Re: WMWM taking a week off...

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

Your interpretation of "running unattended" is a little off, Peter...but in 
principle I agree with you.   There's no reason for any station to shut 
down these days...it's just too damn easy and cheap to set it up to run 
with no physical presence at the helm.   "Saving heat and power"??  Gimme a 
damn break...125W is barely a damn lightbulb, and you can't just "shut off" 
the heat or the pipes will burst...realistically you can't go much below 
55-60 degrees without risking problems.

Anyways...an excellent reference on the specifics of running unattended is 
available here:
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/noonehome.html

The key factors are having your EAS set up to run without outside control, 
and having a means of shutting down your transmitter from any location 
within three minutes of a problem being detected (this DOES NOT necessarily 
mean within three minutes of the problem OCCURING...simply that you have to 
be able to shut down within three minutes of being aware of the 
problem).   Exactly whether or not you need a means of detecting a problem 
in the first place is one of those vague areas the FCC is notorious 
for...but regardless, the Broadcast Tools DC8PLUS is a simple $400 dial-up 
solution that allows simple on/off telephone control of many basic 
transmitter functions.
_________________________________________________________
Aaron "Bishop" Read       aread@speakeasy.net
Fried Bagels Consulting   www.friedbagels.com
AOL-IM: ReadAaron         Brighton, MA 02135


At 02:32 PM 12/19/2002, Peter Q. George wrote:
>Can't they run automated during the break with WINAMP?
>  As for the legal ID, they could use their remote
>control system to automatically key up a cart deck
>every hour? That's basically what I use to keep my
>stations up and running 24/7.  If you use the WINAMP
>with the the SQR Crossfader program, it sounds like
>someone's running the board.  As long as you do your
>readings daily and have a dial-up remote system and
>have your EAS on automatic, you're ready.
>
>Just, in my own opinion, there is really no reason for
>ANY college station to be silent during any breaks.
>This will prevent any potential vulture "time-sharing"
>person to apply for half of your airtime when license
>renewal time comes.  I hope Salem State will
>reconsider for your Christmas shows.  73.
>
>Peter Q. George (K1XRB)
>Whitman, Massachusetts