https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9597a7f158.png

No, just power-handling capacity. This system is built to take up to 77.6 kilowatts total (combined output of all attached transmitters), and that's more than you can put into a single 6" line. And the antenna itself is a hair over 30 feet tall, so it had to be split into two sections anyway.

Theoretically, they could have run a single waveguide up the pole and put the divider up at the top, but in actual practice, nobody runs waveguide of that size for that distance. It would be a mechanical nightmare.



Dunno why, nitrogen is just the standard gas that everyone uses for this.

Not everyone, actually. For lines that are known to be especially leaky, it's common to use an air compressor with a self-regenerating desiccator. This is what they use on the East combiner, since those lines are pretty old and have gotten leaky over the years. I also use a little one here at the studio for the waveguides going out to my uplink dishes, for the same reason. While it is a tad bit more maintenance intensive, it beats swapping out nitrogen tanks every few days.



I really haven't a clue. Every time the idea of shutting down the spectrum entirely (so it can all be given to the wireless data companies) is floated, someone in Congress says "But just think about all of the elderly, and the low-income folks, who rely on free over-the-air TV," and the idea quickly goes away.

In terms of commercial viability, I'm frankly amazed that network-affiliated stations are still around. Many of them are hurting in a big way, especially since the networks themselves are increasingly competing with their own affiliates (Disney+, Peacock, etc) while still charging them the same rates and not giving them any more local commercial avails.

I'm just hoping that my own little independent station keeps going for another 10-15 years, by which time I'll be ready to retire. After that, TV can do whatever it wants.



Amusingly, now that I live in a house, I recently installed a UHF antenna in the attic, aimed downtown. It's plugged into a box that tunes one channel and then streams it onto my local network, so I can pop open VLC on any of my machines and watch channel 9 in a window.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3238fc2dec.png

The antenna is out of view, above the duct at the right.

It's beautiful Joe. It really shows what paying good money for the proper labor will get you. Everything done nicely.
I still won't believe they swept up after even if you told me.

I have no good images to share. So here is a tank that needed cleaned today. Little Moreen got about 6 of the 60 buckets out before giving up and tagging me in.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...74ac09e055.jpg

Here's a quick peek at my new ignition coil setup.
Much tidy. Very spark.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...025435518.jpeg

I'm sorry for failing to use 6" copper tubing...

For some reason they were talking about a massive snowstorm that hit your area on the local news yesterday. I guess because of the snownado in Greece.

I took this picture at roughly 4:30pm. The area of sky in which the sun is at during this time is depressing.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0cf3142921.jpg

I think it's even worse at our latitude. A working stiff can spend the whole of December without seeing the sun, as it's dark when you leave home and pitch-black again during the commute back. Here's an interesting series of photos, taken by a local over an entire year, which was actually featured on a NASA site:

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...34836d1987.png

Article here:
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/nasa-fea...YCzml16Cq63-Ec

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d36cfe8828.jpg

All of the trades involved in this project laid down protective material on the floor prior to hot-work, and cleaned up after themselves. The plumbers did scuff up the wall just a tad while hanging the heat exchangers.

Do I even want to know what horrible, caustic substance is dried up in the bottom of the pit which Moreen is in?


https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/45...-no?authuser=0

That's quite pretty, actually. What's the donor, if I may ask?

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...a99fef3c5c.png

Those look like Audi/VW COPs to me.

Re: DHCP server, that flier is not in compliance with RFC 5737. TEST-NET-3 is not for local use.

--Ian

I'm more interested in what's going on with those evaporators.

Are they frozen up? Did the one on the right rupture and start leaking out?

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...dbbe24e558.png

Sodium hydroxide and aluminum. The aluminum fell out of solution.


Like I told the new CEO the other day. All you need to know is the new ones I ordered have a 25 week lead time. We won't talk about the patch work that took place over the last 5 years.

It is good to see they only rotted in the areas where the water meets the air.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2559cee844.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c72db2300d.jpg

What's with the thermometer, and why is it mounted upside down?

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...bfcbddcfa3.png

cellulose winter.

wet cat.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b106d9e672.png

I remember that (although not what ended up happening with the nurse, blame my being at work at the time) and am sorry that I might have caused you further distress. Although it could be argued if you ate McDonald's all the time you would gain enough weight to not have to worry about it.

Hopefully this won't cause you to laugh too much. :wavey:


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...682edc18ad.jpg

pookie, pictured above, thinks he needs to tell us about every toy he finds at night. he's so fucking loud, and mews the entire way up the stairs until he drops it at the foot of our bed. I have video, but dont wanna have to upload publicly just to share here...


https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...1Q&oe=61F863C9

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7f0db9cd4f.png

The angle of the photo may be deceiving. It's actually mounted correctly relative to the printing on it, which is sideways.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...b76b3903b5.png


Why it is there I have no idea. It's a relic left over from some previous owner, much like this 1st gen Motorola phone which is just out of reach in the dead-space between the interior wall of the forward bedroom and the "Dude, seriously, this is structural, load-bearing brick" exterior wall. They built 'em differently during the period between the Spanish-American War and World War 1.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...f403415619.png



And, while in the process of going upstairs to take that first thermometer photo, I discovered a hidden portal which was previously unknown to me. It's inside the closet of the aft bedroom.


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9a68ddcc2a.png



This old house is full of surprises...

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...85c0db8f65.png


I have not yet crawled through it.