Chris Tarr just finished a long-anticipated FM transmitter move. Big implications attended this move all the way across a metro area. The new site needed a directional FM antenna, and they decided that a new transmitter made more sense than moving the old one. Chris covers a lot of ground when contemplating any transmitter site move.  Kirk Harnack touches on a few pointers for IP radio microwave links, including not trusting the existing infrastructure too much!

Show Notes:

1. Planning Transmitter Moves

   1. Facilities - Building, road, fencing, parking, HVAC, roof, ice protection

   2. Legal including FCC

   3. Permitting - local zoning, building, etc.

   4. Safety - fencing, insurance requirements, guy anchors, tower base

   5. STL considerations & options

   6. Frequency coordination for 950 & IP STLs

   7. Fiber internet availability

   8. AC Power - service sizing, etc.

2. Executing the move

   1. What can be built and ready beforehand

   2. What has to move overnight or a weekend

   3. Absolutely no off-air time? Or minimal?

   4. Actual cutover

   5. Moving audio processing if needed

   6. What if something goes really wrong? 

   7. Plan to go back if needed?

3. After the move (should have been before the move)

   1. Tying up all the loose ends

   2. Grounding, lightning protection

   3. Putting redundancy in place at the new location

   4. What if Internet installation is late?  Wait or move ahead?

Hosts:
Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, & South Seas Broadcasting

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