordinator will want to become accredited. Information and an accreditation application form can be found at www.sbe.org/accreditation.pdf.
CHAPTER CHECKUP
While broadcast-specific chapter meeting programs directly relate to an SBE chapter’s interests, non-broadcast sites and tours can provide an interesting topic and introduce attendees to new surroundings and ideas. Possible tours include an electrical power plant, cell phone tower site, stadium, theater or arena, 911 dispatch center, public safety office or museum.
Television Master Control Operator
Full Time or Part Time MASTER CONTROL OPERATORS needed for the Wisconsin Public Television at the Network Control Center. These positions are limited term in nature and are anticipated to last through February of 2006.
Responsibilities include on-air operation of master control switcher and related equipment and the set-up and airing of program material. Requires strong attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple simultaneous functions. Strong technical and computer operating skills, the ability to maintain accurate written logs and calculate program timings. Advanced coursework in Electronics, Broadcast Engineering, Communications, or broadcast technical operations experience is preferred. Send resume and employment history to ECB Human Resources, 3319 West Beltline Highway, Madison, Wisconsin 53713. Apply by September 9th. Pay $11/hr.
An Equal Opportunities Employer
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