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A tech immersion
The first students complete Wake Tech’s Broadcast Technology Academy
Paul McLane
Editor in Chief
There is an immediate need for radio frequency engineers throughout our state. The Broadcast Technology Academy is providing a direct pipeline of talented and well-trained individuals to fill that need.”
Those are the words of Mark Mendenhall, president of the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, as reported on the website of Wake Tech Community College.
The NCAB partnered with Wake Tech to develop the 10-week academy “to prepare individuals who are technically minded, mechanically inclined or electrically inclined for careers as broadcast technicians.”
Tuition, fees and books are covered by the state association. Additional funds are available to help with living expenses and transportation.
The program provides 240 hours of instruction and bench work, eight hours per day, three days a week, for 10 weeks. The school has a lab equipped with modern Nautel solid-state AM and FM transmitters, as well as legacy CCA and Harris radio gear. TV equipment is planned.
The syllabus was written by retired engineer Jerry Brown, using the SBE Engineering Handbook as the course’s textbook; and as the program took shape, Brown also emerged as the instructor and ambassador for the academy. Guest lecturers complemented his teaching.
Students learn about AM, FM and HD radio transmission systems, including transmitters, antennas, transmission lines, remote control systems and program delivery systems.
Thirteen recently completed the program and subsequently passed the Society of Broadcast Engineers Certified Broadcast Technologist exam. They now should be able to troubleshoot and repair legacy and modern transmission systems.
I asked Brown if he had encountered any surprises during this first session.
“We found out early on that you need to do a refresher on basic physics and advanced math, such as linear algebra, geometry and an overview of calculus — foundational things when you get into antennas and electromagnetism and those sorts of things,” he said.
“We were able to adjust quickly and we’re addressing this in the course rework.”
“STEM students find a field that allows them to do everything: computer science, IT, engineering, electrical, mechanical.
Brown said that the program seems to be a good fit for today’s technically minded young people.
“STEM students find a field that allows them to do everything: computer science, IT, engineering, electrical, mechanical.”
And what a great model this is. I hope more state broadcast associations and technically oriented educators will emulate it.
The next academy at Wake Tech is planned for next summer. To find info about it, go to www.waketech.edu/ and type “broadcast” into the search field.
The SBE recently added Wake Tech’s associate of arts and sciences degree in electronic engineering technology to its list of tertiary education programs that offer training for a career in broadcast engineering and multimedia technology.
Other schools on the list, according to the SBE website, are Bates Technical College in Tacoma, Wash.; Cayuga Community College in Auburn, N.Y.; and the AFRTS Technical Training Program at the Defense Information School in Fort Meade, Md.
The society is out the lookout for other schools to join its Certified School list, and it has a sample curriculum to
Writer
Randy J. Stine
Nautel adapts to shifting technology winds
CEO Kevin Rodgers addresses new approaches for RF design
Transmitter technology continues to advance, with trends toward modularity, redundancy, remote control and efficiency. In addition, broadcasters quickly are embracing virtualization, and more airchain functions are being redesigned as software that can run with or in the transmitter itself.
Manufacturer Nautel is at the center of these developments. Nautel makes high-power, solid-state RF products for broadcast radio. Its products include transmitters for FM, AM and digital broadcasting including HD Radio, DAB and DRM.
Nautel has deployed approximately 20,000 transmitters in at least 177 countries since its founding in 1970. President/ CEO Kevin Rodgers has been with the company for 40 years, joining it in 1985 when it made only AM transmitters.
The privately held firm has about 250 employees worldwide; it is headquartered in Hackett’s Cove in the
Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It also operates a manufacturing facility in Bangor, Maine.
Radio World asked Rodgers, 64, about challenges facing the transmitter business, where growth will come from and the company’s perspective on tariffs as its operations straddle Canada and the United States.
Kevin what would you identify as the most important challenge facing broadcast RF manufacturers today?
Kevin Rodgers: There isn’t a single challenge. The industry is at a turning point, where technology is shifting from legacy analog RF broadcasting to modern digital and IP infrastructure. This is forcing manufacturers to redesign products that are compatible with hybrid RF/IP networks and digital modulation schemes like HD Radio and DRM. This shift requires new approaches to exciter design, signal transport, security and compliance and adds
The author wrote recently about a plan by General Motors to eventually move beyond phone projection systems.
Above Kevin Rodgers speaks at a Nautel event during the NAB Show in 2024.
to the engineering challenges when designing new transmitters. Transmitters are now expected to integrate seamlessly with IP networks.
Customers aren’t just buying RF transmitters anymore, they want control systems, monitoring, analytics and remote diagnostics all built in. This of course means a transmitter manufacturer needs not only top RF and power supply design engineers, but also software and firmware talent.
How would you characterize the health of the transmitter business globally?
Rodgers: North America remains the core of the radio broadcast market but there are exciting things happening across the globe in Asia, Africa, Latin America. And certainly DAB+ has transformed radio in Europe.
What areas of your business are likely to drive Nautel business growth in 2026?
Rodgers: Primarily it’s FM around the world. That’s traditional FM broadcasting, and obviously continued interest in digital broadcasting, HD Radio. We all know that it got off to a slow start, but we’ve certainly in the last five years found that people are interested in it around the world.
How big of a growth segment is HD Radio for you?
Rodgers: We continue to hold a passion for digital radio. I’m still blown away by the sound quality of an HD channel, and radio broadcasters do an amazing job of making their content sound spectacular compared to nonradio streaming alternatives.
We’ve been one of the voices underlining the importance of stations getting their fair chunk of real estate on the modern car dashboards, and we’re doing everything we can to make HD an easier and less expensive option for any broadcaster that hasn’t yet adopted it. So yes, we see HD as an important proposition for broadcasters and we’ll continue to innovate in that space.
What about the demand for AM transmitters?
Rodgers: AM as you know is up and down around the world. We still see some opportunities, but most of North America has moved away from AM in general. There are specific areas where AM is still very popular and is a great source of revenue in some locations.
“The industry is at a turning point, where technology is shifting from legacy analog RF broadcasting to modern digital and IP infrastructure. ”
Above Rodgers with the Nautel NX400 transmitter used by Trans World Radio on Bonaire. Its output power is 440,000 watts.
But interest in North America has moved to FM where there’s room.
There are opportunities worldwide for high-power AM. I know there’s an opportunity in Pakistan right now where there’s some interest in high-power AM.
Nautel has only ever designed solid-state transmitters from its beginnings. How did that happen?
Rodgers: That’s correct. We got started by producing radio beacons, which at the time were popular around the world. And in the late 1960s that technology was all tube-based.
Our founders decided that they could use solid-state technology to make a much more reliable radio beacon. And that’s how the company started with their solid-state heritage, with an exponentially more reliable radio beacon transmitter.
We also consider ourselves to be the first company to successfully commercialize a solid-state broadcast transmitter. We were very excited when we started making 30 kW and 40 kW transmitters about 15 years back and saw the industry complete that evolution from tubes to solid-state in even the largest transmitters.
Above Kevin Rodgers
And AM was Nautel’s first interest?
Rodgers: Yes. The radio beacon frequency range is 190 to 535 kilohertz, so it was a natural progression to move into the AM broadcasting band, which is just above 530 kilohertz. Then having been very successful in AM for most of the 1980s, we moved into FM in the early 1990s.
How have tariffs and Canadian/American political tensions affected Nautel’s business?
Rodgers: All manufacturing entities in North America are managing through some aspects of changing regulations. You could say that Nautel is a pan-North American business from a manufacturing standpoint.
By design we’ve had two mirror image production facilities in the U.S. and north of the border for more than five decades. That allows us to optimize production for our customers and have resilience should we ever have a disaster recovery situation.
As for any impact of the changes, all I can say is that Nautel had a very strong year in 2025 and prospects for an
even stronger 2026, so I guess we’re doing the right things to manage through tariffs and the changes, with our customers always top of mind.
Are supply chain problems still an issue in RF
manufacturing?
Rodgers: The global supply chain challenges have improved somewhat in the past year but all companies face the occasional hiccup. We have fantastic relationships with our major vendors so are able to keep ahead of most issues, but there are still surprises that come up.
Recently we almost ran out of fans, but at the very last minute our suppler came through with two skids of fans, approximately 2,000 pieces, and we were able to ship transmitters on time.
What technology developments will Nautel highlight at the spring NAB Show?
Rodgers: I think broadcast engineers will have lots of reasons to stop by our booth. It’s too early, and we won’t let the cat out of bag just yet, but broadcasters have watched Nautel really push the envelope on digital radio via our software-based air chain approach. This year will definitely continue that trend along with a few other surprises.
Nautel’s Radio Technology Forum at NAB, often still called the Nautel User Group or NUG, is moving from the Flamingo to the Westgate Las Vegas Resort. What will be new there?
Rodgers: Over the years, we’ve really tried to make this a cross-industry event appealing to all broadcast engineers and not just Nautel customers. This year it’ll be addressing broad topics of concern to all broadcasters, including how many more functions of the traditional radio air chain we might eventually see built into transmitters.
“The only two components of an over-the-air air chain that can’t be implemented in software are the microphone and transmitter, so it will really come down to how broadcasters want to host these components.
Above
On the shop floor in an undated photo.
The jury is still out on that one. In a sense the only two components of an over-the-air air chain that can’t be implemented in software are the microphone and transmitter, so it will really come down to how broadcasters want to host these components.
Different situations or preferences may determine if components might be hosted in server, or in the transmitter, or in the cloud or in a combination of two or more of the options to achieve resiliency.
We’ve focused a lot on the audio processor and HD Radio components because we can link those elements together to eliminate FM-HD blend drift completely. We also feel that elements of the automation system make a lot of sense to be at the transmitter site so that if connectivity is lost, content can keep flowing seamlessly for hours until a connection is reestablished.
A couple of years ago Digital Alert Systems, Telos Alliance and Nautel proposed EAS alerting for radio with a networked approach, dubbed EAS at the Edge. Is there anything new in that area?
Rodgers: Yes, we did a demonstration together to show an example of how EAS can fit into a software-based air chain. Since that time there has been lots of discussion on how to move EAS forward into modern IT and air chain infrastructures. As industry and regulators work together to define any changes to EAS infrastructure, Nautel stands ready with a flexible software-based architecture.
What is your top business goal as the leader of the company for 2026?
Rodgers: A couple of things. This applies to myself, and I encourage my team as well, to be excellent listeners to our broadcast customers. It’s the only way we can stay true to our mission of serving their needs.
Another area where we hope to help broadcasters this year is taking advantage of the car dashboard to keep radio front and center, and help our customers find new sources of revenue, relevance or donations. When radio prospers, we all prosper, so we have a deep partnership in helping broadcasters be their best.
How about possible major consolidation in the U.S. through changes in ownership caps? How could that affect your business?
Rodgers: That’s a hard one to predict at this time. We’re certainly ready to support any broadcaster that may need to modernize their infrastructure as the result of consolidation or station ownership changes.
How did you get started in this business?
Rodgers: While attending the University of New Brunswick, I began a summer job in the engineering department at a local radio station, CFBC(AM), maintaining a Harris MW-50. After graduating in 1985 with an electrical engineering degree, I joined Nautel.
I was responsible for customer service. This included field work and telephone support. Being in the trenches with broadcast engineers allowed me to learn their pain points and how to build a company that can better address those needs and serve them into the future.
Who were your mentors early on?
Rodgers: Nautel’s founders were Dennis Covell, Dave Grace and John Pinks. Their influence in my early years at Nautel still guides me to this day.
What do you enjoy doing in your time away from the office?
Rodgers: When I can, I like to tinker in the garage. I have a passion for restoring old cars and get real enjoyment from seeing results from a hands-on effort. My favorite restoration is my 1970 E-Type Jaguar.
Writer Nick Langan
The author writes the popular “Signal Spot” column in the daily Radio World SmartBrief newsletter.
Bryan Seeley on the future of dealers
He’s the new owner of BSW
Broadcast Supply Worldwide is under new ownership. Following the retirement of Tim Schwieger, its owner and chairman of the board, ownership of the broadcast equipment supplier passed to President/CEO Bryan Seeley.
Can you give us a brief history of BSW?
Bryan Seeley: It was founded in 1973 by broadcast innovator Irv Law Jr., former general manager of IGM Radio Station Automation Systems. BSW has supported the radio industry for more than five decades.
Originally known as Broadcast Supply West, the company was created to serve stations across the western U.S., but quickly grew into a trusted partner for broadcasters nationwide and around the world. Built on hands-on radio roots — from rewinding carts to supplying mission-critical broadcast equipment — BSW established itself early as an industry leader.
BSW was the first independent broadcast dealer to publish sales flyers and catalogs, and the first to offer toll-free 1-800 ordering in both the U.S. and Canada. By our 20th anniversary in 1993, the company was serving customers in more than 70 countries, leading to its evolution into Broadcast Supply Worldwide, along with expanded inventory and extended live phone support from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tim became president in 2002 and, following Irv’s passing in 2008, assumed the role of CEO and chairman of the board, guiding BSW through years of continued growth. In January 2025, I became president and CEO and, in January 2026, acquired ownership of the company following Tim’s retirement.
Recently BSW launched a new website featuring a robust B2B client purchasing portal, dramatically expanded product diversification to support customers’ growing needs in IT and emerging broadcast technologies, and streamlined internal operations, allowing the company to serve more clients, more efficiently, than ever before.
What are your priorities for 2026?
Seeley: Our focus is on growth across every front: enhanced client-facing service, competitive pricing, expanded rewards and a broader product selection. We’re
also investing heavily in diversification — embracing new technologies and new revenue opportunities for our clients.
What does the future hold for broadcast equipment dealers — those “box houses” that always made their money by creating and reselling packages of equipment made by others?
Seeley: I believe “box houses” will always have a place in our industry because they serve the most immediate, real-world needs: Is it in stock? Can it ship today? Can it be delivered when it matters most?
Anyone who has dealt with an off-air emergency understands how critical that immediacy can be. Even in a software-driven environment, those systems still depend on physical infrastructure, the boxes and the people who deploy, support and maintain them.
How does that model change in the era when so many products are now software, and many groups have direct relationships with equipment manufacturers?
Seeley: A strong “box” business is foundational to everything else we do. It enables logistics, financing, negotiated pricing and ease of purchase — all of which are increasingly important as engineering teams shrink and responsibilities expand.
Across large-, medium- and small-market broadcasters, BSW continues to bring value and play a critical role by aggregating vendors, simplifying procurement and bringing purchasing power and operational expertise to the table. Looking ahead, the dealer’s role is evolving beyond simply moving product. At BSW, we see ourselves as a solutions partner. Helping clients navigate complex workflows, coordinating hardware, software and integration and reducing operational burden. By removing friction and managing complexity, we allow our clients to focus on what they do best.
John Bisset
The author is in his 35th year of writing Workbench. He handles western U.S. radio sales for the Telos Alliance and is a past recipient of the SBE’s Educator of the Year Award.
Oh Henry! Oh Frank!
Frank Hertel shares a simple way to determine inductor values
Engineering consultant Frank Hertel outlines a method of measuring an inductor’s value using only an oscilloscope and a signal or function generator.
In his work Frank does repairs and also fabricates “one-of-a-kind” RF and audio devices. For tasks like winding custom inductors, he often must measure and verify these values.
Unfortunately, it seems there are no professional LCR meters that can measure inductor values in microhenries. This method provides an answer. The math is not complex; anyone with some engineering knowledge can manage it.
Fig. 1 shows the equipment layout. To begin, determine that the generator output impedance is truly 50 ohms. Set the generator frequency to 100 kHz, 4 volts peakto-peak output. The setup assumes a 10x or “times ten”
oscilloscope probe. Verify that a 1% 50-ohm resistor connected to the generator causes the level to fall to half the unterminated value.
Then connect the unknown inductor. Adjust the generator frequency to yield one half of the level of the unterminated level. You can expect that when the inductor is connected, the oscilloscope display will fall to a lower level.
Now adjust the frequency of the generator so that the signal displayed on the oscilloscope is exactly half of the 4 volt peak-to-peak signal that you originally set as your terminated reference voltage.
When the level of 2 volts peak-to-peak displays on the oscilloscope screen, make a note of the generator’s frequency.
Plug this frequency value into one of these math formulas (depending on whether you are calculating using Henries or microHenries):
Send your tips Workbench submissions are encouraged and qualify for SBE recertification credit. Email johnpbisset@ gmail.com.
Value in Henries:
L = 4.570 / Frequency (in Hz)
Value in microHenries:
L = 4570 / Frequency (in kHz)
If you have solved for microHenries but want the result in milliHenries, move the decimal point three steps to the left, adding zeroes as needed. For example 1.0 microHenry is equivalent to .001 milliHenries.
As mentioned, it’s important to note that the two constants used in the formulas only work with a generator that is known to have a 50-ohm output impedance.
Frank and his son Dave were honored recently with the Kentucky Broadcaster Association Clarance E. Henson Technology Award. Tips like this are an example of their good work.
More Play-Doh history
Archie Simpson commented on our discussion of Play-Doh and how some people have discovered that it works as a cleaning compound.
Right
Fig. 1: Initial setup. Generator @ 100 kHz, 4V P-P, using an X10 probe
Workbench
What seems like a life hack actually is a return to the toy’s roots. According to multiple accounts, the substance that would become Play-Doh was first designed to remove soot that accumulated on expensive wallpaper near fireplaces.
According to an article in Smithsonian magazine, Kutol Products became the largest wallpaper cleaner manufacturer in the world in the early 20th century. “Fortunes began to change in the 1950s, though. With the transition from heating with dirtier coal to cleaner oil, gas and electricity, sooty buildup on wallpaper was no longer an issue in many households,” it wrote.
The magazine reported that Joseph McVicker was trying to turn Kutol around when his sister-in-law Kay Zufall, a nursery school teacher, read an article about how wallpaper cleaner could be used for modeling projects. She tested the material with children, who loved it, and she suggested its new name. As they used to say in baseball, “You could look it up.”
Archie also reminded me of the mnemonics that many of us learned early in our careers to remember certain technical concepts in the days before smartphones.
We’ve talked before about the very problematic “Bad Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Goes Willingly,” a resistor color rhyme in which each first letter stands for a color. (According to Wikipedia, a short documentary released in 2022 titled “Violet Gave Willingly” centers on the misogyny that a woman encountered while studying electrical engineering in the 1970s.)
Above Fig. 2: Using the formula to determine inductor value.
Below Copper foil tape with conductive adhesive from Eterart.
But how about “ELI the ICE man,” to remember the phase relationship between voltage and current in AC circuits? Do others come to mind? Email me at johnpbisset@gmail.com.
Conductive adhesive
IT Specialist Stephen Poole at Crawford Broadcasting has discovered a copper tape from a brand called Eterart.
Although there are plenty of copper foil and copper tape brands, what caught Stephen’s eye is that the copper tape consisted of conductive adhesive.
Just overlapping the tape run ends ensures a good ground throughout. Stephen didn’t have a milli-ohm meter, so he can’t tell just how well the ground transits through the adhesive glue; but an ordinary multimeter shows 0 ohms from the copper on the right — the pickup switch cavity in his Les Paul — all the way to the output jack.
So there is such a thing as “conductive adhesive.”
Stephen paid less than $20 for a roll of 20 feet. Search “Eterart Copper Tape” on Amazon.
Writer James Careless
The author wrote recently about tuning to shortwave radio over web-connected receivers.
KiwiSDR 2 is a definitive receiver for enthusiasts
This is an exceptional wideband receiver that will be at home in any serious listening post
Over the years I have owned and used many radios to tune into international shortwave radio broadcasts, including the iconic Panasonic RF-2200 from the 1980s. But few have impressed me as much as the KiwiSDR 2.
Made by KiwiSDR NZ in New Zealand (kiwisdr.nz), the KiwiSDR 2 is a software-defined radio with its own computer, packed into a small metal box. It connects to the user’s home network via an ethernet cable, sets up through a few easy steps and is controlled directly using a web-based interface.
This interface can be experienced for free at rx.linkfanel.net with access
to KiwiSDRs around the globe. It provides the user with a clickable graphic display of live radio signals across the spectrum.
The interface also allows the user to select stations by direct keyboard entry, by band or by moving their mouse across the display and clicking on whatever feed strikes their fancy.
The KiwiSDR interface supports a range of tuning formats as well, from AM and single sideband (SSB) to DRM and various RF-based data formats.
Let me put it this way: If a crystal radio is the 1903 Wright Flyer of broadcast listening, the KiwiSDR 2 is the USS Enterprise.
A reborn receiver
KiwiSDR NZ was formed in 2023 to relaunch the KiwiSDR, a version of this radio that was built on a PC plug-in board.
Aleksdem/Getty Images
The KiwiSDR 1 was introduced in 2016, manufactured and marketed by SeeedStudio (yes, there are three letter Es in its name) in Shenzhen.
“Supply shortages during COVID stopped production in 2021,” said Peter Munn, CEO of KiwiSDR NZ and ham radio callsign ZL2P.
“We decided to relaunch a newer design called the KiwiSDR 2 using our own New Zealand-based company with manufacturing by Triode in Auckland.”
In terms of capabilities, the KiwiSDR 2 receives signals in the shortwave radio band (3–30 MHz) plus VLF/LF/MW and the AM broadcast band, covering from 10 kHz to 30 MHz in total.
An external antenna is required to operate. Options range from traditional wire antennas to magnetic loops and active probes.
The KiwiSDR 2 comes with a connectable GPS antenna, so that users who wish to share their unit on the KiwiSDR tuning site can show their locations. When connected in this way, up to four users can connect simultaneously, each one tuning and listening independently to a different frequency over the entire frequency range.
“All signal processing occurs locally within the Kiwi hardware and the browser of the connected user, including what we call extensions for decoding modes typically encountered on shortwave,” Munn told Radio World.
“An example of this is the Digital Radio Mondiale decoder now that some shortwave broadcasters support this mode. For ham radio operators, there are decoders for the modes FT8, WSPR, CW, FSK and SSTV. For commercial users FAX, ALE 2G, NAVTEX, DSC, Selcall and HFDL.”
As well, said John Seamons, KiwiSDR 2 designer/ developer and ham radio callsign(s) ZL4VO/KF6VO, some users have used external downconverters to bring VHF/ UHF signals to the Kiwi, effectively using it as a 30 MHz wide intermediate frequency (IF) receiver.
“The Kiwi software supports these configurations such that VHF/UHF frequencies are shown on the display.”
Worth noting: Unlike other SDRs, the KiwiSDR 2 is a selfcontained device controlled entirely from a web browser.
“This means no attachment to a PC and the associated software/driver installation with the inevitable grief that results,” said David Bray, KiwiSDR NZ’s logistics manager and ham radio callsign ZL2BA.
“The KiwiSDR 2 is also internet-enabled, meaning connections can occur not only from a web browser on the same local network as the Kiwi but from a web browser located anywhere in the world.”
The Kiwi’s reverse proxy allows internet access even when using broadband connections that disallow incoming
connections, e.g. Starlink, 4/5G mobile networks, and some ISPs.
“In this way, it is truly plug-and-play from a networking perspective, which has been very important to our customer base,” Bray said.
“You simply visit my.kiwisdr.com after hardware setup to see the URL link required to access your Kiwi from the internet and local network.”
Helping monitor coverage
So it’s a consummate listening device for enthusiasts and the foundation for a global listening community able to share access to their radios worldwide.
But the KiwiSDR 2 also would be profoundly useful for any broadcaster wanting to monitor their coverage and signal quality remotely, and in real time.
All they have to do is to install KiwiSDR 2s and antennas in strategic locations and connect them to the web. Then coverage checks are a matter of logging onto the KiwiSDR
Above DRM signal reception.
Left A software-defined radio with its own computer, packed into a small metal box.
OUR CONVERSATION WITH BOB ORBAN, PART 3
The Optimod 8000 has turned 50. We are featuring interviews of Bob Orban in conversation with Radio World Editor in Chief McLane. Here’s an excerpt from Part 3, with a link to the full conversation at the end.
Paul McLane: Tell me about the genesis of the Optimod-FM 8100A.
Bob Orban: Well, I knew that we could do better.
Dave Hershberger, working for Harris, had come up with a clever overshoot compensation scheme for a new generation of Harris stereo generators, so I needed to do something to respond to that. At the same time, my invention of distortion cancel clipping, first used in the 9000, opened up a new opportunity for FM processing.
The big weakness of the 9000’s distortion cancellation was that it required analog bucket brigade delay lines. Those were fine for AM in terms of their noise and distortion performance, but they weren’t quite good enough for FM.
I had the idea that instead of using these analog delay chips, I could use the main 15 kHz low-pass filter already in the FM processor as a delay line if I applied group delay correction to it.
I came up with the idea of variable coupling between the main part of the compressor, which was above 200 Hertz, and then a base compressor that was below 200. To avoid bringing up high frequencies unnecessarily, the basic 8100 was not a three-band like the Dorrough, it was a two-band. Then the high-frequency limiter was separate, designed to control high-frequency overload due to the FM preemphasis curve, instead of just doing automatic re-equalization.
Then I came up with the frequency contour side-chain overshoot corrector, which was my response to Dave Hershberger’s clever design. But unlike his, it did not increase clipping distortion in the frequency range below about 5 kHz. …
That was another result of computer-aided design, designing the matched filters between the 15 kHz main low-pass filter and sidechain low-pass filter for cancellation. They had to be matched in magnitude and phase over the 0 to 2 kHz region.
Now we had distortion cancellation with high basic audio quality, a very clean signal path. That allowed me to do much more aggressive clipping than the 8000 had done, to rely much more on the clipper for high-frequency control, which allowed the 8100 to be substantially brighter.
Another influence was Mike Dorrough and the Discriminate Audio Processor, the DAP 310. There were also home-brew multiband processors out there.
The problem I had with a simple multiband processor was that if you were doing purist processing for, say, a classical or a jazz format, you wouldn’t necessarily want all this automatic re-equalization that happens with the multiband compressors of the time.
The product was a very big success for us, in fact it’s the best-selling Orban processor in the company’s history. We eventually sold something like 10,000 units over the years, and it stayed in production for I think 10 years.
McLane: Were you positioning it as a processor for all formats?
Orban: It was designed so that you could go to the purest end if you wanted to, but you could also speed up the release time and reduce the coupling between the master and base bands. It was also a very competitive rock and roll, pop music, urban processor.
McLane: What does the success of these products tell us about the radio marketplace of the time?
Orban: They wanted it louder, they wanted it brighter, they wanted it cleaner. …
It was a great time for us. It was exciting. We managed our growth pretty well; we didn’t take on debt. When we finally were in a position to sell to AKG, we were in a very good position. But that’s the story for next time.
Read the full Part 3 interview at www.radioworld.com/blog/boborban-3. The full series starts at www.radioworld.com/blog/bob-orban
Bob Orban and John Delantoni are shown at an NAB Show in the late 1970s.
Above KiwiSDR-accessible receivers in the eastern United States.
tuning website at rx.linkfanel.net and clicking on their remote receivers.
TWR, formerly Trans World Radio, is one such KiwiSDR user. The global Christian media outlet broadcasts on its own medium and shortwave transmitters from several locations worldwide, and is carried by partner ministries in many countries using medium-wave and local FM radio networks.
“TWR uses KiwiSDR monitor receivers on all continents,” said TWR Broadcast Engineer Dave Pedersen. “They are located in both reception areas and at TWR transmitter sites. Some sites are publicly available and visible on the KiwiSDR maps.”
According to Pedersen, most of TWR’s KiwiSDRs have standardized on the W6LVP loop antenna, with the rest using other active loop antennas.
“KiwiSDRs are used on both MW [AM] and SW depending on the broadcasts to be monitored,” he said.
“The TWR receivers are typically housed in a rackmount custom enclosure with a linear power supply to lower the noise floor. We use the included Kiwiclient and Kiwirecorder utilities to sample data at preset times. The retrieved samples are stored for later analysis as many samples are made at different times of the day or night. Data analysis is performed by proprietary software developed by TWR.”
Based on the KiwiSDR’s remote monitoring performance to date, investing in these radios has been an excellent choice.
“The KiwiSDRs are working well for TWR,” said Pedersen. “Most propagation analysis was already well understood, but much has been learned about east-west MW [AM] propagation in tropical regions.
“Monitoring has confirmed that signal strength is not as much of an issue as the global noise floor rising from EMI caused by switch-mode power supplies and unshielded data cables. Signal-to-noise ratio has degraded significantly worldwide due to unmanaged RF spectrum pollution.”
His conclusion: “TWR will continue to use and expand the network as monitoring needs change. The KiwiSDR receiver continues to be the best technical solution for TWR use due to remote access and control, and the ability to process multiple data gathering sessions simultaneously.”
The listening experience
According to KiwiSDR NZ, more than 875 KiwiSDR users have made their receivers accessible to the public using the company’s online map.
One of these users is the Maritime Radio Historical Society (www.radiomarine.org). It is a nonprofit society that is keeping Morse Code alive by operating MRHS stations KPH, KFS and K6KPH in continuous wave (CW) Morse Code each Saturday.
The transmission site for all MRHS stations is the original 1914 Marconi site in Bolinas, Calif. The receive site at Point Reyes, Calif., was chosen by Dr. Harold Beverage for RCA and built in 1930.
Bill Ruck is a broadcast engineer and MRHS member.
“Our Point Reyes location is a pretty wonderful high-
frequency receive site because it is on a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean,” he said.
“We have a number of KiwiSDRs installed here that the public can access online, and they’re amazing, with all the features you’d ever want. The only problem that we have to deal with is too much gain, because the KiwiSDRs do not have a frontend passband filter. So you have to be very careful about your dynamic range in order to maximize reception without overloading the analog-todigital converter.”
Try it now
I found the KiwiSDR 2 a joy to work with. Its clickable interface is simple enough for beginners to poke around and have fun with, while supporting sufficient functions to keep an expert engaged and intrigued for hours.
I run mine using a low-cost MLA-30 active loop antenna in my attic (find them on Amazon), and the performance is exceptional.
And when I need to make sense of an incoming signal too weak for my system to make sense of in suburbia? I use the KiwiSDR radio map to click on a nearby user who is in the country with a far better antenna than mine to bring that signal in.
Are there downsides to the KiwiSDR 2? A couple.
First, because the radio relies on the internet for tuning, you cannot count on it when the web is down.
Also the the KiwiSDR 2 also does not include built-in Wi-Fi.
Is either of these a deal breaker? For me, no. The web is rarely down where I live. Should that happen, I have standalone radios like the excellent Sangean ATS-909X2 to tune into AM, FM and shortwave. (My venerable RF-2200 failed after 39 years of faithful service.)
I also have an Ethernet connection in my second-floor Radio Room where my antenna connections are located. So meeting this KiwiSDR 2 requirement is no problem for me.
(Note: Many wireless routers have Ethernet ports.)
The KiwiSDR 2 is an exceptional wideband radio receiver, one that belongs in any serious radio listening post. The best part: You can try it out for free on the web as soon as you finish reading this. In other words, right now.
Above
Receiving slowscan ham radio video signals.
Below
The 22-meter shortwave band as displayed on the waterfall of an SDR in New Zealand, via the OpenWebRX platform.
Writer
John Schneider
Mary Texanna Loomis, radio pioneer
In 1920, she founded the Loomis Radio School in the nation’s capital
In the 1920s, if you wanted to become a commercial radio operator or a shipboard radioman, you needed a Commercial Radio License, issued by the Department of Commerce.
The best way to achieve this was to attend one of the few radio schools that operated in principal cities around the United States. Two of the most distinguished schools were in Washington, D.C.: the National Radio Institute and the Loomis Radio College.
The latter was the only womanowned radio school in the country.
Mary Texanna Loomis was the principal instructor and that rare creature in the 1920s: a female authority on radio.
She was a distant cousin to Dr. Mahlon Loomis, who in 1866 had experimented with “stealing current from the atmosphere” using kites and metallic string.
In one experiment, he flew kites from two peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia and was able to detect a change in current in a galvanometer in one kite when he grounded the line of the other.
Subsequently, he was able to send Morse Code messages between the two locations, a distance of 18 miles. He was experimenting in wireless communication nine years before Guglielmo Marconi was born.
Adult learning
Mary Texanna Loomis was born August 18, 1880, in a homesteader’s shack near Goliad, Texas, the second child of Alvan Isaac and Caroline (Dryer) Loomis. Her middle name was bestowed in honor of the state where she was born.
The family moved to Rochester, N.Y., in 1883, where she had a respectable middle-class upbringing. She was sportsminded in her youth, participating in swimming, horseback
riding and strenuous exercise. She also took voice lessons and became a good soprano. She learned to speak three languages: French, Italian and German.
A grandfather was a strong influence; he taught her to use tools and to build mechanical devices, and he helped develop her interest in science and the new inventions of the industrial age.
The author writes often about radio and its technology roots.
Right Loomis jokingly applies makeup while sitting with one of her transmitter projects.
Roots of Radio
Loomis married Turner Erving Howard in October of 1898, in Buffalo. The marriage ended in divorce in 1917. It’s not known that she had any children.
After her divorce, she moved to Washington, where she looked unsuccessfully for music employment. But her life took a new turn when she attended a lecture on the emerging technology of wireless communication.
Fascinated, she proceeded to read everything she could find on the subject. At the age of 38, at a time when radio was the field of only a few experimenters and inventors, most if not all of them men, she graduated from radio school and earned her first-class radio telegraphy license.
During World War I, she worked for the Red Cross and as a secretary in a wireless school. It was only then that she learned about the experiments of her distant cousin, and she resolved to open a radio operator’s school in his honor.
Above
Mary Texanna Loomis
Right
The Loomis Radio School in Washington, D.C.
Library of Congress
Roots of Radio
In 1920, she invested every cent she had and incorporated the Loomis Radio School. Located at 401–411 Ninth Street in downtown Washington, it offered a six-month course preparing students for the first-class commercial radio license exam. Most students who graduated found positions as shipboard radio operators.
Meeting any mishap
Loomis was the school’s president and principal lecturer. She taught radio using the equipment that she constructed herself in the school’s machine shop, and taught her students how to build radio equipment.
“No man can graduate from my school until he learns how to make any part of the apparatus,” she said.
“I give him a blueprint of what I want him to do and tell him to go into the shop and keep hammering away until the job is completed. I want my graduates to be able to meet any emergency or mishap that may arise someday far out on the sea.”
She lived a frugal life in a boarding home, and worked 12 to 15 hours a day teaching, grading papers and writing. The Loomis Radio School offered four courses. One for commercial radio operators led to a firstclass commercial radio operators license. A course for technical training taught how to build a receiving set. A third course led to a license as a radio amateur operator.
Codecs, once primarily a better way to bring remote audio back to the studio, now play an essential role in radio content distribution. In your latest Radio World ebook, leading engineers and technology suppliers share their insights on the evolution of codecs.
A student works on a radio project in the Loomis Radio School. Library of Congress
Roots of Radio
And the fourth was for operators who needed to renew an expired license or who had been military operators and needed only minimal training.
Her students also gained practical experience operating a radio transmitter through the use of the school’s amateur station, W3YA.
Loomis was a noted lecturer and member of the prestigious Institute of Radio Engineers. She authored and marketed the popular book “Radio Theory and Operating for the Radio Student and Practical Operator.” This was a reference text of 886 pages and 700 illustrations, advertised at a reasonable price and offered postage-paid directly by the school. It found its place as a textbook used by many educational institutions and government agencies. By 1928 the Loomis book was in its fifth edition and amounted to 1,006 pages. “Radio Broadcast” Magazine called it “one of the most comprehensive volumes in its field.”
She dedicated her book to her cousin Mahlon Loomis.
The depression that began in 1929 affected the school severely, as it did tens of thousands of other businesses. Fewer students could afford the training, and larger schools like the National Radio Institute had more resources to weather the hard times. Further, a new competitor, the Capitol Radio Institute, would open in Washington in 1932.
In 1930, Loomis reorganized the school as the Loomis Radio College, Inc., but it was dissolved in early 1933.
Not much is known about Mary Texanna Loomis’ later life. She is known to have relocated to San Francisco in
Above Loomis teaches a class of future radio operators.
1938; the census shows that she lived in the St. Francis Hotel and listed her occupation as a stenographer. She died in that city in June of 1960, at the age of 79, and was buried at the Woodlawn Memorial Park in Colma, California. Another woman active in early radio was Mary Day Lee. Read about her at https://tinyurl.com/rw-marydaylee.
John Schneider has spent his career in broadcast technology development and sales. He is a lifelong radio history researcher. Email him at jschneid93@gmail.com.
More Info
Sources used in this article include:
“National Electragist,” November 1921: “Woman conducts radio school,” by H.O. Bishop
The Dearborn Independent, Dec. 31, 1921: “Woman conducts radio school”
“The American Magazine,” January 1924: “This young woman founded a radio school”
The Washington Post, March 15, 1931: “Mary Loomis bosses air students to high success”
www.loomis-family.org
www.wikitree.com
“Mary Texanna Loomis” by W8SU, 2009.
“The Spectrum Monitor,” July 2022: “The First Lady of Radio” by Scott Caldwell
BDI Updates Passive Audio Switchers
Broadcast Devices Inc. announced the release of two passive audio switchers as part of its RAS-200 series.
The RAS-208 eight-channel stereo switcher and the RAS-216 16-channel monaural switcher are suitable for radio and TV station environments, BDI said.
The switchers use relay-based passive signal paths that result in audio integrity supporting analog, AES3 digital and control signals.
The manufacturer said they are suitable for Emergency Alert System switching, with RS-232 command set support for Sage Digital ENDEC and Digital Alert Systems DASDEC EAS systems.
The switchers can also be used for console input manipulation in radio studios and remote source selection for syndicated programming.
Info: https://broadcast-devices.com
Black Lion Has New XLR Patchbay
Black Lion Audio rolled out the PBR XLR 16F DSub for studio cable connectivity.
It is a 16-point female XLR/DB25 patchbay designed to alleviate cable management difficulties while adhering to high audio fidelity standards, the company said. The patchbay allows engineers to connect up to 16 microphones to mixers, audio interfaces or outboard hardware in a single rack space.
On its rear, two DB25 connectors mounted to an internal steel backplate provide connectivity for mixers and audio interfaces.
The PBR XLR 16F DSub is housed in a reinforced steel chassis, which the company said ensures durability for daily use while still maintaining a refined aesthetic.
The company said the patchbay will list for $349 USD.
www.blacklionaudio.com
Newswatch
Don Jones Dies
The founder and longtime owner of RF Specialties of Texas died at the age of 90.
Don Jones lived in Amarillo, where he was born and raised. He and John Schneider founded RF Specialties in 1982 as an alliance of independent broadcast suppliers.
He was remembered as more than a vendor, for instance often showing up at a transmitter site or studio to assist with installations.
“I saw him at his happiest when he would be working on a build-out project for one of his many faithful customers,” Schneider told Radio World. “He will be missed.”
In 2006 Jones was named the Texas Association of Broadcasters’ Associate of the Year. He sold RF Specialties of Texas in 2010. His time in the army helped form his electronics background. He joined Muzak in 1961 and worked there for four years before the company was sold. McMartin Industries, a manufacturer of Muzak equipment, hired Jones, and he worked in sales and marketing there for nearly 20 years.
Jones started Broadcast Marketing Service in 1980, and met with Schneider, also a McMartin Industries alum, a year later, according to a Radio Guide article. The meeting resulted in their cooperative arrangement, the RF Specialties Group. The group expanded to include other independent sales engineers, designated by the name of the state where the company was based.
— Nick Langan
Texas Assoc. of Broadcasters
Burnt in Paradise
I liked Kevin Curran’s article in the Sept. 10 issue about the legacy EV 635A microphone.
It was no surprise to read that perhaps a million of these tough little mics heard voices around the world since 1965.
The one pictured above came to our ministry as part of a studio equipment package purchased in 1986 from Simpson College, then in San Francisco. It worked well then.
However this “virtually indestructible” gem met its match when it was broiled during our Paradise Fire of 2018. Its distinctive body survived but with capsule and connectors liquefied into a glob now attached to the windscreen.
Toss it, or treasure it?
Someday it’ll work again. Maybe.
How to submit Radio World welcomes comment on all relevant topics. Email radioworld@ futurenet.com with “Letter to the Editor” in the subject field.
country, maybe it’s time to look into a blanket 3 dB power increase for every AM station.
Although it would not be a massive increase in field intensity, the extra couple of millivolts might make a difference, especially in major cities, where maybe 100 millivolts would turn into 140 and override some of the noise.
This may sound stupid. And yes, if it were done across the board, the interference issue would become worse. But when all of the Class 4 stations went from 250 watts to a kilowatt, it provided enough signal to make previously unlistenable stations now listenable.
Ron Schacht
Just beat it
Re the Mark Persons article on AM carrier synchronization (“Get That Beat Out of Your Head” Dec. 17 issue): Excellent!
While I am not a fan of any governmental mandates, I would be a real fan of the FCC mandating that all broadcast transmitters be synced.
Duane Pavlicek
Kenneth Boone
Read the writer’s account of that fire at https://tinyurl.com/ rw-paradise.
Blanket power hike
I am glad to see someone taking interest in AM radio and one of its major concerns (“John Kean Explores AM Interference Issues,” Oct. 8 issue).
More than noise, though, the problem with AM radio is the disinterest among owners to provide programming on their AM stations. For the most part, it’s plug in a satellite program and let ’er fly, with no local input at all.
Yes, there are some very good AM stations, and I will listen to them even if the program audio is only 3 dB above the noise as long as they have a quality program.
We need owners to become interested in the AM facility and not just cast it off. Most of the good AM is from the 50 kW guys or the extremely small-town stations serving their communities and doing it well with a staffed radio station.
As to noise, I don’t think it will ever be possible to remove it from all of those trashy switching supplies that are used in just about every device now.
Since the AM noise issue is not confined to the U.S. and it involves Canada, Mexico, Cuba, and just about every other
Does it matter?
In Paul McLane’s Oct. 22 story “Views on Processing From Out in the Field,” an engineer asked: “Why would we limit digital streaming audio to 15 kHz or so to protect a stereo pilot that isn’t there?”
Future in Focus
The year ahead with … Rhonda Lapham
In a series of Q&As on the Radio World website, we’ve asked industry thought leaders, executives and engineers to comment about the year ahead.
Rhonda Lapham is the market president for iHeartMedia, overseeing stations in Providence, R.I., Cape Cod, Mass., and the New Hampshire markets of Manchester and Portsmouth. This is an excerpt.
What do you think is the most important thing that happened in the world of radio last year?
Rhonda Lapham: The proof is undeniable: Audio has become the most valuable tool in a marketer’s arsenal. In 2025, iHeartMedia hosted AudioCon 3.0, centered on the question: “Who is today’s human consumer in the era of AI and algorithms?”
Through extensive research, we uncovered a growing concern among consumers about the reliability of information they receive. What stood out most was the overwhelming desire for authentic human interaction.
In response, iHeartMedia made a pledge: “Guaranteed Human.” This commitment underscores our belief that while technology is powerful, the human voice remains the most trusted and influential medium.
What overall trend will have the greatest impact in the coming months?
Lapham: I believe consumers will continue to rely on radio as a trusted resource — not just for information, but for companionship. Radio will remain the place where people
discover new products, learn about local events and gain insights they can use in everyday conversations.
More than any other medium, radio fosters dialogue and connection, encouraging listeners to engage with the world around them.
Radio World’s readership includes many broadcast engineers. Is there an engineer you work with in Providence and Cape Cod who helps keep your stations running smoothly?
Lapham: I have the privilege of working with some of the finest engineers in the industry. They are known internally as the “Tiger Team,” but I like to call them the “A Team.”
In years past, each building had a dedicated engineer. Today, thanks to the proximity of our clusters across New England, we benefit from a collaborative team of engineers who support our entire area.
This structure allows iHeart to have multiple engineers “on call,” ensuring coverage while also giving our staff the ability to take time off without the burden of being on duty 24/7. Just as importantly, it provides us access to a diverse network of professionals with specialized skill sets and expertise.
What strategies do your stations use for community engagement that you’d suggest for medium- and small-market operators to embrace?
Lapham: Community engagement is at the heart of what we do. Each iHeart cluster has the ability to deliver messages tailored to diverse groups with varied interests. To maximize impact, we align ourselves
Above Rhonda Lapham of iHeartMedia on the steps of the Rhode Island state capitol.
with organizations that need our support most.
In every market, we’ve established advisory boards made up of business leaders, civil service representatives, nonprofit organizations, military groups and more. These boards meet regularly to identify community needs and collaborate on solutions. The old saying, “It takes a village,” rings true here.
By combining the efforts of our advisory boards, stations and staff, we’ve created meaningful opportunities to serve and strengthen our communities.
Why do you believe radio still matters so much as we head into the second half of the decade?
Are You Connected?
Do you receive Radio World’s daily SmartBrief newsletter? It’s free with email signup. Click the Subscribe option at radioworld.com.
Lapham: Radio remains the most accessible and reliable companion. It’s the friend you can turn to anytime, anywhere — whether you’re seeking information, entertainment or comfort.
In an era of fragmented media and digital overload, radio continues to stand out as a trusted, human-centered medium that informs, entertains and connects communities.
