[EAS] Anaysis of IPAWS EAS Test Webinar

[Alex Hartman]

See, this bothers me here:

>Many states continued to note that the PEP stations don't provide 100% coverage and the current NPR Squawk Channel feed is essential, with >perhaps additional non-PEP sources needed.

They *modified* the system! How can this test be anywhere near
accurate when the PEP does NOT take audio from the FEMA feed, but
instead takes  the audio from NPR squawk channel, which, ironically,
beat the FEMA feed by like 5 seconds they said. (Maine particularly)

Didn't I also hear that one cable company "faked" the test in Maine as
well? They didn't get the audio, was "late" to the party and put up a
slate for about 30 seconds. Oops.

Also:

>FEMA even displayed waveforms and actual audio of the audio problem. They explained that the double-audio was due to feedback into the >Primary Entry Point (PEP) system. Although FEMA has a failsafe system to prevent this action, it malfunctioned and the feedback occurred. The >problem has nonetheless been diagnosed and addressed.

Um, correct me if i'm wrong but the definition of a "failsafe" is that
it disables the offending unit so that the whole will not crash and
burn. Apparently we have a different idea behind the word "failsafe".
They also removed the WCCO call's from the explanation as to not
"advertise for the station".  ...What?

>FCC's Greg Cooke said the test pointed out shortcomings with present State EAS Plans. He said many broadcasters and cable operators did not >know their EAS Designation, and many State EAS Plans do not detail the transmission path of National EAS alerts all the way down to each EAS >Participant. These issues will be considered as the FCC looks at State EAS Plans being submitted for approval as plans are re-written to >accommodate the implementation of the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

I would also suggest that the FCC require states to review and
possibly re-draft their state plans at least bi-annually, and have
more oversight with the plans. Around here MPR is my 2 required
monitor points. Both stations are on the same tower, on the same power
grid, in the same building, fed by the same satellite receiver. See
the problem yet? It's like this all over the state...

>Greg Cooke from the FCC considered the test "incredibly successful" as well, noting that 88% of those responding to the FCC electronic reporting >system said they received the test.

They also gave the overall test a grade of "C". I would have given it
a nice solid D-. Not an F, because it *did* do what it was supposed
to, but the audio was completely unusable, if you even got it.

Yet they also said that it was going to take them "a while" to review
all the data they had been submitted when asked when the next test
should be. They never actually gave a number as to what that 88% was
relative to as well... If only 3,000 stations reported (out of say
30,000 licensees), that's a pretty bad number. (even if you use the
3,000 number as a "sample")

All i got out of this is that FEMA can't do anything wrong, and that
the government is here to help, through regulations and committees.
The results of this test should be thrown out entirely and start over,
telling stations that they *must* follow their state plans and not
modify the configuration to *ensure* the successful result by
listening to a source they otherwise would *not* monitor (IE, NPR).

Without that this entire test is a fake and meaningless. Testing the
system *as designed* was the intent. Modifying it screws that whole
thing up.

Where are we going and why are we in this hand basket?

--
Alex Hartman

On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 3:06 PM, Gary Timm <gteas at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> For those of you who weren't one of the 925+ participants or weren't able to stay for the nearly-2-hour IPAWS webinar on the National EAS Test Results, here is my in-depth analysis on this just-concluded event:
> http://www.awareforum.org/category/eas/
>
> Gary Timm
> WI SECC
>
> _______________________________________________
> This is the EAS Forum Discussion List
>
> Please invite your friends to join our Forum!
> http://lists.radiolists.net/mailman/listinfo/eas
>
> And, remember the main page: http://eas.radiolists.net
>