Business as Usual - Normal Ops (?)

It's been awhile since the last post.  We have been pretty much at business as usual.
And a big item is - we need to keep the building cool.  Air conditioner maintenance has been at the top of things.

 

Next was a power tube replacement on one of the old Harris transmitters.  The tube being removed had faithfully worked through 52,000 hours of broadcasts!

 

This is not a split screen picture.  This is working on both sides of the automation network panels. We had the privilege to have Isaac come to dedicate time to upgrade and add more development to our automation systems.

 

 

And of course there are still many hours being put into spare circuit boards.  Each board assembly is placed in the control system chasis and tested, evaluated and repaired.

 

 

System Check... Countdown... Hit the on button... Houston - we have lift off

Transmitter 7 has successful on air testing!

I am reminded of a favorite book by Chuck Swindoll - Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back.

 

Within the last couple days we have seen some real steps ahead to getting TX 7 on the air.  One step accomplished, and then it's back to move ahead to the next step.

Just a couple hours ago the call rang out for a test to bring TX 7 on.  And... all systems go.  Next -  to put modulation on - an audio test over the air.

 

It was a success!!   (Rejoicing -- Hallelujah!)

 

 

 

 

The tune of “He who began a good work in you – is faithful to complete it” was the first sound out of TX 7.

The transmitter isn’t ready for putting scheduled programing over the air yet, but – we have radio – we have lift off!  J

Surgeon's Scenario

More Testing and More Troubleshooting.

This is beginning to sound more like a surgeon's scenario!  The transmitter is okay, but there is no communication from the brain!  So this is really a story about transmitter neuro-engineers! 

 

Just an hour ago after a few 'surgical' procedures to the control section of the transmitter the switch was  hit for another test.  The screen cleared and lights came up and this time the lights were green!  Success!!  At least in part. 

The communication from the brain was in process. One description is that the modulator, servo controller, and the main control unit are communicating with each other, and also with the PC!  

 

This is a real step ahead.  Now - the surgery is not complete.  The 'neuro-engineers' will need to suit up tomorrow and ... hopefully more good news will be coming.

Testing... Troubleshooting

The final stages of transmitter project may look so glamorous as the installation stages, but this is getting down to the real 'nitty-gritty'. 

Tracing faults, testing circuit boards, automation circuits... etc., etc.

 

Searching, diagnosing, repairing, testing...

and on we go.

 

The New Look (or)

                    Perlins, Roofing and Platform Dynamics

In the last week the heavy work was done to prepare for getting the roof on.  The preparation and structure is the major effort and work to accomplish.

And then, though cumbersome - the roofing goes on. Through the sun and and the heat...

And finally - the change is obvious.   And ... shade!

Heavy Lifting

The covered awning and shop extention work is in high gear.  The fabrication of the roof beams and rafters is almost done.  The beams have been lagged in place and now the rafters are being 'swung' into position.   The beams for the rafters are schedule 80 steel and estimated to weigh around 500 lbs each.  

This is very heavy construction.  Looking ahead to typhoon strength winds coming at us once again in the future, the additional details put into this will be worth it.

The Heat is On

We have seen a lot of heat in TX7 the past two days.  We were a bit concerned when a hole was burned into a circuit board of the TIGRE.  The TIGRE is not a tiger; it's a major part of the control system for the transmitter.  We had been having trouble with it for several weeks.  Once we smoked the board, we had to remove the unit and repair connections that had been severed.  Once we put the whole thing back together, we were relieved that the TIGRE was back to the way it had been operating.

Then two other problems got our attention.  One power supply failed.  It was replaced with a spare unit.  Then we worked on the original data link problem that had plagued us for weeks.  We finally figured out that the circuit board shown to the left was defective.  We replaced this one with a good spare board.  The data link went away!  TX7 was then able to respond to operator command.

We turned on the cooling system and found that we had some faults to clear.  It took some climbing and poking various connections to get those problems worked out.  We could not proceed to the next stage without those faults being cleared.

The next stage was to get heating to work.  The power amplifier (PA) tube had been simmering in the preheating stage for weeks.  Now it was time to get it fully heated.  The transmitter took the command as if it were not a big a deal.  It was definitely a big deal when we saw this display with no faults related to this stage!  Now we can heat the tube as part of its break-in period before the transmitter puts out an RF signal.

Now we can work on the RF section.  We need to check out the RF driver and then the PA.  We need the antenna connected for the PA test, so worked out well that the RF duct is now done.