Transmitter site deep inside a mountain - Lookout Mountain Pt 2

[@WECB640]

The engineer is right. It DOES make sense to consolidate, even though they're all competing for the same market. When there is a disaster, engineers usually share resources to get the other guy on the air, even though the audience never knows about it. It's a complete team effort. Thanks for sharing this incredible location!

[@davidcurrie5260]

Thanks for the video tour of the CBS site! Very informative. My back ground is telco, broadcasting (AM & FM) two way radio service and finally electronic security systems. With all that new high tech equipment I was surprised to see old 1A Key Telephone sets throughout. Likely the site engineers look after that equipment because most telco techs who know that stuff are all retired.

[@markiangooley]

I can’t help but think, “Look out! It’s a mountain!” Childish of me.

[@TheBroadcastEngineer]

Hahahahaha!

[@voiceofjeff]

Wow, I'm the 100th "Like" on this video. Very interesting. My background is in radio. I've actually owned three stations of my own. What always impressed me about TV was the amount of care they put into their transmitter sites. Some had floors that looked so clean you could eat off of them. Logical layout of equipment. Everything wired nicely and orderly. Radio was usually a "slap it together" looking thing and I always hated it. My stations, while never looking as good as this site, still had a clean(ish) look to the transmitter sites; I insisted on it. One thing I really liked about this site is the juxtaposition of the new digital gear, but 1A2 telephones everywhere. Yes, they're old, but they still work flawlessly. I have a working 1A2 system in my house! Kudos to the engineers who constructed and maintain this wonderful site. Thanks for sharing!

[@gregmendoza7394]

Paul Deeth provided an excellent explanation. He's truly an outstanding gentleman and colleague. Thanks for the wonderful memories!

[@proehm]

That's different. When I worked with CBS, one path was "CBS TV - New York" and the other was "TV City - Hollywood". ABC was similar, New York and Los Angeles. (I think different automation systems...)

[@terrorem6886]

I understand less than 15% of what's going on in your videos but I love them nonetheless. Very cool insight into the infrastructure behind broadcasts that most take for granted.

[@TheBroadcastEngineer]

Thanks for watching. I’m going to probably have some videos in a couple of weeks kind of going through the systems from the Mt Wilson series and the Lookout Mountain ones.

[@russellhltn1396]

While it makes a ton of sense to consolidate, it also makes for a single point of failure if something happens to the site.

[@TheBroadcastEngineer]

Very true. I believe many of them have aux facilities in other places in case something like that happens. Usually those backup sites aren’t as good of coverage.

[@CoolerQ]

Why do commercial transit sites like this seem to always use giant coax like at the end of the video instead of waveguide? Is it more efficient at these frequencies?

[@TheBroadcastEngineer]

It’s cost and frequency. Waveguide is much more expensive and delicate.

[@CoolerQ]

​@StringerNews1 Why is waveguide heavier? Isn't it... hollow? I can understand the wind loading being a concern, though, since waveguide is usually rectangular and coax is round. I guess looking online for specs, 500 MHz waveguide is somewhere around 9x18 inches, so that's some pretty significant wind loading. Still, at least within the transmitter site before getting to the tower, you don't really have to worry about weight/ice/wind, so why don't they use waveguide until it exits the building?

[@Ressy66]

wow, awesome technology (BTW @6:13) I guess you screw up the countries transmissions they line you up on that wall :)

[@TheBroadcastEngineer]

Hahahahaha sure looks like it!!!

[@danielkoskei1638]

As a Telecom Technician In Kenya I would have loved to work with you to gain more experience,good work and keep up

[@johnmoloney5296]

Sound quality wasn't great, you need to get back to your own series of explaining how it all works, personally I found it easier to understand Marcus

[@TheBroadcastEngineer]

Indeed it was very loud in there. Camera mounted shotgun mic isn’t the best. I’m working on more explainer videos. But sometimes it’s nice to have content like this that I don’t have to plan as hard. :)

[@johnmoloney5296]

@@TheBroadcastEngineer fair enough Marcus,stay well

[@voiceofjeff]

Keep in mind that transmitter sites aren't the quietest places on earth. Even a bunch of cooling fans can make a room very loud, very quickly. I think Marcus did a fine job considering the environment he was in.