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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 14:03:19 GMT
Success Makes Good Reading On a Sunday Morning
The ProCaster experience makes more of us wonder if maybe we also need one.
Excellent work Jim Henry... your continued effort has truly been rewarded.
The thing that has me worried is the ladder thing.
The need to climb up high is perhaps the weak link in our hobby because many of us are not circus acrobats and might need a safety net with an ambulance standing by.
Scaffolding would help, except that it would surely de-tune the antenna and who knows, maybe aluminum ladders do the same thing.
Gee, I didn't set out to turn a happy event into a worrisome one.
But I do think we should re-think the climbing problem.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 4, 2017 14:10:48 GMT
I should mention that I did not need any cable so Gerry from Chez Radio sold me one for $50 less than the price on the web site. Today I fired up the Procaster and was very impressed! I am getting a good mile of solid coverage in most every direction. Sunday I will go out and strip the last 3 inches of each ground radial then bury them in the ground a couple inches. I will also replace one bad radial and may add a few more. If my daughter's boyfriend is around I'll try to get him to support a step ladder so I can re-tune the transmitter at its current location. Overall, the antenna of the Procaster is at least 10' lower than that of the AMT-5000 which is another reason why I am impressed! It's actually about 40' from the antenna to the tree line in that direction, which is not the direction I want to go. In the opposite direction it's clear for several hundred feet.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 4, 2017 14:13:41 GMT
The scary part of the ladder thing is that the installation is actually on a slope. Even standing on the bottom rung of a 3 foot step ladder is kind of wobbly. Success Makes Good Reading On a Sunday MorningThe ProCaster experience makes more of us wonder if maybe we also need one. Excellent work Jim Henry... your continued effort has truly been rewarded. The thing that has me worried is the ladder thing. The need to climb up high is perhaps the weak link in our hobby because many of us are not circus acrobats and might need a safety net with an ambulance standing by. Scaffolding would help, except that it would surely de-tune the antenna and who knows, maybe aluminum ladders do the same thing. Gee, I didn't set out to turn a happy event into a worrisome one. But I do think we should re-think the climbing problem.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2017 21:05:36 GMT
Turned Down for Safety Reasons
As the newly self-appointed Safety Advisor to the ALPB I reject side-of-the-hill elevated ladder installations.
Your construction site is closed until safety standards have been met.
The ALPB does not want to lose members because of ladder accidents.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 4, 2017 22:02:23 GMT
Well today I replaced one of the radials that my landscaper cut up while mowing, and I did strip the last 3" and bury it. I then realized I was out of landscape pins so I knocked off for the day and went to Lowes and bought some more. I am going to have to re-tune the thing once I finish burying the rest of the radials but I might do as I did before, lower the transmitter, peak it, then raise it and hope for the best. Turned Down for Safety ReasonsAs the newly self-appointed Safety Advisor to the ALPB I reject side-of-the-hill elevated ladder installations. Your construction site is closed until safety standards have been met. The ALPB does not want to lose members because of ladder accidents.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2017 18:09:36 GMT
ProCaster Now the ThingMr. Henry's experience with the ProCaster has brought this Canadian Made transmitter to the fore-front. I just visited the website CHEZ RADIO LINKand sent an E-mail asking a couple questions I have. When the reply comes back I will share it here.
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Jun 5, 2017 18:29:37 GMT
Well today I replaced one of the radials that my landscaper cut up while mowing, and I did strip the last 3" and bury it. I then realized I was out of landscape pins so I knocked off for the day and went to Lowes and bought some more. I am going to have to re-tune the thing once I finish burying the rest of the radials but I might do as I did before, lower the transmitter, peak it, then raise it and hope for the best. Turned Down for Safety ReasonsAs the newly self-appointed Safety Advisor to the ALPB I reject side-of-the-hill elevated ladder installations. Your construction site is closed until safety standards have been met. The ALPB does not want to lose members because of ladder accidents. Jim: It needs to be peaked in its final location.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2017 22:28:44 GMT
Chezradio Responds
Earlier today I asked for a description of the "Line Level" and whether the Procaster has unbalanced or balanced audio inputs.
The reply was swift.
Hello Carl:
The Procaster studio interface has been designed for a wide variety of unbalanced line level inputs via its 3.5mm stereo jack that combines L+R stereo inputs to form a single mono signal.
For full modulation it can accept an input voltage of between 200mV to 3V peak. There is an input level control to adjust for that range.
Consumer electronics line level is usually -10dBV 0.316Vrms or 0.447Vpk
Professional electronics line level is usually +4dBu 1.228Vrms or 1.736Vpk
The studio interface has a 600 ohm transformer isolated balanced line driver to feed the Procaster which has a corresponding 600 ohm balanced transformer input. We rate it at 250ft max. but we have tested it to 1000ft with no ill effects.
Regards, Chezradio
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 6, 2017 2:19:43 GMT
Another nice thing is that the RF Gain, Compression, Limiter, and Modulation Depth are all adjustable from the Studio Interface, which is INSIDE the house. Chezradio RespondsEarlier today I asked for a description of the "Line Level" and whether the Procaster has unbalanced or balanced audio inputs. The reply was swift. Hello Carl: The Procaster studio interface has been designed for a wide variety of unbalanced line level inputs via its 3.5mm stereo jack that combines L+R stereo inputs to form a single mono signal. For full modulation it can accept an input voltage of between 200mV to 3V peak. There is an input level control to adjust for that range. Consumer electronics line level is usually -10dBV 0.316Vrms or 0.447Vpk Professional electronics line level is usually +4dBu 1.228Vrms or 1.736Vpk The studio interface has a 600 ohm transformer isolated balanced line driver to feed the Procaster which has a corresponding 600 ohm balanced transformer input. We rate it at 250ft max. but we have tested it to 1000ft with no ill effects. Regards, Chezradio
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Post by Deleted on Jun 6, 2017 12:27:49 GMT
Near Perfection
Close to ideal... J.Henry mentions: "The RF Gain, Compression, Limiter, and Modulation Depth are all adjustable from the Studio Interface, which is INSIDE the house."
Therefore the only task requiring the ladder and climbing physically to the outdoor transmitter is the fine-tuning adjustment and observance of the peaking meter.
If those 2 items could somehow, through magic engineering, be ALSO moved indoors away from risky high-places, this would be the most perfect transmitter on earth.
What does it take to extend the meter by 100' and mechanically adjust the variable capacitor by remote control?
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Post by Boomer on Jun 6, 2017 22:19:27 GMT
What about auto-tune, like the Talking House has? It might be easier with one cap to tune, and lower loss than the Talking House, since it doesn't have to cover the whole broadcast band.
It could tune up, and then cut out of the circuit. One problem might be the power needed to run a tuner motor, getting it through the long cable, it could take a higher voltage, like Power over Ethernet uses in networking, or a super-capacitor for energy storage for the motor.
Another way, kind of like Carl's idea, would be to have a bi-directional motor turn the cap, with a remote field strength meter/receiver. You could then tune using +/- buttons peaking the field strength from the ground. One of those Grundig receivers with the digital microvolt meter would probably work in this case.
Boomer
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 7, 2017 2:50:53 GMT
Today I got to work on the ground radials some more, stripping about 3" from the end of about 8 of my 20 radials and burying those ends. Tomorrow I hope to do some more but my back problems limit how much I get done. I also re-worked my strand, removing the heavy duty extension cords that powered the AMT-5000 and greatly lowering the weight of the strand. I then re-elevated the strand, which supports the 4 pair STP that carries power and audio to the Procaster. So far I have noticed no improvement to my coverage area but as I have said I am VERY happy with the coverage area! Tomorrow if the weather and my back cooperate I hope to bury the ends of the rest of the radials. I re-peaked the xmtr yesterday and will do again once I get the rest of the radial ends buried. Anyway the coverage is good. I am extremely pleased with the Procaster and wonder why I could not get such results with the AMT-5000. Another nice thing is that the RF Gain, Compression, Limiter, and Modulation Depth are all adjustable from the Studio Interface, which is INSIDE the house. Chezradio RespondsEarlier today I asked for a description of the "Line Level" and whether the Procaster has unbalanced or balanced audio inputs. The reply was swift. Hello Carl: The Procaster studio interface has been designed for a wide variety of unbalanced line level inputs via its 3.5mm stereo jack that combines L+R stereo inputs to form a single mono signal. For full modulation it can accept an input voltage of between 200mV to 3V peak. There is an input level control to adjust for that range. Consumer electronics line level is usually -10dBV 0.316Vrms or 0.447Vpk Professional electronics line level is usually +4dBu 1.228Vrms or 1.736Vpk The studio interface has a 600 ohm transformer isolated balanced line driver to feed the Procaster which has a corresponding 600 ohm balanced transformer input. We rate it at 250ft max. but we have tested it to 1000ft with no ill effects. Regards, Chezradio
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Post by mighty1650 on Jun 7, 2017 17:45:51 GMT
I've long wanted a ProCaster, if I ever expand my operations I may have to get one as a second transmitter. (With a different format and frequency of course)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 7, 2017 18:01:19 GMT
Solving the Height Problem
As a safety matter I see reaching a transmitter at height as a danger in need of risk reduction.
I think it would be worth the investment to have a qualified deck builder construct a small well stabilized wood deck with steps or in-built ladder.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 7, 2017 23:08:32 GMT
About a decade or more before I retired, I did a lot of "due diligence" walkouts pending our purchase of Adelphia Cable. A lot of stuff I found was very unprofessional, very non-standard, but those guys were sure creative! We found many of their towers were made of wood! Another area not related but in their head ends for fiber and cable management they often used PVC pipes split in half to route all cabling through the head end. Solving the Height ProblemAs a safety matter I see reaching a transmitter at height as a danger in need of risk reduction. I think it would be worth the investment to have a qualified deck builder construct a small well stabilized wood deck with steps or in-built ladder.
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