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There has been plenty of discussion in the past about backing up computer data.
But one area which has largely been ignored is the necessity of backups for broadcast equipment, which can and does fail.
I just had my faithful Landmark FM-350 RSS210 transmitter (close to 10 years old) start failing (it looks like a bad capacitor, transmission is intermittent). Until it can be fixed, I’ve had to put my relatively newly acquired Decade CM-10 into service. I’m not terribly impressed with this transmitter, as I indicated in a past review (it’s tuned for the lower end of the FM band, rather than the middle – range drops off significantly above 92 Mhz – and the sound is not nearly as ‘full’ as the Landmark and its cousin, the Decade MS-100) but at least I’m still on the air.
Carl Blare talks in his Blare Blog recently about having to put another transmitter into service due to damage from a passing storm.
If you’re serious about micro broadcasting, it’s probably a good idea to have a backup plan in the event that ANY piece of equipment that you use fails, whether it be audio or computer related.
Two of Everything
A friend of mine operated a recording studio much the same as I did, and had a policy of buying two of everything so he’d always have a backup.
I use the Decade MS-100 and I know that if it stops working(small chance of that though), I can purchase another from Decade and have it here in two days.
I keep in touch with them to make sure they are still in business and if they close I will then get one or two extras(hopefully at a reduced price).
There’s a seller on Ebay from BC, Canada, for the last couple of years has had new MS-100’s listed as new other for considerably less than new at Decade and I once asked where they got them and I was told the Canadian government. They seem to have quite a number of them still.
So back up is no problem.
Computers I can get anytime, compressor can get anytime also.
While It’s over kill, my back up audio chain consists of audio from the DA feeds an CBS Audimax, which in turn feeds a Harris MSP-90 Tri-band which then feeds a Harris MSP-90 AM Limiter and finally to the output switch which is pushed in the event that the backup chain is needed. Here is a photo attached of it;
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