Carl Blare

One discussion I don’t recall seeing here is that about audiofile formats. Now might be the right time to begin what could be an ongoing discussion over the next few months, based on “news to me” heard on THIS WEEK in RADIO TECH, with guest radio engineer Greg Ogonowski who specializes in streaming formats for everything from radio station delivery feeds to streaming radio stations over cell phones, iTunes and everything else. According to him, the format known as HE-AAC has come to be the best of the best for high audio quality in a low size package.

This link is a good starting point to learn about HE-AAC

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEAAC

Here at KDX we record in WAV, 22.05kHz, mono for our permanent master copy, convert to 56kbps, 22.05kHz MP3 for streaming, and stream at 24kbps, 22,05kHz, mono and 16kbps, 11.025kHz, mono over the internet. The MP3 stream is fed to FM 107.1 and AM 1550, and is better than AM wide-band to this listener’s ear, almost as good as the best mono FM. It is a sound intended for small loudspeakers in table and portable radios.

But having heard this latest news we are starting to investigate AAC, the format upon which HE-AAC is built, and wonder what audiofile experiences or thoughts you might have?

Last night a tornado warning was issued for the St. Louis, Missouri, area with a very intense squall line moving at 70mph from west to east. During serious weather KDX online radio always closes down to protect equipment from damage. I settled in the basement with flashlights, radio and snacks.

The only station in this otherwise large metro area which had live storm coverage was 50kW KMOX, all other stations were running canned programming. Listeners called in from points in the storm and with reports of power lines and trees down. Then, in a burst the squall passed our location in unusually quick fashion. Half the neighborhood lost power but our building, except for a succession of brown-outs, kept power.

When the storm crossed the Mississippi and got into Illinois it constantly put KMOX off the air, and they recovered right away, except for one extended outage.

Although quick, the storm left a series of power poles and their transformers blocking a main road one block away.

The radio personnel who followed the storm were local staff and the EAS was not employed.

Idea time.

Idea time.

My present SStran transmitter at 1680 isn’t grounded, but my 3-meter antenna arrangement on the porch is effective and the signal is good for several blocks. I worry about this at times, and when I see white panel trucks I often switch over to the other SStran at 1550, which has a dimmer antenna. That is, a less productive antenna.

If I were to add a (legal) ground plane to the stronger unit, who knows how good it would be. During the bright of day the signal might go a mile. But of course at night there is all the sky interference and no problem.

So at last I come to the point. What if a good ground plane were connected to the transmitter with a potentiometer which could be dialed weaker for daytime but stronger for nightime?

THAT would be like a nightime power boost but it would still be (we hope) within allowed limits.

Huh?

Listen. The gov wants to cut funding for NPR. I can’t find real numbers, but lets say we’re talking 100-million.

Huh?

Listen. The gov wants to cut funding for NPR. I can’t find real numbers, but lets say we’re talking 100-million.

Well guess what: the part 15 community has proven that radio can be run on a very small budget. So we send our lobbyists to D.C. to convince the gov that we can do public radio for, let’s just say, 50-million.

Once we have the money, we split it up with members of part15.us with a share for this website since it will continue as the official hub.

I nominate Marshall Johnson, Sr. as project leader since he’s held public office, and maybe Bruce MICRO 1700 because he has charisma. Please make your own nominations.

Got an interesting e-mail from a reader of this blogsite, who asked about mods I wrote about to a Radio Shack $40 audio mixer. Our exchange ended up talking in depth about microphone matching, and during the recent thaw, while chopping ice, I became inspired to improve the matching of my wireless mic.

So I went indoors and made a radio program about the whole project, which can be heard on demand on kdx2 at

http://kdxradio.com/demand.html

Or can be downloaded as an mp3 at

http://kdxradio.com/archive.html

Enjoy it too much.

I was playing back an edited recording at 101.9 FM, an auxiliary channel here, as the main stream broadcast is on other frequencies. Using a C.Crane that works fine indoors, I wanted to be out on the porch enjoying the better temperatures, but right out the door the Grundig FR200 lost the signal and came up with only noise pollution from all the high power stations.

Here is my bold idea. I believe it would help to have a very low power booster amp to get the FM just strong enough to get out there, realizing that the house itself is an attenuator. This should be safe as long as the 200-foot limit is carefully observed.

I know the “voiding the certification” situation, but there is an alternate rule which allows up to a certain power out there at a certain distance, and 200-feet seems to be the safety zone.

Is this idea within reason, or is it totally irresponsible.