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October Last revision Oct 20, 2022
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Next Meeting: We meet in Manhattan at KAB at the Hilton Gardens on Monday October 24, 4:00 PM. Look in the lobby or on your convention
schedule for the location. See pg 6 for registration information. Our meeting is sponsored by Eddie Vanderkerken of Sorcerer, and will include our annual officer election for the coming year. If you can not come and
wish to reserve a mail-in ballot, request one at rabraham2@cox.net, but be sure it is delivered to the Wichita address shown on the ballot by Saturday October 22 to be included. See you there!
Last Meeting: Nine members and guests met in Topeka at the State Capitol on Tuesday September 13 for a tour of the building at 4:00
PM, followed by our business meeting and a program given by John Langer outlining the systems that control audio/video in the fifteen different meeting rooms there. Following John's program, we were treated to a
pizza supper in the visitor center break room. We will deal with the business meeting first. Chairman Dick Abraham called the meeting to order at 6:20 PM in a Southwest conference room on the main floor. John Langer
moved, seconded by Tracy Gibson, to approve the August meeting notes from the SBE-3 Newsletter as official minutes of that meeting. The motion passed on vote of those present, Chair Dick Abraham reminded those
attending that the next meeting would be at the KAB Engineer Day, Monday October 24 in Manhattan, and that they need to register with KAB for that event. There is no charge for retired KAB members, Engineers nor SBE
members, but you must register at KAB.net. Our thanks to KAB and CEO Allison Mazei for this generous offer. There being no other business at that time, we stood adjourned from the business meeting at 6:25 PM, on
motion of Tracy Gibson, seconded by Ron Jones, and vote of those in attendance.
Our Capitol Building tour was given by professional guide, Joe Brentano, who is also a member of the Kansas Historical Society. The Capitol
Building was built in three phases, beginning in 1866, and completed in 1903. It is listed as a classic-inspired architectural style, and built of limestone block quarried near the city of Cottonwood Falls in Chase
County. The original East wing which was the first phase of the Capitol building cost $480K and was completed in 1873. The legislature first met in that wing in 1870. The Kansas architect was John G. Haskell,
Our tour seemed different from the last time I toured the building when renovation was in its beginning stages. That $322M renovation of the
capitol, including extensive mechanical systems and upgrades to include modern communications, and restoration of original finishes, began in 2000 and was completed in 2013. A visitor's center was added on the north
side of the building with underground parking for visitors and those working at the building was competed and is accessible from SW Eighth Street. I suspect much of the stone used in the walls of the visitor center
was excavated from that parking area. The visitor center is extended northward from the basement of the original building and is artfully connected to the main building with historical exhibits from peoples and
objects in use at the time of the beginning of construction of the original building. As we began our tour on the third floor of the Capitol building, Joe showed us a mural of the Brown vs Board 1954 decision that
eliminated racial discrimination in Kansas schools. The mural was completed in 2018 by artist Michael Young. We moved on to the original KS
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Supreme Courtroom, which is now used for committee meetings. The room seated seven judges, clerks, and lawyers, along with a
gallery for seating of public observers, It retains the feeling of a courtroom from "To Kill a Mockingbird". with LED lighting. The old fluorescent lighting, which was state of the art from the period
following W.W.II, was removed from the entire building and as nearly as possible replicated to original electric lighting. Lampshades with LED lamps were reinstalled. We moved on to the House of
Representatives in the West wing. It is set up for 125 members and support staff, and is the most advanced in modern upgrades. It has a voting panel along with a page summons button at each desk, and
electronic display of voting and other pages available for display on LED video panels on either side of the chamber. Debate is done down front in "The Well". The pillars are faux marble, which is formed
with multicolored plaster which must be applied by an artisan to make it look authentic - and it does! We moved on to the State Library, which contains over 300K volumes contained on two levels. The
second level has glass panel flooring
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to allow more natural light to reach the first level. Most municipal libraries in Kansas have access to the State Library for either direct
electronic or a lending program to expand the reach of services available.
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We moved on to view the murals painted on the walls surrounding the rotunda. The rotunda is accessible on all five levels of the
State House. From the rotunda, we moved to the east section of the building to view the Senate chambers. The restoration in that section most closely aligns with the original. The Senate only needs to
serve forty members and support staff, and the desks are original to the room. The chairs are replicas of the originals, except that they have five feet rather than four feet that were on the originals.
The replicated chairs are built by a Salina firm, and are available for purchase, should you want one. The Senate is more formal, with no debate of matters. Rather, all comments are addressed to the
Chair, to maintain better order. The pillars of that chamber are copper sheeting rolled into long tubes. They look every bit as sturdy as the faux pillars of the House chambers. There are no video boards
nor electronic voting there. After visiting the Secretary of State and Governors Ceremonial Office, we viewed the original this caged elevator. It is manually operated and is only available for a
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few hours in the afternoon when volunteer help is available to operate it. Our tour was complete, and we descended to the Visitor Entrance
level and awaited the hot pizza. Our thanks to Joe Bretano for an excellent tour. No one requested to see the dome, which was some 296 steps up narrow pathways above the fifth level, for which my old knees were most
thankful.
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Following our pizza supper, we moved to a Southwest conference room on the main level where we held our business meeting, and John
Langer told of his experiences getting to know the sound system for the entire building, for which there was precious little documentation. John immediately set about copying any setup files he could
find, establishing a reference point to which he could return if a change he made turned out to have an adverse outcome. Query in your browser for "Tesira Software" to get an idea of what this system
looks like. It basically consists of an analog/digital converter feeding into a Bi-Amp server, which equalizes room acoustics, evens levels, compressing if necessary, echo canceling, feedback control,
and handles up to 16 microphones per Bi-Amp on inputs, then it outputs to room amplifiers and speakers.
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It can record sessions for streaming or storing. Captioning can be added to video, and it also controls access to IP sources for video; files
from computer or cellphone; and VOIP, or POTS telephone can be thrown into the mix as well. In-room sensing can power up some room systems or it can be done from wall plate controls. The camera also follows the
mike in use at that time. The Bi-Amp also talks to a Cisco server which is the heart of the system along with codecs, routers and switches, to get the multiple signals converted as needed to and from the various
places required to be served. Another server, the Tesira, is used to generate the various layers of software in the operating system, and to set up and adjust the various gear assembled, all with their own IP
addresses, thus ensuring proper operation of the Capitol Building A/V system. Each room has its own Bi-Amp, so those are all assembled in racks, along with distribution amps for IP, telephone, and other sources
which are sent to each room for use it needed. John also showed us a couple of pieces of test gear he has to help him track down erratic performing or nonfunctioning pieces that make up the matrix of this system.
One was a handheld multimeter with a 70 MHz scope thrown into the same case. Not a bad piece for less than $200. The other item was a video and data test generator and bit error package, which although it cost about
$800, is most useful. It contains an eye generator which quickly tells on marginally performing converters and routers. This system became much more understandable to me once I began thinking in terms of servers
talking to servers, rather than just PC cards handling the multiplicity of tasks required to make up this complex system. Our thanks to John Langer for a most informative evening, and I still got home back in
Wichita in time for the ten o'clock news.
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Be sure and register for the KAB Convention next month, and check the Engineering Day Schedule on page 6 for all the program information for
the day. Our thanks to KAB for no charge to attend sessions on Engineering Day. Included at the October SBE-3 meeting will be our Officer Election for the coming year. Any chapter member who will not be able to
attend the SBE-3 meeting at 4:00 PM October 24, and wishes to vote in the election may do so via a USPS Mail-In ballot that you request at rabraham2@cox.net. Just make sure you mail the completed ballot in time for
delivery to the Wichita address included by Saturday October 22, 2022 for it to be counted in the ballot tally on October 24. See a list of those running on page 5. Write-ins are allowed on the ballot, but those so
nominated must be willing to serve to be confirmed as elected. Keep your ears open for new developments in high capacity batteries. A group from MIT has been working on an Aluminum- Sulfur battery. Advantages
include high charge and
discharge rates, nonflammable electrolyte, and costs of about 1/6 that of conventional lithium-ion cells. Aluminum is the second most abundant metal on earth and sulfur abounds as well,
but full production of the new battery is still thought to be as many as five years into the future. Even the above will not fix the lack of charging capacity in California and other parts of the US. Somehow,
the cart seems to be ahead of the horse on this entire situation. How many power sources have been built in the last few years? Shouldn't that be among the first things planned?
KAB, Manhattan, KS Monday, October 24, 2022 Schedule for Engineering Sessions
8:00-8:50 AM – Registration/Breakfast*
9:00-10:00 AM – Opening Keynote "Regaining Our Swagger" with Derron Steenbergen From lockdowns, masks, zooms and zooms and zooms…well, you get the idea. It has all created a difficult environment to hit
your goals. In many cases it has made it hard to regain the momentum you had prior to Covid. Today is the day to get it back! This session will reset your process, rekindle your energy and remind you why this is the
greatest industry to work in. By using what we have learned through the pandemic and combining it with the many opportunities that lie ahead, we will reignite your passion for what you do and set you on a path
guaranteed to regain your swagger. Don't miss this session! Recommended for…honestly, it's for everyone!
10:10-11:00 AM (THREE Session Options Available – TV Management/Radio Management/Engineering)
Engineering Session – "Efficient
Engineers, and other tips and tricks" with Jeff Welton, Nautel – Sponsored by Nautel Jeff Welton has done hundreds of presentations on how to keep things running smoothly and "how not to blow stuff up" over
the past three decades. In this session, we'll start with highlights from his "Tips and Tricks" articles – talking about different ideas for making your stations operate as efficiently as possible, both from
the eyes of the engineer and the operators/managers. We'll also spend some time discussing the looming shortage of talent in engineering, as the existing talent pool starts graying out of the industry – and
provide some thoughts and ideas on how we can work together to raise interest and awareness in younger folks, plus getting them "bit by the bug" that brought most of us to this field. This should be a lively and
quite interactive discussion and we're looking forward to your input!
11:00-11:15 AM – Refreshment Break – Sponsored by Radio Resources
11:15-Noon (THREE Session Options Available – TV Management/Radio Management/Engineering)
Engineering Session – ABIP Update with
Art Morris, KAB ABIP Inspector – Sponsored by RCS The Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP), offered by the KAB, is a valuable way to ensure the station operations are in full compliance with current
FCC Rules and Regulations. Sometimes the Commission will make changes in operational or technical areas that doesn't make its way to individual licensees. Stations may also have personnel changes and some items may
get overlooked for several months. The ABIP inspector will review all requirements and if needed offer guidance in addressing any issues, including an overview of what is required at all operations and spend some
time on one the most overlooked, the EAS system.
Noon-1:15 PM – Luncheon Program* and Recognition of Sonny Slater Award for Service to Station and Community Winner
Engineering Session – "Newest Developments in Test & Measurement Tools, Including NextGenTV" with Eddy Vanderkerken, SOURCERER
2:45-3:00 PM – Refreshment Break
Engineering Session – Visit our Exhibit Hall!
4:00 - 4:45 PM Engineering Session – SBE Meeting – Sponsored by SOURCERER
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Newsletter Editor: R.W. Abraham
CPBE / CBNT Regional Engineer Cox Cable Wichita Retired
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Copyright© 2022. All rights reserved by Kansas Society of Broadcast Engineers Chapter 3.
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