tower work

[P a u l]

We share our tower with one of the local radio stations. They will be installing a new antenna this week and we will be shutting down our transmitter during the day anytime between 7AM-4PM. We didn't find this out until 8AM this morning and someone called in today reporting the HDTV signal was off air. If we left our transmitter on we would literally cook the tower crew. I asked them if they would take up a few eggs for me and set them next to the analog transmitter to cook them for me, but they just laughed.
The tower crew was hired to do several antenna installations in the area, but the first one was delayed because the antenna is still being built by the manufacturer. So they decided to do the antenna on our tower first.
We apologize for the inconvience.

[ReesR]

Thanks for the heads up Paul!

[gobble]

When you say "we", what station are you referring to?

[Tom Snyder]

He works at WISN

[Tom Snyder]

 

The tower crew was hired to do several antenna installations in the area

Maybe 18 and 24?

[P a u l]

As far as I know they are installing radio antennas.

[Matt Heebner]

Just like with television spectrum, radio is also moving to digital. Starting next year most radio stations will start a digital transmission of their programing. Supposedly the quality is going to be much improved, and the new tuner will only cost about $100. Thay are actually coining the phrase HD Radio for this. I would supply a link, but i read about it in last months issue of either Sound and Vision, or Home Theater Magazine.

Matt

[Tom Snyder]

What?!??! Now I have to buy a new radio, too? For what? A better sounding station?  They sound fine the way they are...

What is this, more EXPERIMENTAL TECHNOLOGY?!?!?!?!

hehehe  

[techguy1975]

You'll probably see very few stations move to digital radio.  From what I've heard, the technology is not all that great anyway.

Also, this is not an FCC mandate, stations only have to move if they want to.  They'd keep their existing frequency, and transmitter, I think they just need to add additonal equipment

[Tom Snyder]

Does the digital signal run on a subcarrier of their analog channel, or did the FCC give them a separate spectrum for this?

[kjnorman]

This is my understanding.  That they'll be using their existing analog spectrum to carry the digital signal; presumably on a sub carrier.

I do not think that the US move to digital radio is as well thought out as the UK's move to DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) which I guess is the only other model out there for terrestrial digital radio.

Kerry

[Tom Weeden]

 

Originally posted by Tom Snyder:
Does the digital signal run on a subcarrier of their analog channel, or did the FCC give them a separate spectrum for this?

There is a separate digital signal (not a subcarrier of the analog) which occupies the same spectrum as the analog, at a lower level.  Through some proprietary process, the digital receiver is able to reject the higher-level analog AM or FM signal to pull out the digital modulation underneath.  If I'm not mistaken, the digital signal may occupy slightly more bandwidth than the original analog.  It can't be too much more, or there would be adjacent channel interference.  The AM & FM dials are already crowded...  The digital signal would add a little noise to the AM signal...presumably the FM signals would capture the old analog receivers and they wouldn't hear any digital noise underneath.  

Kinda sounds like magic to me.

More info at http://www.ibiquity.com/  including white papers if you're into the technical side of how it works.

[Tom Snyder]

Hmmm... so the AM stations will have a digital signal as well? Same fidelity as the FM's?

No wonder Disney paid $2.8 million for WKSH.. when I was there I think the old owners had bought the place for less than $200k.

[This message has been edited by Tom Snyder (edited 11-06-2002).]

[P a u l]

You guys really know how to go off ona a tangent dont ya??? I don't think I mentioned that they were installing a digital antenna. Antennas do "burn out" and need to be replaced. Usually every 10-15 years.

The radio guys are still working on the tower so we will be off air during the day time the rest of this week this week, weather permitting. So please ask your wives to watch the soaps the old fashiopned way, via analog.


Digital radio hmmm. Well wht format would it be transmitted in? Dolby? PCM? If Dolby gets their fingers in, then you could bet you will see car radios jump in price to around $400. AM Digital? That doesnt make sense. If AM goes digital it wont be AM. How about if radio goes digital, move the stations to the AM frequencies. Then people in Cuba will hear Milwaukee radio stations.

[Tom Snyder]

 

people in Cuba will hear Milwaukee radio stations

I bet WTKM will be a big hit there!