Re: Stations where the sun never sets

[Dan Strassberg <dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net>]

At 01:36 PM 5/6/98 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 98-05-06 12:45:26 EDT, mwaters@wesleyan.edu writes:
>
><<         So many stations flouting the rules, and so little time <g>. IMO,
>  >>
>While WJIB has always downed power at sunset correctly (740),  to make it
>easier for me, I just bought and installed a $900. unit made by ESE Corp in
>California, which will allow 10 functions for automation;  two of which I now
>use for precise down-power at sunset and up-power at sunrise.    Seems to me
>that if stations have a hard time "remembering" when sunset is,  this unit
>will do the job flawlessly.  $900. is pocket change for some of these bigger
>station that 'forget' to drop from 50k to 10k, etc.     I knew of this unit
>because another one came with WJTO when I bought that station in Mar 97.
>It's a very durable unit, always works (with battery back-up), and  it costs
>half the price of, and will outlast the next 5 changes in the EAS system!
>---jibguy
>
Both WJIB and WJTO have their studios and TXs in the same building. (For you
proofreaders, I mean that each station is set up this way; WJIB has not
moved to Maine and WJTO has not moved to Massachusetts :-) Is the setup
equally straightforward and reliable when the unit must deal with the TX via
the public, switched telephone network (PSTN)? Or in such cases, does the
unit reside at the TX? And can you program the "official" times of sunrise
and sunset for an entire year? Can the unit learn the algorithm for the
switches between standard time and daylight saving? (Currently first Sunday
in April and last Sunday in October.) Does it know that 2000 is a leap year
but 2100 isn't? In fact, does it know what year it is and does it know that
most years that are divisible by 4 are leap years? Hey, is it Y2K compliant?

These are not dumb questions. Nor are the solutions necessarily straightforward.

- -------------------------------
Dan Strassberg (Note: Address is CASE SENSITIVE!)
ALL _LOWER_ CASE!!!--> dan.strassberg@worldnet.att.net
(617) 558-4205; Fax (617) 928-4205

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