[EAS] Ira's Comments

[Lowell Kiesow]

See Daryl's comment.  The CAP converter needs to be set up for filtering messages, so it isn't plug 'n play.  As for inspections, I would expect it to be just like if your LP receiver is non-functional.  If the station isn't properly receiving CAP messages, there would be test messages missing from the log, which the inspector could catch.  But, that's just a guess because the FCC hasn't told us yet.

 
On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 12:15 PM, Tom Taggart <tpt at literock93r.com> wrote:
>As I understand the approach with the add-on boxes, they
>will convert the alerts to audio & FSK, which the existing
>EAS decoder will understand as just another source.

>Now, the existing decoder will already be working and have
>all the present EAS requirements in place.  That is, there
>will be audio feeding it from, for example, NWS and the
>state relay; and it will already be set up to interrupt the
>program line for alerts.  The filters (e.g., relay warnings,
>but not watches, etc.)--will also be stored.  So the only
>configuration needed is to plug in the add-on box as an
>audio source and get it talking to the internet to be able
>to go fetch CAP alerts.

>Not that it will be any easier than the all-in-one CAP ready
>decoders, especially in terms of getting it to talk to the
>internet and any network, etc.  But the existing old EAS box
>will continue to relay alerts from existing non-cap sources
>& can be used to send RWT's; while replacing the complete
>system with a new box will require a lot more in the way of
>configuration to even get it working like the old EAS
>decoder.

>So what is likely to happen with the add-on box is that it
>will be in the rack when the station is inspected, but it
>may or may not be configured correctly to go fetch the CAP
>alerts from the server(s).

>On the other hand, that's the same problem with the all-in
>one boxes--they may be set up to relay EAN's and RMT's but
>simply dump to memory everything else.

--
Lowell Kiesow, Chief Engineer
KPLU 88.5, KVIX 89.3, KPLI 90.1
www.kplu.org  www.jazz24.org