[grc] [Stubblefield] EAS Receiver options

[dragon]

Receivers...
I have to agree with Petri on this one. I often recommend used home
stereo "tuners" (not a receiver with amplifier built in). They can be
had from resale and pawn shops for anywhere from $10-30. Get a couple
extra when you come across them and put them on the shelf.

If your receiver does get knocked off frequency you should know within a
week because you better be checking those EAS logs weekly. You should
see the same weekly tests from the same call letters EVERY week. If you
don't... go fix it and make a note in the log.

Many digital tuners actually will come back up to the same frequency
when power is lost and restored and it is easy for you to test for that
when you install it. Many others will come back up to the first preset
and so you will want to set the first preset to the station that you are
monitoring with that tuner. Always put a label on the front of the tuner
(regardless of type) that contains the frequency it is to be set at and
a not to DO NOT TOUCH!

An outdoor FM or wideband antenna should ALWAYS be used when possible.
They are less than $20 and RG6 cable is cheap, if not free, also. Even
with a long cable run you usually have a much better s/n ratio than an
indoor antenna.

Decoders...
The SAGE endec is a piece of junk!!! I worked with one for three years.
In my opinion, the engineers and programmers at SAGE are incompetent. I
don't know how it ever got certified. It is responsible for the failure
that we saw in the upper midwest during the national test. I would
happily pay money to get rid of a sage if I had to work with and
maintain it on a regular basis again. I am so glad that I do not have to
deal with one anymore.

The number of receivers that you need and whether they are AM, FM, or WB
can be found in your state EAS plan. That is what you need to follow.
Almost all stations need to monitor two, some need to monitor more.

Todd
Phantom Machine Works


On 07/15/2015 06:02 PM, pete tridish wrote:
> 
> 
> pete tridish wrote:
>> Well, your EAS equipment should not be where people are monkeying
>> around with it anyway. it should be in a closet or a rack that is out
>> of the way.  As i described, a UPS is generally sufficient to make
>> sure that the power on the receivers does not go off and you don't
>> have that problem.
>>
>> As I said, to spend $400 more for these little things that only really
>> save a bit of time to  the engineer doing the installation seems
>> foolish considering the start up budget of many of these LPFMs. the
>> days of federally subsidized equipment for radio  are over, and the
>> overpriced products ( $400 radio receivers)  that emerged to cater to
>> that market of " not really my money, so who cares how much it costs"
>> are numbered.  there can be good reasons for a fancy receiver, like
>> monitoring for a translator.  but old stereo receivers have no moving
>> parts, and are generally ridiculously  reliable for their current
>> thrift store price. I'd say,  spend your money where it matters every
>> day, like on the console.
>>
>> petri
>>
>>
>>
>> juice at whidbey.com wrote:
>>> I have seen many stations attempting to use used consumer grade FM-AM
>>> receivers for EAS monitor inputs.
>>> The problem I see is consumer receivers can get unnoticed knocked off
>>> your monitor channel far to easily with someone inadvertently rubbing
>>> up agents the wrong channel button or the channel selector knob.
>>> After a power failure some receivers will not come back to the
>>> original set monitor frequency. If discovered by a FCC inspection,
>>> its a potential large fine.
>>> Tom Voorhees
>>>
>>>
>>
>>>
>>
>>  __      __
>> Pe'tre Dish (n):  A squat, cylindrical article of laboratory
>> glassware, useful in observing resistant strains in aetherial media.
>>
>> *to hear tell of any current electromagnetic field disruptions i am
>> causing, check out imarad.io*
>> *
>> *
>> petetridish at riseup.net <mailto:petetridish at riseup.net>
>> 215-605-9297
>>
>>
>>
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