Buc’s Winter Tips – Radio World

In this special edition Tech Tips, longtime contributor Buc Fitch shares several suggestions to get your transmitter site and other radio facilities winter ready. 

#1 Don’t Wait to Check Those Deicers 

We need to go a little further in our winter prep than just making certain the circuit breaker for the deicers is turned on. As mentioned in our article on de-icing (link to article), the most important piece of information is the current consumed by the deicers.

If a current measurement of the consumption of your deicing system does not match its new (factory) value or last check number, get the problem fixed now when it’s warm and clear. When winter weather demands deicing and they don’t work properly, it’s too late.

#2 Monitor Those HVAC Systems 

A strange quality of snow and ice is that these are great insulators (think igloo). Snow up to the windowsills and six inches on the roof can be enough insulation to capture transmitter heat, and suddenly your HVAC in deep winter calls for cool.

Is your system sophisticated enough to handle these strange extremes, such as cooling/deicing to enhance air flow? Here in the NE, the ideal temperature window is 55°F to 80°F.   

#3 Remember to Winterproof

Confirm that arrangements have been made for clearing the studio parking lot and driveway to the transmitters. If you rent, don’t assume that the tower owner will do this latter effort.

Check the lease and, if providing access is a lease codicil, make certain the site owner knows you expect this clearing to be done in a timely manner. Do not assume that clearance is to the building door — it may be just to the gate! 

Make certain everyone has the needed keys and door codes to access their work area. Winter chaos will often throw out personnel schedules so access for everyone 24/7 becomes critical. 

Winter proof all key locks so they don’t freeze on you, requiring drastic thawing methodology such as using your heat shrink gun or blow torch. The practical and the obvious are often overlooked.

Mark driveways and walkways with snow stakes so you don’t drive off the road or fall off the snow covered walk. Make certain that all site lighting is functional.

#4 Got Power?

 Make certain that standby generators at all locations are serviced, block heaters are running, batteries are winter capable, fuel tanks are topped off and have a mid-winter refill top-off scheduled to cover consumption from exercising, false starts etc.  Check connections for tightness and corrosion on battery, power output terminals etc. Confirm you have extra engine oil for make-up needed during extended running along with replacement filters etc.

#5 Get Your Priorities Straight

Emergency rations and survival gear should be in position and adequate … e.g. blankets in the car, cell charging cables, bottled water, jumper cables, tire inflator, etc.

If you get caught at the transmitter by darkness, or heavy snow that fell while you’re distracted inside, the two most important items of concern … prioritize warmth and water. Food, entertainment and communication are all secondary concerns.

#6 Keep the Lights On

Make certain that the station can run without you and the staff. With very thin staffing nationwide, something as simple as station-wide flu might make hours, or even an entire day, have to be AI or automation-operated just to maintain a signal.

#7 Check Your Backup

Let’s talk UPS systems. Nothing is a substitute for running these systems under load and clocking the support time. Power outages average about three minutes nationwide with most under this interval, BUT  that average is driven up by the lesser number of “long” (meaning 20 minutes or more) that are experienced.

A duration support of 20-plus minutes should be considered a minimum if all you have is UPS. Since UPS usually supports the minimum operating equipment, the shortest UPS support is the determinant for how long you’ll stay on. 

AC waveform is critical and many computers and similar gear with switching power supplies or ferro resonant requirements will not run on less than a perfect sine wave. Many UPS systems will perceive a poor waveform as no power which leads to erratic operation. Check for problems now to avoid problems.

If you have back-up systems, make certain that the back-up is available for service. Transmitters or support equipment that you have to journey out to a remote site to activate may be beyond your reach if not available via remote control. 

#8 Ready, Set, Stream

Catastrophe at other locations might cause the loss of your STL hop site or your streaming service. Now is the time to set up alternate access paths to your transmitters and to your audience listening to you on their cell phones via web streaming.

#9 Plan Ahead for Tower Maintenance

Line pressurization … Many folks, especially new to the field, think that if I cannot hear it in audio, I don’t need to worry about it. E.g. An abundance of stations that have pressurized lines have just never gotten around to “fixing” or maintaining the pressure system. Winter is hard on transmission lines and, in addition to limiting the moisture in the line, pressurization helps maintain the uniformity of the line.

Soft lines can be especially distended by the severe expansion and contraction of the line. Distended lines change impedance, severe line movement disengages lines from their connectors. Winter on tower maintenance is far more expensive and never as qualitative as warm periods. 

#10 Keep That TP Handy

Simple items such as fuses, spray clean, thumb drives and manuals should be where they are needed. Consumables such as TP, paper towels, MREs should be sufficient in quantity and at hand.

#11 Get Emergency Ready … Just in Case

Do you have flashlights at the ready and adequate first aid gear if a string of problems happen at the same time?

The reader may wonder what we’re talking about here, but the author actually experienced a paralyzing ice storm where a major traffic accident with injuries happened nearby and we became the first responders. More of a broadcast possibility would be a loss of commercial power followed by a generator failure … you start from point zero. 

[Read more stories by Radio World’s Buc Fitch]