[EAS] Good thing the test was shortened... or is it???

[BC / KJLH]

From: "Randall Miller" <rmiller at kobi5.com>

>
> My understanding is they wanted the test to be longer than two minutes
> specifically to see if various EAS boxes would continue to pass the message
> (as I'm told the EAN code would cause the box to do) or cut the test off at
> that 2-minute mark.

Exactly!!!  That's what I thought that the whole exercise was about!  Well, at least part of it.  Was to first check that ALL of our boxes would indeed Decode, Store and forward the Test (or an actual long Alert), in it's entirety!
 
By shortening it to just 30 seconds, it is now left to pure supposition that your box will do just that.  I believe that the other part of the (long), Test would have been to check that your EnDec did not just "Lock-up", stranding the Station in a perpetual forward mode.  On automated stations this would've been disastrous.
 
Is this change a (partial?), response to the NCTA petition to ameliorate the concerns of the long test, or to reduce the "freak-out' factor with the Public, (calling 911, etc.)???  I think that this whole exercise will ensure one simple thing.  That after all of the data is acquired, sifted and analyzed, that we are all going to have to do this all over again next year!!!
 
Best to all,
 
Barry R. Clark
Director of Engineering,
KJLH Radio  Los Angeles