[EAS] [BC] EAS reporting

[Barry Mishkind]

At 05:04 AM 10/26/2011, Tom Taggart wrote:
>1. The "November 9 handbook"  could have been printed on one page. I double-sided this piece of garbage since I have two locations and need two copies. 

        First you have to remember that the people
        that put this together have already taken 
        how many hours of your time to watch
        web broadcasts that do little except to 
        self-promote? (Have you made sure you have
        bookmarked the FEMA site - in case of 
        emergency?  ... after all, under duress who
        could ever remember to type fema.gov????
        
        By the way ... do *not* ask FEMA for 
        information. You will get promises, but
        they will not perform - and will stop even
        acknowledging email at all. 

        There used to be programs on the web that 
        allow you to "compress" printouts to do eight-up
        for example.  Perhaps someone knows where
        to find one.

>3. Form 1 has obviously designed by some demented FCC lawyer.  It requires information that 99% of the GM's/Pd's (and their secretaries) won't know nor know where to go to find it.

        But Tom, this information is critical to being
        able to ensure the legacy tests are done - or
        maybe it is so the EB can catch people with
        the wrong coordinates on their license.
        (Sorry ... forgive the cynical note)

>For example: a. Facility number of the station. Yes, it's in the database but most non-engineering types won't know where to find this.

        I could be wrong, but is this not on your authorization
        and renewal notices that are posted a the control point?

>b. Coordinates of the transmitter site IN DECIMAL. Nowhere
>on FCC.Gov is there a listing of transmitter site
>coordinates in decimal--it's all degrees-minutes-seconds. 

        There is an "official" calculator:
        http://transition.fcc.gov/mb/audio/bickel/DDDMMSS-decimal.html

        However, the person who designed the form is 
        apparently not aware of the NAD27/NAD83 issues.
        
        I might have recommended everyone send a comment
        to the FCC, expressing their disappointment in 
        how this form was produced - and how *late* it
        was produced - it might get some response. However,
        given that the comment pages on the FCC site have
        been cut back (that is, *if* you can find them) to 
        discussing possible government policies for the
        media, you might not find a place to do so.
        http://www.fcc.gov/discuss
        But, as Tom Osenkowsky would say, "be sure the
        FCC wants you to join the discussion - as long
        as it is their discussion."