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Regarding the Current Audio Problem 
Posted by John Coate on Tuesday, 27 January 2015 in Station Business 


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As we have had to report many times over the years, KZYX/KZYX has chronic problems with its set of STL radios. These Radios send the signal from the studio to the transmitters. Thus: Studio Transmitter Link. They work in matched pairs: two for the Philo-Cold Springs connection ("shot") and two for the Cold Springs - Laughlin shot. Each pair also requires a corresponding set of antennas. 

The main STL radios are about ten years old and are matched with the KZYX and KZYZ transmitters, which were installed at the same time. It is not new equipment, but it isn't that old either. It is within its normal life span. Still, like all equipment, it can, and sometimes does, break. 

Because of this, in 2013 we resurrected an older pair of STL radios to use as a backup - and we have a spare antenna. 




About two weeks ago we experience severe repeated dropouts in the Philo-Cold Springs STL shot. Thinking the STL radios themselves were the problem, we took them out of service and installed the backup set. The signal is running on the backups now. But we know they do not sound as good as they should. We have tried various adjustments which have helped, but we have not yet succeeded in eliminating an irritating scratchiness in the audio. We are still trying to improve it. But it might be the best it can be, given the physical situation of interference from trees. 




We sent the main STL radios to our main radio engineer/repairman for testing. His expertise is in great demand because there is a shortage of radio technicians these days. But he is currently testing them. It just isn't overnight service. 




To be honest, we hope the radios are broken in some way. Because if they are not, then it is likely that the problem is the growing trees that have interfered with the Philo-Cold Springs signal at least since 2008. If the trees are now so large that STL radios cannot get past them, then the major re-routing of the KZYX signal that I have described in detail here and other places such as my GM reports, must begin in earnest. 




This will be very expensive and disruptive. I have been holding off on it as long as possible so that we are in the most stable financial condition attainable before undertaking this huge project. Our long term debt is now around $16K. We pay it off by the month. It is not far from being low enough to pay it off in one final payment, but with so many demands on our resources, it is not time to do that yet. Freeing up that hefty monthly payment will make large-scale changes much easier. Also, we will have more confidence after we establish success with a three-per-year pledge drive schedule. 




We have collectively come a long way since the dark days of massive debt in 2008-12. A big part of that is our smartly managing risk. So we are walking a careful line of trying to maintain the highest possible signal quality without committing ourselves to a new debt load that we are not yet sure we could easily pay off. 




Meanwhile we will keep working on those STLs. We appreciate your patience. 




John Coate 
I am the General Manager of KZYX and the Executive Director of Mendocino County Public Broadcasting. You can contact me directy at gm at kzyx.org See my website cervisa.com for more about me and where I have been. 





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