January 2011
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Fox Valley Wisconsin SBE Chapter 80 PO Box 1519 Appleton, WI 54912-1519 January 2011 The next meeting of SBE Chapter 80 will be at the Out O’ Town Club in Kaukauna, at Noon on Janu- ary 18th. Our program will be by Heartland Video Systems. Chairman’s Corner Happy New Year Our next meeting of Chapter 80 will be on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at noon at the Out O’ Town Club in Kaukauna. Heartland Video Systems will be presenting the discussion topic at the January meeting. We will be talking about an inexpensive way to add an IP wayside channel to 7GHz microwave links using unlicensed 5.8GHz radios. Our last meeting was December 14, 2010, starting at 6:00 p.m at the Out ’O Town Club in Kaukauna for our annual Holiday gathering. My apologies for not attending, the flu got the best of me. We had nearly a dozen in attendance, including spouses and guests. As you are aware, the Newsletter is now switched over to an electronic version. We are still missing email addresses for a few of our members. We need your current email address if you wish to continue to receive our Newsletter. If you know of any member who is not receiving the new version, please send us their email address. The Newsletter will also be posted on our website http://www.sbe80.org , and archive copies, as well as other Chapter 80 and SBE information are available as well. Upcoming events: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 – SBE Chapter 80 – TBA Tuesday, March 15, 2011 – SBE Chapter 80 – TBA I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday January 18, 2011 at our first Chapter 80 meeting for 2011 in Kaukauna provided I don’t have to serve on Jury Duty. Best wishes for a Healthy, Prosperous and Happy New Year! Regards, Timothy J. Laes Certification Exams Exam Dates Location Application Deadline April 12, 2011 NAB Convention March 25, 2011 June 3-13, 2011 Local Chapters April 15, 2011 August 5-15, 2011 Local Chapters June 3, 2011 November 4-14, 2011 Local Chapters September 16, 2011 1 New SBE University Course on Broadcast Audio 25 kHz efficiency on a secondary status after January Processing released (January 3, 2011) 1, 2013? A new course was released on SBE University on Audio No. Licensees are prohibited from operating 25 kHz Processing in early December. This course is for the efficiency equipment after January 1, 2013. Non- intermediate-to-experienced broadcast engineer who is compliance will be considered a violation that could lead already familiar with the basics of good broadcast to FCC enforcement action, which may include engineering. The course has nine chapters and admonishment, monetary fines, or loss of license. depending on your knowledge of the subject, could take 5- If I need to Narrowband, do I need to implement digital 8 hours to complete. Topics include loudness and the technology? human ear, the basics of broadcast audio processing, the No. Licensees can operate in either analog or digital basics of gain control, limiting and clipping, adjusting a formats as long as they operate at 12.5 kHz efficiency. wideband processor for voice and multi-band Does Narrowbanding require me to change processing. The Society thanks SBE Member Stephen frequencies or obtain new channels? Poole, CBRE, AMD, CBNT for his work in developing this No. Narrowbanding does not require moving to another course. The cost is $80 for SBE Members and $105 for frequency band or different channels. Licensees stay on non-members. Click here for more information on the the same channel center(s), but reduce the bandwidth of course. the channel(s) currently used, from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz and change the emission designator on the license. VHF/UHF Narrowbanding On January 1, 2013, all public Alternatively, licensees may stay on the same 25 kHz safety and business industrial land mobile radio systems channel but implement a 12.5 kHz equivalent technology operating in the 150-512 MHz radio bands must cease on that channel. operating using 25 kHz efficiency technology, and begin What is the difference between the January 1, 2011 operating using at least 12.5 kHz efficiency technology. interim deadline and the January 1, 2013 final This deadline is the result of an FCC effort that began deadline? almost two decades ago to ensure more efficient use of After January 1, 2011, the Commission will only accept the spectrum and greater spectrum access for public applications for new licenses or modification applications safety and non-public safety users. Migration to 12.5 kHz that expand an existing service area for systems that efficiency technology (once referred to as Refarming, but operate using 12.5 kHz efficiency. now referred to as Narrowbanding) will allow the creation After January 1, 2011, the Commission will not certify of additional channel capacity within the same radio VHF/UHF equipment that has a 25 kHz mode. Providers spectrum, and support more users. may still sell equipment with a 25 kHz mode after that After January 1, 2013, licensees not operating at 12.5 KHz date, if it was manufactured/imported prior to January 1, efficiency will be in violation of the Commission's rules and 2013. could be subject to FCC enforcement action, which may After January 1, 2013, all licensees must operate in at include admonishment, monetary fines, or loss of license. least 12.5 kHz efficiency. After January 1, 2013, the Commission no longer allows What frequency bands are subject to the manufacturing or importation of equipment that includes a Narrowbanding mandate? 25 kHz mode. The 150-174 MHz and 421-512 MHz bands are subject to http://www.fcc.gov/pshs/public-safety- the Narrowbanding mandate. spectrum/narrowbanding-faq.html What will happen if I fail to comply with the FCC (fcc.gov) Narrowbanding mandate? Can I continue to operate at 2 CHAPTER 80 ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICERS 2010-2011 Chairman Tim Laes WGEE WIXX WNCY WROE 920-435-3771 [email protected] Vice Chairman Steve Konopka WPNE TV/FM 920-336-3541 [email protected] Treasurer Steve Brown WHBY WAPL WKSZ WZOR 920-733-6639 [email protected] Secretary Keith Kintner UWO 920-424-7357 [email protected] Program Chairman John Pfankuch Heartland Video Systems 920-893-0204 [email protected] Program Chairman Bill Hubbard UW Green Bay 920-465-2510 [email protected] Membership Chairman Al Kilgore WRVM 920-842-2839 [email protected] Sustaining Memberships Greg Tadyshak WBAY-TV 920-438-3258 [email protected] Frequency Coord. < 1 GHz Tim Laes WGEE WIXX WNCY WROE 920-435-3771 [email protected] Frequency Coord. > 1 GHz Joe Kamenick KAMENTECH, LLC 715-359-7088 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Bill Tessman Heartland Video Systems 920-893-4204 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Dave Driessen WGBA WACY 920-494-2626 [email protected] Certification Chairman Jim Sams UWGB 920-465-2572 [email protected] Chapter 80 Webmaster Jim Jensen Retired 920-850-2633 [email protected] EAS Coordinator Steve Konopka WPNE TV/FM 920-336-3541 [email protected] Past Chairman Keith Kintner UWO 920-424-7357 [email protected] Board of Dirs/SBE Liaison Keith Kintner UWO 920-424-7357 [email protected] Galaxy 15 Status Update On 23 December, the power expect to relocate the satellite to an Intelsat orbital from the Galaxy 15 battery completely drained during its location where engineers at our Satellite Operations loss of earth lock and the Baseband Equipment (BBE) Control Center will initiate extensive in-orbit testing command unit reset, as it was designed to do. Shortly to determine the functionality of every aspect of the thereafter Galaxy 15 began accepting commands and spacecraft. We will provide an update through Intelsat engineers began receiving telemetry in our Satellite Operations center. We have placed Galaxy 15 in normal sales channels, and MyIntelsat, if and when safe mode, and at this time, we are pleased to report it no the satellite recovery mission is successful. longer poses any threat of satellite interference to either (intelsat.com) neighboring satellites or customer services. After completing initial diagnostic tests, we will load updated commanding software to the satellite. We The SBE Chapter 80 Newsletter is published monthly. Members are welcome to contribute articles or ideas. Please have your submissions in by the 4th of the month to Dave Driessen or Bill Tessman 3 WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO'S 2011 EAS Galaxy 15 Satellite - Frequently Asked Questions SCHEDULE What is Galaxy 15’s current in-orbit state? The Required Monthly Test (RMT) will occur on the • We are now receiving telemetry from Galaxy First Wednesday of the month. Wisconsin stations 15’s Baseband Equipment (BBE) command unit should receive an RMT from their regional NOAA and the satellite is accepting commands from weather station on odd months at approximately the ground. • 8:50am. On even months stations should receive an The satellite is currently sun-pointed, and the RMT either from the Educational Communications spacecraft’s batteries are fully charged and the Board (ECB) Telecommunications Operations Center satellite is thermally balanced. • or from the Wisconsin Emergency Management office We reset the spacecraft configuration and (WEM) at Truax Field in Madison, through the State loaded software that will allow us to reset the redundant BBE units. Relay stations at approximately 11:50pm. • Once initial diagnostic testing has been If an RMT is carried by the Wisconsin Public Radio completed, we will attempt to capture earth lock stations, they will normally NOT carry a Weekly Test and stop the drift of the satellite. This phase since only one test per week is required.