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Jul. 22nd, 2012
The transmitter that will not stay fixed
Jul. 22nd, 2012 11:46 amTwo weeks ago, as I was taking my father back home from his visit, I stopped by one of my clients' transmitter sites to check on an anomalous power reading I was getting from the remote control system, which claimed the station was only running 400 watts instead of 1800. The problem proved to be two fried power amplifier modules (out of 8) in the transmitter, and I put the backup transmitter on for a week until I could get back and replace them. But after I did, a week ago Friday, the station was back to full power and a wide swath of Rhode Island and eastern Connecticut could enjoy its Bach and Beethoven again.
But yesterday, when I was down there to visit another station, I was shocked to find that the first station's signal was very weak. When I was done with the work I had come to do, I drove over to the site and found that now *three* power amp modules were dead, INCLUDING BOTH OF THE NEW ONES I HAD JUST INSTALLED. The station was running just 68 watts.
It pisses me off that eight fuses that are supposed to protect these things are perfectly intact while the modules get zapped (by what, though? I've got power line surge suppressors protecting the whole building, including two computers that have run there with no problems for years).
I'm down to three spare modules now. I sent off an email of complaint to the factory; we'll see what they have to say.
Needless to say, my client isn't amused.
But yesterday, when I was down there to visit another station, I was shocked to find that the first station's signal was very weak. When I was done with the work I had come to do, I drove over to the site and found that now *three* power amp modules were dead, INCLUDING BOTH OF THE NEW ONES I HAD JUST INSTALLED. The station was running just 68 watts.
It pisses me off that eight fuses that are supposed to protect these things are perfectly intact while the modules get zapped (by what, though? I've got power line surge suppressors protecting the whole building, including two computers that have run there with no problems for years).
I'm down to three spare modules now. I sent off an email of complaint to the factory; we'll see what they have to say.
Needless to say, my client isn't amused.