[EAS] National EAS test comments

[Gregory Muir]

I will have to say that the test managed to go through up here in my area in Montana.  But the audio was so badly distorted that it was basically unintelligible.
 
An ad hoc method of monitoring the PEP via web streaming has been passed around to many of the broadcasters here in Montana.  That probably helped a lot in making things work.  But prior to the test, I set up to audibly monitor the PEP in my office via their stream while simultaneously monitoring the local LP1/2 as well as a lower echelon broadcast station that listened to the LP1/2.  The results were surprising. First, the PEP transmitted nearly garbage audio which was then relayed by the local LP1 which added more garbage.  By the time it hit the lower echelon station for repeat to the listeners, the audio had additional garbage added.  The result was a sound like one would hear while listening to as heavy metal rock band at full tilt.
 
I believe that I can attribute the increase in noise and distortion to a few things.  First we have to look at many LP1s being AM stations and the mediocre audio quality involved.  Then there is the aspect of receiving already poor grade demodulated audio and sending it through a device that probably doesn't have the best audio handling techniques to begin with.  Then let's feed the audio into a station audio processor to gyrate it around a little more before sending it to the transmitter for possible relay to another station who will do the same thing to it.  The result?  What I heard today. 
 
This idea of relaying alerts is a little archaic.  In an age where any station around the world is on your computer, why can't Washington simply set up a streaming arrangement and have everybody monitoring it?  But, then , why wasn't the NWS involved in this test?  Interagency bureaucracy or just plain politics?
 
Greg