All posts by Michael D. Rhodes

Meetings & Events

November 2018 Luncheon Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

Spectrum Sharing:
Why Troposcatter Matters

Andrew Clegg,
Spectrum Engineering Lead at Google

Shared spectrum is the new mantra, but aggregate interference is the common refrain.  We’ll explore at a high level why long distance propagation prediction is becoming a critical, yet poorly-constrained, limit on spectrum sharing.

You can register for the meeting below. Please register and pay separately for the AFCCE-FCC Reception here:

https://afcce.org/2018-afcce-fcc-reception/

Networking starts at 11:45 AM with Lunch beginning at 12:30 PM

Holiday Inn Parking :

The Holiday Inn has recently installed gates on the parking garages. Parking for the meeting is still free. Please take a ticket on your way in. You will need this ticket along with a validation ticket you will get at the meeting that will be used as the payment on your way out of the garage.

Luncheon meetings are open only to AFCCE members and their guests. The cost of the luncheon is $55.00 per person or $65.00 for reservations not received prior to the deadline.

Please RSVP online with the form below by 5 pm Friday, November 23rd. To RSVP directly to John Reiser by phone at (703) 780-4824, or email rsvp@afcce.org.

All reservations requests and online payments will be confirmed by an email message or phone call. If you do not receive a confirmation email please email rsvp@afcce.org to verify it was received.

Meeting Location
Holiday Inn at Key Bridge
1900 North Fort Myer Drive
Arlington, VA 22209

Driving Directions: The Holiday Inn provides free parking however, they have recently installed gates on the parking garage. You will need to take a ticket on the way into the garage and pick up a validation ticket at the meeting which you will use in lieu of payment on the way out.

Metro: The Holiday Inn is two blocks north of the Rosslyn Metro Station – Orange, Blue and Silver lines. Exit the station through the “back door” (up the stairs) and turn right onto North Fort Myer Drive.
Map & Directions

Lunch Menu

If you have special dietary requirements or allergies, please send a separate email to rsvp@afcce.org.

Main Course (Select one choice for all attendees in the form below)

  • Breast of Chicken
  • Pan Seared Peppered Salmon
  • Stir-Fry Vegetables

With:
Tossed Salad
Rice
Seasonal Vegetables
German Chocolate Cake

Meetings & Events, News

2018 AFCCE Fall Social

Thursday evening, October 11, 2018

AFCCE invites all members and their families and guests to the
Annual Fall Social which follows the IEEE BTS Symposium.

The AFCCE Scholarship program has always been a very impactful activity of AFCCE, but its continued success relies on being able to sustain and bolster the scholarship fund. The Fall Social is the major fund-raising event for the benefit of the 501(c)(3) Fund. Each year, the Scholarship Fund supports students enrolled in accredited engineering programs at universities throughout the country. Your support, both by your attendance and your corporate sponsorship, will strengthen this important mission of the AFCCE.

Both corporate and individual sponsors are solicited for the AFCCE Fall Social to benefit the AFCCE Scholarship Fund. This year we are again accepting sponsorship levels of:

$250 – Silver Level
$500 – Gold Level
$1000 or more – Platinum Level

Please consider being a sponsor this year. Sponsors will be acknowledged below, in our promotions of the Fall Social and at the event itself. You can reserve your seat as well as add your sponsorship below.

The AFCCE Fall Social will be held at:

The Vantage Point Restaurant

atop the Holiday Inn Rosslyn
(across the street from the Key Bridge Marriott)

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Cocktails at 5:30 pm and Dinner at 6:30.

Please RSVP by October 6th.

Continue reading →

Meetings & Events, News

September 2018 Luncheon Meeting

Friday, September 21, 2018

ATSC3.0 Ready Slot Antenna Design Using Advanced Antenna Optimization Methods

Brandon George
Radio Frequency Systems (RFS)
Meriden, CT

Coaxial slot antennas are a favored design by U.S. broadcasters due to their low complexity and ability to be customized. Coaxial slot antennas currently designed and manufactured for the FCC repack should be designed with future ATSC3.0 operation in mind. Both elliptical polarization and heavy but smooth null fill are desirable for ATSC3.0. By utilizing heavy fill and elliptical polarization signal strengths can be increased in the near in coverage areas allowing better S/N ratios for data intensive applications in those areas. It is important in designing such an antenna, to ensure that the gain of the antenna is not decreased significantly compared to a traditional antenna. Design methods have been adopted that optimize the gain by minimizing radiation above the horizon.

A paper by Brandon George and Nick Wymant on this technique can be downloaded here:  ATSC3.0 Ready Slot Antenna Design

You can register for the meeting below.

Networking starts at 11:45 AM with Lunch beginning at 12:30 PM

Parking Changes:

The Holiday Inn has recently installed gates on the parking garages. Parking for the meeting is still free. Please take a ticket on your way in. You will need this ticket along with a validation ticket you will get at the meeting that will be used as the payment on your way out of the garage.

Luncheon meetings are open only to AFCCE members and their guests. The cost of the luncheon is $55.00 per person or $65.00 for reservations not received prior to the deadline.

Please RSVP online with the form below by 5 pm Monday, September 17th. To RSVP directly to John Reiser by phone at (703) 780-4824, or email rsvp@afcce.org.

All reservations requests and online payments will be confirmed by an email message or phone call. If you do not receive a confirmation email please email rsvp@afcce.org to verify it was received.

Meeting Location
Holiday Inn at Key Bridge
1900 North Fort Myer Drive
Arlington, VA 22209

Driving Directions: The Holiday Inn provides free parking however, they have recently installed gates on the parking garage. You will need to take a ticket on the way into the garage and pick up a validation ticket at the meeting which you will use in lieu of payment on the way out.

Metro: The Holiday Inn is two blocks north of the Rosslyn Metro Station – Orange, Blue and Silver lines. Exit the station through the “back door” (up the stairs) and turn right onto North Fort Myer Drive.
Map & Directions

Lunch Menu

If you have special dietary requirements or allergies, please send a separate email to rsvp@afcce.org.

Main Course (Select one choice for all attendees in the form below)

  • Sautéed Beef Tips
  • Pan Seared Peppered Salmon
  • Stir-Fry Vegetables

With:
Caesar Salad
Pasta
Seasonal Vegetables (NO BROCCOLI please)
New York Style Cheese Cake

News

AFCCE President’s Letter 2018

Dear AFCCE Members,

As we move forward into the 2018-2019 fiscal year I wanted to provide an update on some of AFCCE’s activities and encourage your active participation in AFCCE happenings and events.

The 70th Annual Meeting was held in June in Seattle, with over 50 members and guests participating. Some highlights included an inside tour of seven historic AM transmitter facilities at four sites on Vashon Island, the banquet at Palisade Restaurant at the Marina and the wonderful open house held through the courtesy of the Dawson family. We also wish to thank Steve Lockwood and his host committee for their efforts in making the Annual Meeting a great success. The staff at the Hotel Sorrento also deserve kudos for their support.

The 2017–2018 Annual Report was reviewed, edited, and approved, and a PDF copy of the final version will be included with my next communiqué.

Three new directors were elected by ballot of the membership, and I would like to welcome Sterling Davis, John George and Stephen Pumple to the board. John George has agreed to be Secretary as Bob Weller moves to the position of Treasurer attempting to fill the shoes of longtime treasurer Ron Chase. Thanks to Ron for his service as an officer and director over the past three years. Thanks to Steve Crowley and Marshall Cross for their years of service on the board.

Because of the change in eligibility for Full Membership, several members stepped up to make application and were elevated this past year. These members include the late Byron St. Clair, John George, Sterling Davis, John Collinson, Jorge Gonzalez, David Layer. New Associate Members include Stephen Pumple, Angela Gillespie and Bert Goldman. A new student member, Tram Le, was added and attended the Annual Meeting. Following the Annual Meeting, the incoming Board elected new officers. The new officers for the 2018–2019 term are (the board member’s class term is shown in parenthesis):

Officers
President – John Lyons (2019)
Vice President – Chris Horne (2020)
Secretary – John George (2022)
Treasurer – Bob Weller (2019)

Directors
Anne Goodwin Crump (2020)
Sterling E. Davis (2022)
Jon Edwards (2020)
Mark Fehlig (2019)
Stephen Pumple (2021)

The chairpersons of AFCCE’s standing committees for 2018–2019 are:
Admissions: Matt Sanderford
Rules & Standards: Steve Crowley
Permanent Arrangements: Chris Horne
Nominations: Ben Evans
Professional Ethics and Grievances: Mark Fehlig

I want to thank Bob Weller for his jumping from Secretary to Treasurer to help with financial continuity after the resignation of Ron Chase. I also want to acknowledge the work of John Reiser and Martin Doczkat for organizing the monthly luncheons and speakers, and dedicated efforts of Marshall Cross, Chairman of the AFCCE Scholarship Fund’s Scholarship Committee. We need to secure a replacement for Martin Doczkat as Program Coordinator especially with the September 21st meeting rapidly approaching. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact me ASAP by phone or e-mail.

Luncheon Meetings for 2018-2019

The first luncheon of the year will be held on Friday, September 21st at the Holiday Inn in Rosslyn. A speaker is needed.

10/10 (Wednesday) – Joint AFCCE/BTS Luncheon (Marriott Key Bridge)
10/11 (Thursday) – AFCCE Fall Social (Holiday Inn-Vantage Point Restaurant)
11/28 (Wednesday) – Luncheon Meeting (Holiday Inn Shenandoah AB)
11/28 (Wednesday) — FCC Reception, National Press Club
1/18 (Fri) – Luncheon Meeting (Holiday Inn-Dogwood)
2/22 (Fri) – Luncheon Meeting (Holiday Inn-Dogwood)
3/22 (Fri) – Luncheon Meeting (Holiday Inn-Dogwood)
5/17 (Fri) – Luncheon Meeting (Holiday Inn-Dogwood)

AFCCE/IEEE BTS Joint Luncheon

The 67th Annual IEEE Broadcast Symposium will be held October 10–12 in Rosslyn, just two blocks from the Holiday Inn. As is traditional, there will be a joint AFCCE/BTS Luncheon on Wednesday, October 10.

Fall Social

AFCCE’s Fall Social will be held on October 11th at the Vantage Point Restaurant, atop the Holiday Inn. The Social follows the last paper of the Broadcast Symposium. The Fall Social benefits our scholarship fund and raised over $11,000 last year. We are looking to eclipse that number this year.

AFCCE/FCC Staff Reception

The Annual AFCCE/FCC Staff Reception will be held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on November 28th from 4 to 7 pm. The FCC Reception is a popular event among FCC technical staff, and allows us to honor and celebrate with the recipient of the 2018 E. Noel Luddy Award. Please plan on joining us for this fun event.

AFCCE Scholarship Program

The AFCCE Scholarship Program administers over $60,000 in scholarship funds for tele-communications students for their baccalaureate or graduate degree programs. Applications are presently being accepted for spring semester (2019) awards. We thank all members of the Scholarship Committee for their hard work and also thank AFCCE member Tom Silliman for his work on the joint AFCCE/IEEE Jules Cohen Scholarship program and Mark Fehlig for his coordination with IWCE. [Maybe say something about expecting to launch a Byron scholarship, funded by NTA?]

FCC Comments

Our aim in filing comments is to provide information to help ensure that the FCC can make informed policy choices, not necessarily to advocate for specific positions. There are many issues before the FCC this year that may be suitable for AFCCE comment, but we need people who feel strongly about particular issues to draft comments. Participate!

A better AFCCE requires your help. AFCCE needs its members to work on committees doing everything from helping draft comments on proposed regulations to helping coordinate the Annual Meeting. If you ask some on the board how you can help, I guarantee that you will be rewarded with meaningful tasks. So, please ask. Send me or another board member an e-mail or talk to us at a luncheon about getting involved. You don’t have to be local to DC, either. There are lots of areas where AFCCE can and should contribute, but we need members willing to help. AFCCE’s ability to serve its members and our industry is limited only by the amount of time and talent offered by its members.

Please let me or another board member know if you have any suggestions to improve AFCCE or its functions. I look forward to seeing you at one or all of our upcoming events.

Very truly yours,

President
(2017–2019)

AFCCE President’s Letter 2018

News

2018 Annual Meeting Held

AFCCE held its 70th Annual Meeting last weekend in Seattle.  The meeting included a tour of five historic AM transmitter sites on Vashon Island, just west of the city.

The group picture below was taken on KVI Beach next to the KVI 570 tower.

2018 AFCCE Annual Meeting group picture

News

Thank you, Byron, for your Friendship and Mentorship to our Industry

1 Comment

The Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers joins in celebrating the life of one of our longest active members, Dr. Byron St. Clair, who passed away May 20th at age 93 after a brief illness.

Byron St. Clair

Dr. Byron St. Clair – picture courtesy of the ATBA

AFCCE President John Lyons said, “I had the pleasure to sit and speak with with Byron over the last several years discussing his time in NY while attending Columbia for his BS and MA in Physics. He reminisced about living on the waterfront and his enjoyment of education.  I will always remember the look on his face and the thrill in his voice as he walked around the broadcast facilities at One World Trade Center and 4 Times Square as we toured both facilities during the 2017 Annual Meeting.”

We will all stand to toast Byron at our Annual Meeting next month in Seattle.

The National Translator Association, will be establishing The Byron W. St. Clair Memorial Scholarship Fund along with the Association of Federal Communications Consulting Engineers (AFCCE). The fund will provide scholarships for promising undergraduate and graduate students at accredited U.S. universities and colleges interested in broadcast engineering. The LPTV Spectrum Rights Coalition, through its membership, has also agreed to provide funding for the NTA/AFCCE scholarship fund.

Dr. St. Clair was director of research and development for Adler Electronics, founder and president of EMCEE manufacturer and installer of TV translators.  Later he took his knowledge west to Colorado, and beginning in 1967 founded and was president of Television Technology Corp. in Arvada and later Larcan-TTC Inc. During his three decades in running TTC the company became the best-known supplier of TV translators.

Dr. St. Clair was inducted into the Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance Hall of Fame in 2014, and received the Jules Cohen Award from the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society (BTS) in 2017. He was also President Emeritus of the National Translator Association and was the recipient of the SBE Chapter 48 Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.  He received his PhD from Syracuse University in Physics.

He leaves behind Julie, his wife of 71 years, and daughter Susan Hansen of Arvada, Colorado as well as his son-in-law, two grand children and a brother.  A memorial service is planned for a date in June to be established.

Meetings & Events, News

May 2018 Luncheon Meeting

Friday, May 18, 2018

Streamlining the FM Translator Rules

Larry Walke
Associate General Counsel,
National Association of Broadcasters

Mr. Walke will give a presentation on the recent FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Streamlining the FM Translator Rules.

The growth in the number of FM translator stations has led to an increasing number of interference disputes between translator stations and full-service stations. However, resolving these fact-intensive disputes can currently be quite time-consuming. The measures proposed in the NPRM are designed to streamline the resolution of such interference complaints, strike an appropriate balance between the interests of translator stations and other licensees, and conserve licensee resources. This proposed NPRM is on the agenda for the FCC’s May 10th Open Meeting. A copy of the draft NPRM can be found here.

Mr. Walke joined the National Association of Broadcasters in October 2001 as associate general counsel. While at NAB, Larry has focused his efforts on safeguarding broadcasters’ spectrum, radio issues, the emergency alert system, Equal Employment Opportunity, license renewals, retransmission consent and various advertising issues, including political broadcasting.

Larry began his legal career at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he worked on a broad range of broadcast and cable television policy issues during the FCC’s implementation of the 1992 Cable Act and the 1996 Telecommunications Act. In 1997, Larry became an associate with the law firm of Swidler Berlin, LLP, where he represented competitive local and long-distance telecommunications companies. Larry moved to Winstar Communications in 1999 as regulatory counsel.

You can register for the meeting below.

If you have ideas for luncheon programs, please contact Martin Doczkat at martindoczkat@ieee.org.

Networking starts at 11:45 AM with Lunch beginning at 12:30 PM

Parking Changes:

The Holiday Inn has recently installed gates on the parking garages. Parking for the meeting is still free. Please take a ticket on your way in. You will need this ticket along with a validation ticket you will get at the meeting that will be used as the payment on your way out of the garage.

Luncheon meetings are open only to AFCCE members and their guests. The cost of the luncheon is $55.00 per person or $65.00 for reservations not received prior to the deadline.

Please RSVP online with the form below by 5 pm Monday, May 14th. To RSVP directly to John Reiser by phone at (703) 780-4824, or email rsvp@afcce.org.

All reservations requests and online payments will be confirmed by an email message or phone call. If you do not receive a confirmation email please email rsvp@afcce.org to verify it was received.

Meeting Location
Holiday Inn at Key Bridge
1900 North Fort Myer Drive
Arlington, VA 22209

Driving Directions: The Holiday Inn provides free parking however, they have recently installed gates on the parking garage. You will need to take a ticket on the way into the garage and get it validated at the meeting.

Metro: The Holiday Inn is two blocks north of the Rosslyn Metro Station – Orange, Blue and Silver lines. Exit the station through the “back door” (up the stairs) and turn right onto North Fort Myer Drive.
Map & Directions

Lunch Menu

If you have special dietary requirements or allergies, please send a separate email to rsvp@afcce.org.

Main Course (Select one choice for all attendees in the form below)
Chicken Breast Marsala
Salmon
Stir-Fry Vegetables (Vegan)

Tossed Salad
Rice
Apple Pie

Meetings & Events, News

March 2018 Luncheon Meeting

Friday, March 16, 2018

Worlds First Radio Broadcast

James E. O’Neal

A look back in time to 1906 at what may be considered to be the first radio broadcast, the technology employed, as well as the events leading up to this event.

This is a closeup look at the fabled “world’s first radio broadcast” event on Dec. 24, 1906. James has done a lot of research on this broadcast in preparation for a commemorative article in 2006. He has discovered many things about this event that do not appear in the history books. Interesting aspects are Fessenden’s methodology for producing a carrier wave and amplitude-modulated it in an era before the vacuum tube or solid-state devices were available. He will share a number of pictures–some never seen in print or on the Internet before–that provide additional insight into what wireless transmission operations looked like more than 100 years ago.

James E. O’Neal has been involved in broadcasting for more than half a century, beginning with part-time employment at a hometown radio station during his high school years, and continuing on that basis in both radio and television operations throughout his high school and college years. Following graduation from the University of Arkansas in 1969, he embarked on a full-time broadcast engineering career that spanned nearly 37 years, with more than three decades at U.S. Government television operations, including the United States Information Agency’s Television and Film service, WORLDNET Television and VOA-TV.

James enjoys researching and writing about broadcasting history and persons making important contributions in this field. He also enjoys collecting and restoring both consumer radio and television items and commercial broadcasting equipment. He holds both commercial and amateur radio licenses and has earned SBE Professional Broadcast Engineer Life Certification. James serves as a member of the board of directors of the Early Television Foundation, and has previously served in the same capacity at the National Capital Museum of Radio and Television.

You can register for the meeting below.

If you have ideas for luncheon programs, please contact Martin Doczkat at martindoczkat@ieee.org.

Networking starts at 11:45 AM with Lunch beginning at 12:30 PM

Parking Changes:

The Holiday Inn has recently installed gates on the parking garages. Parking for the meeting is still free. Please take a ticket on your way in. You will need this ticket along with a validation ticket you will get at the meeting that will be used as the payment on your way out of the garage.

Luncheon meetings are open only to AFCCE members and their guests. The cost of the luncheon is $55.00 per person or $65.00 for reservations not received prior to the deadline.

Please RSVP online with the form below by 5 pm Monday, March 12th. To RSVP directly to John Reiser by phone at (703) 780-4824, or email rsvp@afcce.org.

All reservations requests and online payments will be confirmed by an email message or phone call. If you do not receive a confirmation email please email rsvp@afcce.org to verify it was received.

Meeting Location
Holiday Inn at Key Bridge
1900 North Fort Myer Drive
Arlington, VA 22209

Driving Directions: The Holiday Inn provides free parking however, they have recently installed gates on the parking garage. You will need to take a ticket on the way into the garage and get it validated at the meeting.

Metro: The Holiday Inn is two blocks north of the Rosslyn Metro Station – Orange, Blue and Silver lines. Exit the station through the “back door” (up the stairs) and turn right onto North Fort Myer Drive.
Map & Directions

Lunch Menu

If you have special dietary requirements or allergies, please send a separate email to rsvp@afcce.org.

Main Course (Select one choice for all attendees in the form below)
Roast Top Round Sirloin
Salmon
Stir-Fry Vegetables (Vegan)

Tossed Salad
Potatoes
German Chocolate Cake