You would have to have been around Jon Crick during the whole of his broadcast engineering career to appreciate the enormous breadth of his talents and experience. He fixed fixed radio and TV transmitters, enormous videotape machine pneumatic systems, digital videotape recorders, big audio mixing consoles, the Sony Library Management System robotics and studio camera robotics. He operated satellite news trucks big and small, wired 100-amp UPS devices, planned multi-camera shoots, and installed production switchers. The documentation was always before he started a project. Then there are the multiple musical instruments Jon can play with complete competency.
I met Jon Crick when I started at KFMB in 1990 and had the distinct honor of being able to work with him again at XETV from the time he followed my move there in 2005 until I left in 2010. He retired from channel 6 in March this year. Continue reading Jon Crick Retires From San Diego TV Engineering→
Every year I look forward to the NAB Show. It’s this great change from the daily grind where I get to see old friends and new technologies, often in the booths at the very back of the exhibit halls. And the parties. Did you see Kool and the Gang at the CNN party a few years ago? Wow.
My first was in 1983, when the big exhibitors were RCA and Ampex, both showing off their amazing new 1″ tape machines, their commercial playing robotics systems, and Plumbicon low definition cameras with $30 – $100K price tags.
This year will be #30, after having missed a couple of years in the middle.
The SBE has some great stuff planned for this year. If you have time for nothing else, please make time for the 50th Anniversary Open House Tuesday. And did I mention certification points for attendance?
2014 Ennes Program at the NAB Show
The annual Ennes Program opens the NAB Broadcast Engineering Conference at 8 am on Saturday, April 5, and runs until 5 pm. The program theme is “Best Engineering Practices,” and includes a diverse list of topics and subject matter experts.
SBE Meetings and Events at the 2014 NAB Show Saturday, April 5 SBE National Frequency Coordination Committee Meeting 3:00pm – 5:00pm, Conference Room 8, Las Vegas Hotel
Sunday, April 6 SBE Board of Directors Meeting* 8:30 am-12:00 pm, Conference Rooms 8-9, Las Vegas Hotel
Tuesday, April 8 SBE Certification Exams Must be pre-registered
9:00 am-12:00 pm, Conference Rooms 9-10, Las Vegas Hotel
SBE Frequency Coordinators Meeting 8:30-10:30 am, Conference Rooms 13-14, Las Vegas Hotel
Another surplus electronics store has closed its doors in the San Diego area. Long-running California Electronics and Industrial Supply on Johnson Road in El Cajon shutdown in February and will open only for customers who plan to buy large quantities of their existing stock.
In the past few years, retail electronics stores have dropped hobbyist stock or closed altogether as the variety and complexity of manufactured electronics goods available has increased and cost decreased. People seldom assemble or repair electronic hardware from scratch.
California Electronics was at one time a favorite stop for hams and tinkerers looking for cheap but hard-to-find electronics parts.
Jim Culligan, a City of San Diego employee, passed his CTO (Certified Television Operator) certification exam last month to complement his CRO certification. Jim plans to retire from the city this winter and offer his technical services to broadcasters.
Radio broadcast engineers have been battling a certain inelegance in system design since the advent of hybrid analog/digital FM broadcasting. When you combine the complexities of stereo pilot, stereo L-R, and SCA subcarriers with the complexities of the Ibiquity digital sidebands, you’ve got some serious filter design issues and a lot of hardware.
On February 19th, 2014, Orban Founder and VP of Engineering Bob Orban gave a presentation via Skype reviewing his “A Full Bandwidth Standard” Radio World article discussing a new compositing standard designed to simplify the hybrid FM broadcast and decrease filter aliasing. Additionally, he commented on efficient codecs for audio streaming.
Many thanks to Orban’s rep David Rusch and RF Specialties rep Steve Moreen for lunch, a terrific presentation, and to John Rigg of Clear Channel for hosting the meeting and giving us a full tour of his plant. The place is really buttoned down. Continue reading February 19 Meeting: Orban Update→
