Monday Morning Coffee and Technical Notes

February 16, 2026 View as Webpage

Cyber Security

As attacks on broadcast operations continue to rise, the FCC and equipment manufacturers are issuing alerts encouraging stations to review their IP network exposure to the internet.



All equipment with IP ports should be behind a secure firewall and have proper login credentials. With more staff working from home or other off-site locations, engineers should make sure those locations are properly protected as well.

Transmitter Site Emergency Lighting

Many transmitter site problems seem to happen overnight, and most of us have received those dreaded 2:00 AM calls.

Emergency lighting is likely among the most essential tools during these calls. You should always keep a reliable flashlight in your vehicle; it helps you as you approach the building by lighting up potential trip hazards or nocturnal animals. Showing up at a site at night, with no power, can be a dangerous proposition.



It is essential to have battery-operated emergency lighting both inside and outside the building. Visiting transmitter sites at night can pose greater risks than during daylight hours; therefore, always prioritize safety and, whenever possible, ensure that you are accompanied by another person.

Back to the Basics - Remembering Turntables

If you are under 30 you may not remember that back in the day, every radio station control room and a lot of television audio booths had turntables. Board operators were called “Disk Jockeys” since most all the local programming came from a vinyl disk.

Most turntables ran at a speed of either 33 1/3 revolutions per second (RPM) or 45 RPM. Some of the older units even ran at 78 RPU. Most of these units were “rim drive” type turntables but the more expensive ones had direct motor drives.

As important as turntable speed is, the tone arm is even more critical. The tonearm's main job is to securely hold the cartridge and stylus while allowing them to move freely across the record's surface. It must apply the correct amount of downward pressure, known as tracking force, to keep the stylus in the grooves without causing damage.

Most radio control rooms had a minimum of two and sometimes three turntables and successful “disk jockeys” would have all three “cued up” so the program would flow seamlessly.

Not only were the turntables used for music, but a lot of long form programs were furnished on vinyl. Records needed to be kept clean with no dust which would either make the needle skip or cause distortion. If they were exposed to heat, they could warp and sometime a coin could be placed on the tone arm to keep the needle in the grove. The value of the coin depended on how badly warped the record was.



I started my broadcast career back in the early 1960’s (the good ole days of broadcasting) where all we had was three turntables, one microphone and hundreds of records. Sorry, you young folks missed all the fun!

Increasing Your Word Power – Decibel

One of the most difficult-to-understand terms for newcomers (and even experienced enthusiasts) in audio and sound reproduction is the decibel, partly because it’s a measure of relative intensity or power in both acoustics and electrical circuits. 

One “Bel,” named in honor of the brilliant inventor and communications pioneer Alexander Graham Bell, represented the relative reduction in audio level that a mile of telephone cable imposed on the telephone audio signal (and you were worried about 30 or 40 feet of speaker cable!).



It became shortened to “decibel”, which represents one-tenth of 1 bel (1 bel = 10 decibels). So, a decibel expresses relative intensity, and it’s logarithmic in nature, based on multiples of 10. In view of its logarithmic scale the decibel is able to conveniently represent very large ratios in terms of manageable numbers as well as providing the ability to carry out multiplication of ratios by simple addition and subtraction.

When we use the term dB by itself it represents a ratio of two different values, not an actual value.

dB = log (P²/ P¹)



However, it can represent an actual value when one of the numbers in the formula is a reference value.

dBm – referenced to 1 milliwatt across 600 ohms

dBu – referenced to .775 volts (unloaded)

dBW – referenced to 1 watt

dBK – referenced to 1,000 watts

dBSPL – referenced to 20 micropascals (threshold of human hearing)

ABA Engineering Academy

The ABA Engineering Academy is geared up for the 2026 engineering classes.

The first radio engineering class is set for the week of February 23–27. Registration has closed because the class has reached its maximum capacity.  Not to worry, we have an additional radio engineering class scheduled to take place from September 28th to October 2nd.

However, we still have seats available for the Television Engineering class scheduled for the week of March 23rd, and another television class the week of October 26^th.

Special note: Due to rising costs, the ABA has instituted a $100 fee for out-of-state attendees beginning with the fall classes. 

You can view the weekly schedule of topics and register for the classes by visiting the ABA Engineering Class website. Classes are held at the ABA Training Center in Hoover AL (Birmingham).

These classes give beginners a technical overview of broadcast engineering, while experienced engineers use them to refresh their knowledge and stay current with new technology.



Each class covers basic electronics, analog and digital audio, video creation, RF systems, antennas, along with basic studio operations and FCC Rules.  

Reviewing the FCC Rules – Remote Control

All engineers are (or should be) aware of the requirement to install and maintain a fully operational transmitter remote control system.

FCC part 73.1400 states: “The licensee of an AM, FM, TV or Class A TV station is responsible for assuring that at all times the station operates within tolerances specified by applicable technical rules contained in this part and in accordance with the terms of the station authorization. Any method of complying with applicable tolerances is permissible”.

If operating in the “attended operation mode” the remote control system must provide sufficient transmission system monitoring and control capability so as to ensure compliance with 73.1350.



If operating in the “Unattended operation mode” the use of a self-monitoring or ATS-monitored and controlled transmission system that, in lieu of contacting a person designated by the licensee, automatically takes the station off the air within three hours of any technical malfunction which is capable of causing interference.

Pro Audio – Monitor speakers

When setting up monitor Speakers for a mix studio or even a broadcast station, remember that the type of speaker you purchase is important.

But probably even more important is where and how speakers are placed.

Optimizing the speaker and listening position, speaker calibration, and room characteristics are vital. With speakers and room characteristics forming an electro-acoustic system, an effective monitoring chain needs to consider sound from its beginnings at the loudspeaker, its interactions with the room, and what happens when it reaches the engineer's ears.

Understanding their interactions with the room and how that might affect what we’re hearing is key.

Tons of articles and books have been rewritten about the “how to”, but placing monitors on axis to the listener, and orientating them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations will go a long way.

For a two-way design, its axis sits directly in-between the drivers. Monitor orientation is also significant; for many two way designs the axis is broader in a ‘portrait’ orientation. This can ensure a wider sweet spot.



An excellent article is available at production expert. 

March 8th Don't Forget!