Author: "Kevin C. Kidd CSRE/AMD" <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:49:50 -0500
MOV's should fail shorted or destroyed. A visual or simple continuity check will locate those. Occasionally they will fail open. There is a HV tester for MOV's but if you have access to a megger or h
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2014 09:12:17 -0600
They certainly are an amazing value. I wouldn't say impossible but they certainly aren't very intuitive... You can program using the manual but the youtube videos will get you up and going quicker. I
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 5 Mar 2014 08:11:55 -0600
Conrad, After having installed thousands of buried feet of LDF type products for broadcast stations, I can tell you that it is not _extremely_ fragile. Somewhat fragile yes and care must be taken but
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Mar 2014 18:45:22 -0500
It is commonly called "Drop Wire" and is still available from numerous places. I once heard that it was 75ohm twinlead but never checked it. I have used it at numerous locations for dipoles and longw
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2014 08:56:57 -0500
As long as you use at least 40% silver, silver solder will last about as long as the base copper when buried. Less than 40% and it will deteriate quickly in most soils. We use 15% silver SilPhoz allo
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 19 May 2014 11:11:17 -0500
William, Just use a slant feed or broadcast style unipole and leave the base grounded. You will of course need a good ground system. I am sending this directly since I don't seem to be able to post d
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 21:06:23 -0500
On the CrTech Broadcast List it is lovingly called Faron's Oscillator. Many years ago, Faron set his vacation reminder to reply to all received emails and when the list repeats started coming in you
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Jun 2014 21:13:36 -0500
Yea, that is what is happening. Seconds after my last post I received an undecipherable reply DIRECTLY from zhangliu. Later, Kevin C. Kidd, CSRE/AMD AM Ground Systems Company - WD4RAT kkidd@kkbc.com
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 1 Jul 2014 07:42:14 -0500
Nathan, I would caution you to not mix the sections nor even use the 20 for anything more than VERY light duty use. With that said... Back in my younger days when I did a lot of tower work for CB and
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2014 08:23:47 -0500
25g is usable under Rev G 90mph up to 190ft with 5 levels of guys. Lightly loaded yes but usable. There are many 190ft AM broadcast and lightly loaded 2-way towers that have been standing for 30+ yea
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2014 18:44:21 -0500
20 was harder to climb even when I was 20 years younger and 50 lbs lighter. And a lot braver... Kevin C. Kidd, CSRE/AMD AM Ground Systems Company - WD4RAT kkidd@kkbc.com -- 866-22-RADIO -- 866-227-23
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2014 16:38:07 -0500
You are absolutely correct. Cutting copper clad wire with shears "smears" the copper down the steel. Cut it normally and then take a file or fine grinding wheel and grind it down flat. You should see
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 08:48:03 -0500
When I was doing a lot of tower work in the late mid-80's thru 1994, I regularly climbed 180ft 2-way towers in one run carrying my test equipment and/or rope and pulley. If I was going higher I norma
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:39:21 -0500
I have never had much success modeling shunt fed towers but I am a sorry excuse for a model builder. I can sometimes get them to be what I expect and then a small change makes it depart dramatically
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2015 10:32:19 -0500
I have had pretty good luck with Estes but have found that even their quality varies regionally. I have also used FreightQuote.com for decent prices but not as good as I typically get thru the local
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2015 10:36:08 -0500
Another option would be to pick up at the nearest terminal. I have to do this fairly regularly. Kevin C. Kidd, CSRE/AMD AM Ground Systems Company - WD4RAT kkidd@kkbc.com -- 866-22-RADIO -- 866-227-23
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 7 Jul 2015 10:59:37 -0500
Kevin C. Kidd, CSRE/AMD AM Ground Systems Company - WD4RAT kkidd@kkbc.com -- 866-22-RADIO -- 866-227-2346 www.amgroundsystems.com _______________________________________________ _____________________
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Aug 2015 07:44:12 -0500
Grant, In broadcast, we use both good grounding on everything and surge arresstors on most low power equipment. I generally use PolyPhaser but there are other suppliers. You are correct that the "pro
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 7 Aug 2015 12:48:56 -0500
I would highly recommend that you use the silphoz brazing alloy IF you have a torch hotter than a normal Mapp gas unit. Silphoz is an alloy pioneered by the HVAC industry that is principally copper w
Author: Kevin Kidd <kkbroadcastengineering@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2015 08:35:23 -0500
A Sky-Crane was setting HVAC units on a nearby factory using what appeared to be an overly long cable. We got really concerned when the chopper started wobbling and gyrating around and quickly droppe