TWiRT 693 - 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:

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.

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?

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, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

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