I Like to Move It, Move It with Chris Tarr

Chris Tarr just finished a long-anticipated FM transmitter move. Big implications attended this move all the way across a metro area. The new site needed a directional FM antenna, and they decided that a new transmitter made more sense than moving the old one. Chris covers a lot of ground when contemplating any transmitter site move. Kirk Harnack touches on a few pointers for IP radio microwave links, including not trusting the existing infrastructure too much!

Show Notes:

  1. Planning Transmitter Moves
    • Facilities – Building, road, fencing, parking, HVAC, roof, ice protection
    • Legal including FCC
    • Permitting – local zoning, building, etc.
    • Safety – fencing, insurance requirements, guy anchors, tower base
    • STL considerations & options
    • Frequency coordination for 950 & IP STLs
    • Fiber internet availability
    • AC Power – service sizing, etc.
  2. Executing the move
    • What can be built and ready beforehand
    • What has to move overnight or a weekend
    • Absolutely no off-air time? Or minimal?
    • Actual cutover
    • Moving audio processing if needed
    • What if something goes really wrong? 
    • Plan to go back if needed?
  3. After the move (should have been before the move)
    • Tying up all the loose ends
    • Grounding, lightning protection
    • Putting redundancy in place at the new location
    • What if Internet installation is late?  Wait or move ahead?

Hosts

Chris Tarr – Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter – @kharnack
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