Re: What happened to Amber Alert?

["Aaron [Bishop] Read" <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 09:44 AM 10/15/2002, SteveOrdinetz wrote:
>Aaron 'Bishop' Read wrote:
>>Anyways, since updates to all EAS co/decs are supposedly going to be 
>>available by the end of the year, and I believe all stations are expected 
>>to update ASAP...although I don't know if there's a rule about being 
>>required to install updates.  You'd think there is but who knows for 
>>sure?   I do know that most stations WANT to update as this update also 
>>includes provisions for delaying the forwarding of a weekly or monthly 
>>test (RWT and RMT) from only 15 minutes to a full 60 minutes...so it 
>>behooves a lot of stations who've been griping about the small time 
>>window to legally forward tests and alerts.
>
>
>Stations are not required to upgrade.  I think the only requirement is 
>that starting in 2003 and new codecs sold must incorporate the new 
>codes.  There is a software upgrade for Sage units available at no cost 
>from Harris.  It includes the Amber codes, but not some of the other new 
>codes (most of which are irrelevant here in New England).  I don't know 
>about other manufacturers...all I have is Sage units in my stations.  RWTs 
>are not required to be forwarded, only logged, delay time on Sage units 
>can be extended to 59 min for RMTs even without the upgrade.

Whoops...I mis-spoke, you are correct: RWT's are not required to be 
forwarded, although stations ARE required to generate an RWT once per week, 
it doesn't NEED to be in response to receiving an RWT.  I encourage my 
stations not to do that and instead to schedule their RWT's so that a 
maximum number of staff has experience working the EAS system.   At both 
stations I advise on EAS they use Burk EAS's, which the updates are 
supposedly coming out between Halloween and Thanksgiving.  Burk cannot be 
delayed more than 15 minutes without the upgrade.   I'm disinclined to go 
much more than 20-25 minutes regardless, though...too easy to forget that 
you need to send a test/alert.


____________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read     aread@speakeasy.net
FriedBagels Technical Consulting / Boston, MA
www.friedbagels.com   AOL-IM: ReadAaron