Fallbrook broadcast engineering consultant Robert Gonsett was honored for “Lifetime Achievement” at the Chapter 36 December banquet. The dinner, at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at Montgomery Field, had in attendance many of Bob’s local clients and friends.

Bob used his widely published CGC Communicator this fall to coordinate news regarding the Station Fire in Los Angeles that threatened the transmitter sites on Mt. Harvard and Mt. Wilson. Sometimes he sent multiple messages daily to assure word got out about road outages and progress of the fire’s front line.

A southern Californian resident from birth, Bob began his regional frequency measuring and spectrum analysis business in the early 1970s. He helped several FM stations shuffle frequencies or change facilities (or both) in order to improve their coverage while decreasing their RFR footprint. In Tucson, he was able to create a new, more accessible and better located radio transmission site from scratch. And he worked closely with Mexican authorities and broadcasters, including longtime client XETV, whom he convinced to change to circular polarity to improve rabbit ear antenna reception.

A special thanks to TV Magic and SCMS for helping to make this event a success. Chairwoman Gail Pineda and Program Chairwoman Eva Langer put substantial work into the event, including obtaining door prizes that walked away with several in attendance.