Re: [IRCA] FCC Enforcement Priorities (Fwd from: Broadcast)

[Bruce Portzer <bportzer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I once thought about building an alarm system to let me know if one of my locals went off the air.  This was back before personal computers, so my idea involved a box full of transistor radios, each hooked to a detector that would let me know when there wasn't any audio present.  I never got around building it, but it would have been an interesting project.

Nowadays, we have PC controlled radios, which wouldn't be hard to set up for this purpose.  Have it scan through each local or semi-local pest and compare the signal level to a predetermined threshold.  If the signal level is too low after a couple of scans, have it sound the alarm.

Bruce

Bob Foxworth wrote:

I am forwarding this from the broadcast list. The part
about the remote monitoring stations is quite interesting.
I wonder if this is something that is cost-effective for
a DX listener to try and duplicate, assuming he has
access to a site with a connection, though of course it
may not be adequate as a true DX receiver. It's
probably simpler to just use dx-tuners service. But a
remote receiver just a few km away could make a
nice space-diversity system along with your home rx.

- Bob                             sent at 1718 est



  

Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 22:36:56 -0500
From: Mark Humphrey <mark3xy@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [BC] FCC Enforcement Priorities
To: broadcast@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Our guest speaker at the Philadelphia SBE meeting this evening was
    

John
  

Rahtes, head of the local FCC Enforcement Bureau office.  Here's a
    

brief
  

summary of his presentation.

When his staff make random inspections of broadcast stations, they
    

focus on
  

three things:

1) Public File
2) Tower
3) EAS

The public file should include ALL required sections --  they now pay
_particular_ attention to the issues-program lists.

The tower(s) must be registered and have proper ID numbers posted
    

unless
  

exempted by the rules.  Inspectors also want to see fencing, locked
    

gates,
  

RF warning signs, and general compliance with RF safety procedures.

For EAS, they will check to see that the equipment is operating
    

properly and
  

that tests have been received, sent, and logged as required by the
    

rules.
  

Here's something to keep in mind:  Instead of camping out in their
    

trucks,
  

the agents now set up remote monitoring stations, accessible on demand
    

via
  

the Internet, to check for EAS compliance, station IDs, proper
sign-on/sign-off of daytimers, pattern changes, etc.  These remote
    

boxes are
  

temporarily installed in US Post Offices, local police stations, or
    

other
  

government buildings near the transmitter of interest.  If a licensee
    

is
  

found to be in violation of a rule, the bureau will usually monitor
    

its
  

activity for a while to verify that corrective measures have actually
    

been
  

taken.

John also mentioned that his budget has never been higher than it is
    

under
  

this Administration -- he has more vehicles, staff and equipment than
    

ever
  

before.

Be careful,
Mark


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