[BC] Professional Respect - from the other side of the street...

[Jeff Welton]

Along the lines of where this thread has evolved, what do you consider =
sufficient levels of support from those of us on the other end of the =
phone when it comes to helping you stay legal?  I'll give a =
"fer'instance", but I'm going to make it extremely generic as it may (or =
may not) reflect on a currently ongoing situation :)

Say a contract engineer calls with an AM transmitter, that he says won't =
make full (i.e., station licensed) power.  He has a multimeter and a =
clip on AC ammeter, but no other test equipment whatsoever.  The station =
is up for sale, so with due diligence and all, there's a lot of pressure =
on the contract guy (no full time engineer).  With some basic meter =
reading, it's immediately obvious that the transmitter power meter is =
not accurate, by a long shot (measured volts and dc current levels =
indicate it's actually putting out about 35% of nominal, power meter is =
now, somehow, reading 100% - even though the original complaint was that =
it wouldn't make full power).  So, right off, I can be reasonably sure =
they aren't legal (at least it's on the low side, not the high side!). =20

Now they want us to help them fix it over the phone... but there's no =
base current meter (non-D signal) for us to calibrate the power meter =
against.  Nor is there a dummy load, so I can't even ballpark it with =
the volts and current, since I'm not sure of the load impedance (nobody =
knows when it was bridged last).  I can't even measure the PDM duty =
cycle, beyond taking a DVM DC voltage measurement and calculating an =
approximate number.

So, the dilemma... we told the contract guy he needed to get a base =
current meter or some calibrated RF ammeter so we could accurately =
measure the RF output current from the transmitter.  Then they need a =
bridge so we know what impedance that current is flowing through, at =
which point we'll know the power.  Then we'll be able to calibrate the =
transmitter power meter and start to take steps to resolve any other =
issues (like the transmitter not being able to make full power or =
whatever else may be outstanding).  It was also suggested that a scope =
might be in order, just in case we need that to look at any signals that =
don't display well on a multimeter, such as RF Drive levels.

However, the station owner has called complaining that we aren't doing =
enough to help them get the station back to fully operational status so =
he can sell it.  Is there more I could/should be doing, in the =
collective opinion of the list?  This is where you get to provide input =
that can help us to improve our level of service.  One other thing - =
this transmitter is on it's 2nd frequency, at it's 2nd location, under =
it's 3rd owner - and it's just over 20 years old.

On a side topic, what do you figure is our level of responsibility, as =
the support folks, to tell the customer that they are out of tolerance =
and to determine what actions are required on their end with respect to =
notifying the FCC?  I haven't checked the rules, so I don't know what =
actions they need to take, but I have informed them that they are, no =
matter what the power meter on the transmitter says, definitely =
operating below the 10% lower than nominal level.  Is there more I =
should/could be doing in this area?

I'd appreciate all responses being kept on list, I'm sure that I'm not =
the only one in a factory setting who occasionally wonders exactly how =
much support you (as customers) figure is enough and at what levels we =
pass from pathetic to sufficient to exemplary.  My target is slightly =
above exemplary, so tell me what tools I need to get there.  What I'm =
interested in is your ideas on what I can REASONABLY expect you to have =
for skills and equipment and what you expect me to know and/or do in =
order to help you resolve any situations you encounter. =20

I've got a few new guys coming down the line (no turnover, just growing) =
and a lot of their training will be based on what we routinely get for =
calls.... but some of the responses I receive to this query may help to =
shape the extent and focus of that training.  Your chance to help us to =
help you, as it were. =20

Best Regards,

Jeff Welton
Customer Service Department
Nautel=20
+1.902.823.3900 x 127
www.nautel.com
=20
MAKING DIGITAL RADIO WORK

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