[EAS] Uses for your old EAS unit

[Dave Turnmire]

On 7/8/2012 12:55 PM, Dale Lamm wrote:
> ...6. Put the old one in series with the new one at a different location
> (the transmitter?). Attach one or two very important monitoring inputs.
> Now you've got two chances to relay an important alert. [Dale]
> ...
I have seen this tried in some other scenarios  and it does NOT work as 
expected.   Say box #1 picks up an alert on its monitoring input and 
forwards it out its program audio output.  This program audio gets fed 
on your STL to the transmitter site and once there, feeds the PROGRAM 
input of the site's new EAS box.   After all, it is primarily the 
program audio source... having some EAS audio added is secondary to the 
program audio function.  Only problem... the EAS box at the transmitter 
site only monitors the "monitor" inputs for EAS audio... it doesn't 
expect EAS audio on the program input. So... it doesn't know that the 
alert it DOES pickup on a monitor input duplicates one coming in on the 
program input.  Assuming for the sake of argument that you didn't have 
any delays programmed on either box, the two alerts arrive more-or-less 
at the same time, and at some point after the alert starts on the 
program input, it is interrupted by the alert arriving on the monitor 
input.

The exact details depend on the delays involved and the eccentricities 
of the particular EAS boxes involved regarding at what point in the 
incoming alert does it start forwarding the alert (ie, after the initial 
data tones, or after the EOM?  Former is quicker, latter is "safer").  
But one way or another, you sound bad on the air. And if you happen to 
have someone downstream relaying your signal, who knows how THEIR box 
reacts to this mess.

Dave