Month: June 2018

July Meeting Info

Date: Tuesday, July 10th, 2018
Time: Gather at 7:00pm, Meeting at 7:30pm

Location: WZIP studios/University of Akron Campus – Kolbe Hall Room 320
Akron, OH 44304

Our next meeting is Tuesday July 10th at the WZIP studios, located on the University of Akron Campus, in Kolbe Hall room 320. You can spot Kolbe hall as it has a grid microwave dish on the roof. Come on up to the 3rd floor in the elevator and the door is right there. While we are still working on the details of a program or presentation, our Chapter 70 Frequency Coordinator Jim Baird will  give us any updates about the 600Mhz migration he may have after the NFL Frequency Coordinating meeting in Florida.  We will email details of the program or presentation prior to the meeting, and post to the website, so watch for updates. Our host is John Knoblock, WZIP-FM / ZTV Chief Engineer and fellow SBE Chapter 70 member.  He will give us a tour of the WZIP facilities he’s updated since our last meeting. We can also see the HD TV Production studio used for training, and which Fox 8 uses as their Akron home, that recently replaced their Newtek Tricaster.  Parking is ‘free’ in the lots shown on page 2 – they are for students and faculty/staff but open in the evening for us. The usual times apply; gather at 7pm with meeting at 7:30 and the program and tour to follow.

 

Directions to the Meeting at WZIP/Akron University:  Many of you may recall how to get there from our meeting two years ago, but there are some construction issues which may impact your path. The main problem is work near the interchange of I-77/I-76/Rt. 8, with a long detour of I-77 bypassing the construction that you shouldn’t use. You can still use I-77 South to I-76 East through the construction zone to get to Route 8 north, with a left lane exit, but you can’t go back that way. The exits from Rt. 8 heading back to I-76W/77N are closed. The best way now is via Rt. 8 heading north or south. You can come down using I-480/I-271 south,  or even I-80 to Rt. 8 and head in that way. Get off at the Buchtel Ave./ Carroll St. exit (1A) and head west on Carroll St. (see the map) The parking lots are on the right before the circle, next to the James A. Rhodes Arena (JAR),  and there are some meters on Carroll.  Kolbe Hall is ‘behind’ the JAR from the parking lots. You go west around either side of the JAR and Kolbe is right there with the microwave dish on the small roof tower. Come in the central main entry doors and take the elevator to the 3rd floor, we’ll have some signage.

June Meeting Info

Date: Tuesday, June12, 2018
Time: Gather at 7:00pm, Meeting at 7:30pm

Location: WJMO/WNCX/WQAL/Radio One/Entercom Transmitter Site
9466 Ridge Rd – North Royalton 44133
Google Map Link
From John Hovanec – SBE CH70 Program Chair

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, June 12 at the WJMO/WNCX/WQAL (Radio One/Entercom) Transmitter Site, at 9466 Ridge Road in North Royalton, Ohio 44133.
Keep in mind this is a transmitter site, so the building is located on a long gravel driveway
about ¼ mile back from the road. We were last at this location in
July of 2016, nearly two years ago, when Radio One Director of
Engineering Gary Zocolo gave an interesting presentation on the
WJMO 1300 Antenna Array. Our meeting this time will focus more
on the WNCX/WQAL FM transmitter ‘Entercom’ side of the plant. We will go over some of the measures that we have put in place to eliminate the dreaded ‘single point of failure’ and bolster reliability in the installation for the stations RF plant. We will also
entertain discussion on other technical topics, such as licensing of 3.7-4.2ghz satellite dishes, the repack, and whatever you have on your mind.Usual times apply. Gathering time is 7pm with the meeting at 7:30 and the presentation to follow. Please RSVP if you can, to so I have an idea how many folding chairs to set up and how much food to have.