Service Call Photos and Notes

This page hosts photos and notes from service calls (and in-house / bench repair work as well) for purposes of keeping clients informed and for future reference/comparison. Please note that Alabama Broadcast Services, LLC frequently works in tandem with Auburn Broadcast Services, LLC as well as other communications service providers. Yes, it is possible for “Alabama” and “Auburn” to get along. 😉

2022-04-13 Getting An FM Translator Back On The Air For A Client

2022-03-19 Bench Testing of Used Broadcast Tools SS16.4 Audio Matrix

2022-01-30 Design and Build of Arduino-Based Automatic RF Shutdown/Interlock Logic Device for Control of PTek FM500ES FM Transmitter. Achieves FCC required automatic shutdown of transmitter during certain conditions and will automatically restart it when things return to normal. This is not quite as simple with the PTek as it is with some other transmitters, which the article explains.

2021-11-07 Inovonics 531 FM Modulation Modulation/Analyzer. Minor repair and installation in new carrying case for protection and convenience.

2021-10-12 WKCN-FM 99.3 Transmission Line Dehydrator System Replacement. The Andrew Dryline dehydrator system used on the WKCN 3-/18″ rigid transmission feedline decided to bite the dust. Things happen. Fortunately, the station management is pretty proactive and had purchased a spare, knowing that largely mechanical equipment such as dehydrator systems do suffer a lot of wear by nature of the jobs they perform. Sometimes they just plain “bite the dust.” We were prepared for that and got the system replaced without any major fuss.

2021-10-12 WKCN-FM 99.3 Eimac 4CX20000A PA Tube Replaced In Harris HT25FM Transmitter. After being in service for almost eleven years, Eimac 4CX20000A PA tube in the Harris HT25FM transmitter was finally at the end of its useful life. This post shows detailed photos of how the job of installing the replacement tube went, including “before and after” photos of the transmitter’s performance for comparison and future reference purposes.

2021-10-09 Repair of International Tower Lighting ITL-4740 Timing and Trigger Board for Strobe Controller and Power Supply Unit. This board had failed in a client’s Flash Technology Corporation PC310-4 Controller and Power Supply Unit. I managed to troubleshoot the failure and repair the board. It is ready to be put back into service in their tower strobe lighting system.

2021-10-05 WRLA Studio Audio Cable Short-Circuit Troubleshooting and Repair. Located balanced stereo audio cable which had an intermittent short-circuit between one of the conductors and the shield/ground, causing intermittent loss of one of the stereo audio channels. Repaired by totally replacing the cable run.

2021-10-03 Andrew Corporation XC100 and XT-300 Dryline Dehydrator Combination System Testing and Repair. Tested and had to perform a minor repair on this dehydrator system, which a client purchased used as a spare/backup unit for one of their FM broadcast transmission feedlines.

2021-09-28 WCGQ-FM Transmission Tower Top Strobe Light Controller/Power Supply Repair. The top strobe light on the tower had stopped working. In this case, the problem turned out to be failure/damage to the Flash Technology Corporation controller/power supply unit which drives the flashhead and strobe tube, so no tower crew was needed for the repair for a change.

2021-09-28 WLTC-FM Nautel NV15 Transmitter PA Cooling Fan Replacement. Cooling fan #6 on RF module #1 in the transmitter had failed. Diagnosis of the failure, acquiring the needed replacement fan, and performing the repair took only one trip, thanks to the excellent design and features of the transmitter.

2021-09-27 WQNR-FM Harris HT5FM Load Adjustment Mechanism Repairs, Circuit Breaker Replacements, and Telephone Line Repairs. Replacement of broken U-joint in the “Load” adjustment system, replacement of three aged and troublesome circuit breakers on the transmitter, and completion of permanent repairs to telephone line wiring which had been burned to a crisp by the recent lightning strike.

2021-09-16 WCGQ-FM BirdRF 3171 Wattcher Repair. I had to repair the BirdRF Wattcher which is used to monitor the forward and reflected RF power levels, and to provide automatic alerts if the VSWR is above acceptable levels on the transmission line.

2021-09-13 WQNR-FM 4CX3500A PA Tube Replacement and IT Transtector Installation. Photos and a few notes about the before and after performance and power output of the Harris HT5FM transmitter, and the installation of a replacement surge/transient protector due to the previous protector having been blown by a recent lightning strike.

2020-01-04 WRCG-AM 1420 Broadcast Electronics AM5E repairs.
Report includes infrared thermography showing improvements in cooling and significantly reduced temperatures in critical areas. Burned-out cooling fan “B” replaced, air filter and intake area cleaning and repairs. Resulted in significantly improved cooling of transmitter and power amplifier (PA) modules. (Cick on the hyperlink to view PDF document.)

2019-04-24 WKGA 97.5 FM: Installation of Wegener Satellite Receiver/Audio Server for reception and broadcast of M.R.N. (Motor Racing Network) programming, including NASCAR events.

2019-04-23 WCUG Transmitter Repairs and Assessment of Further Repairs We Will Be Performing Soon

2019-04-23 WCGQ Rigid Transmission Line – Damaged Section To Be Replaced Soon