Dennis Thompson
As expected, this years Meadow Lakes picnic was a blast. Thanks to all those who brought tasty food and drink, plus a special thanks to our Chairman Ken Holden for once again toiling over the hot coals preparing the tri-tip. I’ve included a few photos of the event shot by Jim Erbe (W6NIF).
The Nielsen folks are now saying that more than three-quarters of all U.S.homes have HD TV’s, up 14% from last year. Could AM radio have HD in its horizon? The NAB Radio Technology Committee appears to have plans to test an all-digital AM HD Radio technology on an existing radio station. The committee is looking at several solutions to give AM broadcast a boost. While current HD Radio receivers could receive an all-digital signal, testers will be interested to explore the impact on analog-only receivers, which right now, is presumed to be hiss or static. Does this mean I’ll need an HD converter box for my old Zenith console in the living room someday. . .?
OK, so we’ve fixed TV and have high hopes for rejuvenated AM—what about the faithful FM stereo listeners? One improvement could be less FM multipath. The Telos/Omnia engineers in conjunction with NPR Labs have completed testing of a new modulation scheme to do just that. It’s called, single sideband suppressed carrier modulation (SSBSC). Perhaps the good news here is that FM SSBSC is compatible with existing modulation monitors and receivers! Great, I’m putting away my wallet now.
Last month I mentioned that the FCC has begun allowing qualified tower owners permission to modify the structures lighting—as in turning some of them off. If you’re interested to see if you can save a few bucks by doing that, here is a link to a great article by Hal Kneller, CPBE He gives a detailed step-by-step process from filing an application with the FAA to what the FCC needs to approve the request. An interesting note is that there is NO paper filing permitted, all of fit must be done on line. The FAA and FCC Program to Lower Your Tower Light Bill
This month, we have a hosted lunch presentation from ImmediaTV at the Clovis HomeTown buffet. Join the SBE crew Thursday, October 25, 2012 beginning at noon for this informative meeting.
