[BC] Another translator quesitons

[Mark Humphrey]

The applicable rule is 74.1283(c):

A translator station... shall be identified by one of the following methods.

(1) By arranging for the primary station whose station is being
rebroadcast to identify the translator station by call sign and
location. Three such identifications shall be made during each day:
once between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., once between 12:55 p.m. and 1:05 p.m.
and once between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Stations which do not begin their
broadcast before 9 a.m. shall make their first identification at the
beginning of their broadcast days. The licensee of an FM translator
whose station identification is made by the primary station must
arrange for the primary station licensee to keep in its file, and to
make available to FCC personnel, the translator's call letters and
location, giving the name, address and telephone number of the
licensee or his service representative to be contacted in the event of
malfunction of the translator. It shall be the responsibility of the
translator licensee to furnish current information to the primary
station licensee for this purpose.

(2) By transmitting the call sign in International Morse Code at least
once each hour. Transmitters of FM broadcast translator stations of
more than 1 watt transmitter output power must be equipped with an
automatic keying device that will transmit the call sign at least once
each hour, unless there is in effect a firm agreement with the
translator's primary station as provided in §74.1283(c)(1) of this
section. Transmission of the call sign can be accomplished by:

(i) Frequency shifting key; the carrier shift shall not be less than 5
kHz nor greater than 25 kHz.

(ii) Amplitude modulation of the FM carrier of at least 30 percent
modulation. The audio frequency tone use shall not be within 200 hertz
of the Emergency Broadcast System Attention signal alerting
frequencies.

(d) FM broadcast booster stations shall be identified by their primary
stations, by the broadcasting of the primary station's call signs and
location, in accordance with the provisions of §73.1201 of this
chapter.

(e) The Commission may, in its discretion, specify other methods of
identification.


-----------------------

I personally prefer the FSK or AM Morse code methods because these are
the least obtrusive and least confusing to listeners.

Several manufacturers include an FSK ID module as a standard feature
in their transmitters; you'll just need to program the callsign into
memory through a serial port and it does the rest.   Otherwise, it's
often feasible to install a "modulated CW" ID board (similar to those
used in ham repeaters) and couple the audio to the RF AGC line to
generate 30% amplitude modulation.  However, if the translator is
feeding an external PA, you might have problems passing the AM.

Mark


On Sat, Sep 13, 2008 at 4:25 PM, Paul B. Walker, Jr.
<walkerbroadcasting at gmail.com> wrote:
> Woops, I forgot one thing.
>
> For these AM's that have FM Translators, what is the ID requirement? Do you
> have to ID the translator at the Top of every hour?
>
> Has anyone ever heard a translator's call letters/city of license/frequency
> sung in a jingle along with the originating stations call letters?
>
> Paul
>
>