Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2011 Madison, Next Meeting From the Chair... 2011 Summer Thursday, June 16 Hello fellow SBE 24 members, I am your new chairman, Bill Hamilton, Engineering Technology Manager of WisconsinEye Annual Public Affairs Network. Workshop CHAPTER 24 Thanks to everyone who participated in the recent officer elections. I feel it is an The WBA-SBE Summer PICNIC honor to serve as your chapter chairman Engineering Workshop is and I am sure my fellow officers feel the all set for June 22nd at same. I look forward to working with The Chapter will supply burgers and Kevin Trueblood (Vice Chairman), Mike the Grand Geneva Resort brats, condiments, buns, plates, Norton (returning Secretary) and Matt and Spa in Lake Geneva, cups and utensils. The grill will be Glissendorf (Treasurer) in this new term. Wisconsin. The workshop agenda started at 5:00PM. I would also like to thank nomination is available on line at http://www. Bring a dish to committee; Steve Paugh, Mike Kulis wi-broadcasters.org/wba/index. pass, an alternate and Leonard Charles for organizing and php/events/summer-conference-2/ entrée if desired running this year’s elections. This year summer-conference-engineering- and your preferred was the first time we tried online voting beverage (we have and it seems to have worked very well (no agenda/ There is an electronic an alcohol permit). controversy or recount requested). I would registration click at the bottom of the also like to thank outgoing Chairman Fred page. Please RSVP on the chapter web Sperry, who has done a great job these For more information or to site (http://www.sbe24.org) past 2 years and is helping me transition register by phone contact the WBA into the position. I know I can rely on Fred offices at 800-236-1922 or email to counsel me as I learn my post. There is a playground for the kids Vice President Linda Baun lbaun@ and we have an amplified music Now on to new business; I have wi-broadcasters.org. permit for the evening’s music submitted (with Fred’s guidance) our provided by nominations for Best Newsletter, Best A full-page agenda for the Trailing Edge Entertainment. Conference and Best Website to the Summer Engineering Workshop can Come for the food and company, National office. In other new business, I be found on page 3. would like to remind everyone that the stay for the relaxing atmosphere! Chapter 24 Summer Picnic is coming up on June 16th; Leonard Charles has 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM Coming Up placed a sign up on the chapter website. Badger Prairie Park, Shelter #1 Remember to thank Steve Paugh for Verona, Wisconsin Wed., July 20 ATSC-Mobile Handheld organizing the picnic as he does a lot of Video Solutions No Park Admission is required. work to pull this off every year. Thurs., Aug. 18 TBD Another upcoming event of note is the Tues., Sept. 13 TBD A map can be found on page 6. SBE WI – WBA Summer Engineering Workshop in Lake Geneva on June 22nd. There will be a brief business Please feel free to send me any In this Issue meeting about 7:00PM to introduce suggestions or comments concerning how our newly elected officers. to run or improve the chapter. Meeting Minutes...... 2 Once again, thank you for electing me WBA Agenda...... 3 Visitors & guests are welcome to this office. I look forward to serving Amateur Radio News...... 4 at all Chapter 24 events! you and this chapter for the next year. Antenna as an Antenna...... 5 Page 2 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2011

Chapter Contacts

Chapter Leadership Meeting Minutes Chair from the May 2011 Business Meeting Bill Hamilton, Wisconsin Eye W: 608-316-6850 Ext. 305 Meeting was called to order at nominations for national SBE awards [email protected] 7:01PM in the loading dock of Vilas have been handed off to incoming Vice Chair Hall on the UW campus. chapter President Bill Hamilton. We Kevin Trueblood Fred Sperry approved the previous are working on submissions for best Wisconsin Public Radio meeting’s minutes. Tom Weeden conference, newsletter, and website. If [email protected] carried the motion and Tom Smith there are any other nominations sought, seconded. please talk to Bill. Secretary Treasurer Kevin Trueblood reported There was no new business to Mike Norton, WPT W: 608-264-9807 a healthy balance in the chapter’s bank report. [email protected] account. In professional announcements, Newsletter: nothing new to report. Tom Smith is retiring from Wisconsin Treasurer Sustaining Membership: Fred Sperry Public Television at the end of Matthew Glissendorf, AT&T reported the count remains at 22, with June. Tom will continue to do 608-252-7815 Roscor being the latest renewal. frequency coordination for the chapter. [email protected] Programming Committee: Steve Also, Richard Madouse has joined Past Chair Paugh announced the June meeting Wisconsin Public Radio as a Broadcast Fred Sperry, ECB-OC would be the annual summer picnic Engineer. W: 608-264-9806 June 16th at Badger Prairie Park. Steve Steve Paugh from the Chapter 24 [email protected] took suggestions for what to serve. nominations committee congratulated July’s meeting on the 20th will be a the newly elected chairpersons and Committee Appointees mobile TV show, and August is still announced that a total of 19 votes had open although he is currently working been received, 18 of those coming from Program Committee with Larcan to do a demonstration. online submissions. It was decided Steve Paugh 277-5139 Certification: Jim Hermanson that online voting will be the primary volunteers needed for program committee reports the next local exam is August method from now on. 5-15, with June 3 being the application The meeting was adjourned at Membership / Newsletter Editor deadline. 7:16PM and a tour, given by Russ Awe, Paul Stoffel Frequency coordination: Tom Smith of the new Wisconsin Public Television [email protected] had nothing new to report. production truck followed. National Report: Leonard Charles Sustaining Membership Fred Sperry reported the SBE, at FEMA’s submitted by Kevin Trueblood 608-264-9806 invitation, will be promoting FEMA’s [email protected] planned series of educational webinars on the EAS and the SBE is providing July 2011 Chapter 24 Certification & Education input to FEMA’s questions as FEMA Newsletter Deadline: Jim Hermanson implements the EAS/CAP and national [email protected] Saturday, July 2 tests. Also, June 16, a webinar will [email protected] be held called “Creative Strategies for Frequency Coordination edited using Adobe InDesign CS4 Tom Smith Translators and Boosters” and another, 608-263-2174 the “SBE RF Safety Course,” will be [email protected] held June 21. See the Education section of the national SBE website for all the National SBE Chapter Liasion Leonard Charles details and to sign up. Finally, June 15 W: 608-271-4321 is the deadline for the SBE National F: 608-271-1709 Awards nomination. Also, May 31 also [email protected] ends the national Membership Drive. In old business, submitting Page 3 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2011 2011 WBA Summer Conference ENGINEERING DAY AGENDA Wednesday, June 22 The 2011 WBA-SBE Summer Engineering Workshop is set for June 22nd at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa in Lake Geneva, WI. The day’s sessions are loaded with current and relevant topics in the career of today’s Broadcast Engineer. 8:00 AM – 6:30 PM: Registration Location: Grand Geneva Lobby Hallway (OUTSIDE OF HILLCROFT’S GIFT SHOP IN MAIN HALL AND ONE DOWN NEAR THE EXHIBIT AREA)

Breakfast Sponsored By:

Engineering Sessions Location: Linwood A 8:40 AM: Opening Remarks – Michelle Vetterkind, WBA President & CEO 8:45 AM: All Things “G” – Doug Stewart and Priya Gupta of Verizon Wireless will talk about the company’s 3G to 4G to LTE migration in Wisconsin and beyond. 9:30 AM: Network Security – Peyton Engel will continue our education of all things bad that can happen on your computer network and how you can prepare for and avoid them. 10:15 AM: Break 10:30 AM: The Alternative FCC Inspection – Dennis Baldridge, the WBA Alternate FCC Inspector, will describe the program, along with common issues that arise out of the Inspection and how you can prepare your station for a passing grade. 11:15 AM: Being Green: Responsible Disposal of Broadcast Electronic Equipment – Chuck Hayes and Jori Pascarella of Intercon Solutions will describe the modern “green” way to dispose of all sizes of electronic broadcast equipment. 12:00 PM: Lunch Location: BRISSAGO Restaurant

Lunch Sponsored By:

1:15 PM: Wisconsin EAS-CAP Update – September 30th is the FCC mandate for stations to deploy CAP enabled EAS equipment. Wisconsin SECC Chair, Gary Timm will explore the latest State of Wisconsin Plan for CAP. 2:00 PM: Windmill Interference to Broadcast Signal Reception – Dennis Wallace of Meintel, Sprignoli, & Wallace will reveal the field study of the Fond du Lac area Wind Farms and their affect on off-air reception in the area. 2:45 PM: Break 3:00 PM: Disaster Recovery – Jeff Welton from Nautel will bring us the manufacturer’s point of view of disaster preparation. Jeff will also describe how Nautel helped clients recover from actual disasters. 3:45 PM: Disaster Recovery Panel – Dennis Brechlin of WCGV-TV/WVTV-TV and Dave Schank Public Television will describe the 2010 disaster by flooding of WCGV-TV/WVTV-TV in Milwaukee and the road to recovery. Jason Mielke of Bliss Communications will talk about a lightning strike that took out an FM antenna and transmission line and what to do next to reestablish service to the audience and recover the business. Audience participation: If you have a story, we’d like to hear it. 4:30 PM: End of Sessions

5:00 PM – 7:30 PM: Exhibit Reception Location: Maple Lawn Ballroom Exhibit Reception Sponsored By:

7:30 PM – 10:00 PM: Dinner & Entertainment Location: Geneva Chophouse and Embers Terrace

Dinner Sponsored By: Page 4 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2011

allocations.” S 1040 has been referred to the Senate Amateur Radio News Committee on Science, Commerce, and Transportation, chaired by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV). Senator Rockefeller compiled by Tom Weeden, WJ9H earlier introduced his own bill, S 28, to address the same general topic. Neither ● On Sunday, May 22, the single determined the twister packed top winds Senate bill would impact amateur deadliest twister in almost 60 years swept of more than 200 miles per hour, making spectrum. through Joplin, Missouri city, slamming it an EF5 — the highest rating given on straight into St John’s Regional Medical the enhanced Fujita scale — said Bill (Excerpts from the American Center. The tornado killed 139 people. As Davis, the meteorologist who reviewed Radio Relay League’s soon as the storm cleared, area Amateur the damage. The tornado was given a web site) Radio operators responded to requests preliminary rating of EF4 on Monday. from the American Red Cross and local He said that the tornado left “about six hospitals to help provide communications miles of total destruction” in its wake, support. and that examinations of some of the American Radio Relay League buildings destroyed or damaged convinced Missouri Section Emergency Coordinator forecasters to raise the designation, he Ken Baremore, W0KRB, and Greene said. According to Missouri’s State County Emergency Coordinator William Emergency Management Agency, the tornado grew to as wide as three-quarters Gilmore, KC0TCF, met in Springfield 7847 Big Sky Drive to establish Red Cross communications. of a mile at one point. Madison, Wisconsin 53719 They set up a 70 mile path using a yagi The Joplin tornado was the nation’s (608) 833-0047 • FAX (608) 833-5055 antenna to communicate from the Red deadliest single twister since a June 1953 Cross office in Springfield to the Joplin tornado in Flint, Michigan. Unlike the David Pavlik office via the 2 meter Joplin repeater. multiple storms that killed more than 300 Midwest Regional Sales Manager “Cell phone coverage was spotty at people in April across the South, Joplin Broadcast Division best, but mostly non-existent, and the was smashed by just one exceptionally Canon U.S.A., Inc. 100 Park Blvd. circuit was overloaded most of the time,” powerful twister. Itasca, IL 60143 according to Baremore. [email protected] “Sometime late Sunday evening, we ● The Broadband for First Responders Tel 630.250.6231 Cell 630.215.9233 Fax 630.250.0399 received a call from Freeman Hospital, Act of 2011, S 1040, was introduced in requesting assistance to help provide the Senate by Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) communications support,” Baremore and John McCain (R-AZ) on Thursday, said. “Using Amateur Radio, we provided May 19. While it has a similar objective communications between Freeman to HR 607 — introduced in February Hospital in Joplin to the hospitals in by Representative Peter King (R-NY- Springfield, as the tornado took down 3) — this Senate bill, unlike HR 607, phone lines and cell towers. Members of does not call for auctioning any portions the Southwest Missouri Amateur Radio of Amateur Radio spectrum. Both bills Club (SMARC), along Christian County call for the allocation of the so-called “D Shane Collins Emergency Coordinator Pat Conway, block” of spectrum, 758-763 and 788-793 Clark Wire & Cable Sales Unit A WA6GJM, helped out with this, using MHz, to facilitate the development of a 408 Washington Blvd Mundelein, IL 60060-4401 mobile radios set up just inside the doors public safety broadband network. (800) CABLE-IT (847) 949-9944 of the hospital. John Howard, K0VET, On learning in February that a Senate Fax: (847) 949-9595 e-mail: [email protected] activated the Missouri Emergency version of HR 607 was being drafted, www.clarkwire.com Services Net (MESN). It ended up ARRL Chief Executive Officer David steering a lot of people to the proper Sumner, K1ZZ, met with staff members website for health and welfare messages.” of the Senate’s Homeland Security and The American Red Cross set up Governmental Affairs Committee who a shelter at Missouri Southern State were working on the bill to share the University in Joplin. Jasper County ARRL’s concerns with regard to HR Assistant Emergency Coordinator 607. “They seemed very receptive to our Chris Wilson, N0CSW, helped set up argument and appreciative of the public communications between the shelter and service contributions of radio amateurs,” the American Red Cross office in Joplin. Sumner said. “It is gratifying to see that The National Weather Service has S 1040 avoids impacting our spectrum Page 5 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2011 How well does a TV transmit antenna receive? >>> by Tom Weeden, WMTV Chief Engineer

Early on the morning of June 2, WMTV was off the air for some electrical work. While we were down, I did a test that I had wanted to try for some time. Using our original low-power DTV antenna, an Andrew ALP-8 which is still mounted on our tower, I connected a spectrum analyzer and a consumer TV set to see what it would receive. The ALP-8 is tuned for channel 19, and is mounted at 995 feet above ground level, fed with 1-5/8” Heliax line with a system gain of 6.2 dB.

On the spectrum analyzer there were strong signals seen on channels 16, 18 and 22. Weaker signals were seen on 17 and 19. On this display, analog low-power W23BW on channel 23 was also present.

Doing a channel scan on a Haier 7” portable DTV set, WMTV’s co-channel neighbor, WGN, was picked up with a fair signal. Several Milwaukee and Rockford stations also showed up in the 5727 Tokay Boulevard channel list. Madison, Wisconsin 53719 WKOW RF PSIP Signal (608) 274-1234 Madison Fax: (608) 274-9514 ch ch Call City (dBm) ------Don Heinzen 16 17 WTVO Rockford -50 Sales Representative 17 63 WYTU-LD Milwaukee -72 Direct: 608.848.2001 [email protected] 18 18 WVTV Milwaukee -54 9001 Hawks Reserve Lane 19 9 WGN Chicago -74 Unit 103 22 20 WVCY Milwaukee -60 Verona, WI 53593 Office: 608.848.2001 25 24 WCGV Milwaukee < -75 Fax: 608.848.2001 26 27 WKOW Madison 28 4 WTMJ Milwaukee 33 6 WITI Milwaukee 34 12 WISN Milwaukee 35 36 WVTV Milwaukee 40 55 WPXE Kenosha 41 23 WIFR Rockford 42 39 WQRF Rockford 49 47 WMSN Madison 50 3 WISC Madison

Some notes on the above list — no VHF signals were received, which is not surprising for a narrowband UHF antenna on channel 19. WHA-TV on channel 20 was off the air at the time of this test. Only one Chicago station was picked up, presumably since it was on the same channel the antenna was designed for and the other Chicago stations fell out of the passband. WGN is only 124 miles from WMTV and can often cause reception problems during favorable weather conditions if WGN’s signal comes up to within 15 dB of WMTV’s signal at a viewer’s antenna, degrading our ATSC signal-to-noise ratio. Page 6 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2011 SBE National Meeting Don Borchert 2011 Broadcasters Heads to Columbus, Ohio Broadcasters Clinic Clinic The 2011 National Meeting and Fellowship Save the Date! The WBA- Annual Membership Meeting will be 2011 is the kick off year for the SBE Broadcasters Clinic program held in Columbus, Ohio this fall. Don Borchert Broadcasters Clinic schedule is almost finished and will The 2011 National Meeting of the Fellowship. The Fellowship presents be another conference of cutting Society of Broadcast Engineers the opportunity to attend the Clinic edge seminars for Broadcast will be held on September 27-28 to someone who would not have Engineers. Make plans now to at the Crown Plaza Hotel and the otherwise been able to attend for attend at the Madison Marriott adjacent Columbus Convention financial reasons. This program will West. The dates this year are Center in downtown Columbus, cover all expenses for the recipient(s) October 11th thru 13th. Full Clinic Ohio. The National Meeting is being under the financial support of all details will be released shortly. held in conjunction with the Ohio four Wisconsin SBE Chapters and Association of Broadcaster's, Ohio independent donors. In addition the Broadcast Engineering Conference. WBA will provide complimentary Antenna System Specialist Clinic registration. The Conference includes TV Troubleshooting If you or someone you know might technical papers and an equipment FM Sweep Testing trade show on September 28. benefit from this Fellowship please go AM Infrared Testing to http://www.sbe24.org and click on the “Broadcast Clinic” button. There www.ResonantResults.com you will find an application form. Richard Wood (608)839-3950

Map for June’s Summer Picnic at Badger Prairie Park in Verona, or http://pdf.countyofdane.com/lwrd/parks/badger_prairie_park_brochure_map.pdf

WISC-TV CBS MADISON Page 7 SBE Chapter 24 Newsletter June 2011

CHAPTER 24

http://www.sbe.org/sections/ SUSTAINING cert_exam_prep.php MEMBERS

316 N. Milwaukee St. #567 Milwaukee, WI 53202

NED WHITE Tel 414.266.2226 x26 Regional Sales Manager Fax 414.266.2181 Recent Renewals Cell 414.397.9556 [email protected] www.mwmg.com Roscor Wisconsin Token Creek Productions WMTV http://www.sbe.org/ MADISon sections/cert_index.php 615 Forward Drive Thanks to all our Madison, WI 53711 608-274-1515 Sustaining Members www.nbc15.com Alpha Video http://www.sbe.org/sections/ Belden, Inc. SBEUniversity.php Canon U.S.A., Inc. 821 University Ave. Clark Wire and Cable Madison WI 53706 www.wpt.org Phone 608.263.2121 © 2011 by SBE Chapter 24, Inc. Views Full Compass Systems Fax 608.263.9763 expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official positions of the Society, GEPCO International, Inc. its officers, or its members. SBE Chapter Thanks to Leonard Charles 24, Inc. regrets, but is not liable for, any Heartland Video Systems for maintaining the Chapter 24 omissions or errors. The Chapter 24 Joseph Electronics web site and to Steve Paugh Newsletter is published twelve times per for mailing the meeting year. Other SBE Chapters are permitted JVC Professional to use excerpts if attributed to the original Prooducts Company reminder postcards. author, sources, and SBE Chapter 24. maney-logic Midwest Media Group Certification Exam Session Dates Resonant Results, Ltd. For more information about SBE Certification, contact Jim Hermanson, Ross Video [email protected], Chapter 24 Certification Chair, or contact Scharch Electronics Megan Clappe, Certification Director at the SBE National Office at Sound Devices, LLC (317) 846-9000, or [email protected]. WISC-TV 3 WMTV-TV 15 Exam Dates Location Application Deadline WKOW-TV 27 November 4-14, 2011 Local Chapters September 16, 2011 February 3-13, 2012 Local Chapters December 31, 2011 WMSN-TV 47 April 17, 2012 NAB convention March 23, 2012 Wisconsin Public Television June 1-11, 2012 Local Chapters April 13, 2012