This blog was originally set up to accommodate readers of the CGC Communicator Newsletter who may wish to post news bulletins, general items of technical interest or comments related to items that have been posted here. Now and then we have digressed into other mostly technical postings not in the newsletter. The moderator is Steve Blodgett, who clears messages for spam and potentially inappropriate content. (Spammers often attempt to post on sites such as this one.)
Readers of the CGC Communicator Newsletter historically have spanned the U.S. with a main focus on areas in and near Southern California. Your participation in our professional broadcast engineering community is always welcome, no matter where you may be.
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John Pegram Bittner of Flagstaff represented himself to the Navajo Nation as a member of the SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers), even though his membership had lapsed. The Arizona Republic says “tribal leaders hired him to get the station off the ground, and the project began attracting grant funding.” In late 2010, Bittner was working the phones to Washington to get money deposited to a bank account he controlled. But he never bought any equipment or began construction, and the project is now seriously behind schedule. Last week, federal prosecutors filed a collection of 18 criminal charges against Bittner alleging theft, wire fraud and money laundering. That’s separate from the civil case they filed last December, hoping to recover $130,000 that has gone missing.
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More info may be seen below, from rbr.com and azcentral.com. -sb
http://rbr.com/man-indicted-for-taking-funds-from-navajo-fm-startup/
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https://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2012/04/02/20120402navajo-radio-plan-grinds-halt-man-accused-taking-funds.html
Regarding the RFI from the Gold Line along the 210 freeway. I have observed this since the Gold Line went into service, and I have suspected that it is some kind of telemetry riding on the wires servicing the trains with power.
I had previously heard something very similar when I was in the UK, but it was along high tension power lines there.
Chris Hays
I, too, can confirm this RFI has been continuously present since the Gold Line began service. The AM hash changes pitch as a train accelerates out of a station and may be related to the high voltage traction motor drive electronics rather than a telemetry system. The level of interference decays rapidly with radial distance from the catenary wiring and at the terminus of the line, but it blankets all lanes of the freeway. How unfortunate are those who live immediately alongside the Gold Line corridor!
New Topic- FAA Public Hearing about excessive helicopter noise in L.A. residential neighborhoods-
The below was received from US Congressman Howard Berman- Topic may have relevance to government and media helicopter practices and FAA regulations…
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Dear Tom,
I’ve heard from many community members about the ongoing problem of helicopter noise in residential areas of the Valley. When I first inquired about this problem, I was stunned to learn that unlike airplanes, helicopter flight is almost entirely unregulated. Since then I have introduced legislation, recruited support from my colleagues in the House, and finally have been successful in convincing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a study on the impact of helicopter noise on our community. Because the study is a step that must precede any actual regulation by the FAA, it is a promising step forward.
That is why I am inviting you to a public hearing on helicopter noise in Los Angeles, which I am hosting in coordination with the FAA. The event will take place on:
Monday, August 6 at 6:30 p.m.
at Millikan Middle School Burrill Hall,
5041 Sunnyslope Avenue in Sherman Oaks off Magnolia Boulevard
Community members will have the opportunity to share their personal experiences with the FAA and offer suggestions about solving the problem of helicopter noise in LA. As the FAA determines what regulatory changes are needed to reduce helicopter noise, this public hearing will serve as a critical forum for community input into the FAA report — and I encourage a strong turnout from the community. This event is open to the public, so feel free to share with family and friends to spread the word.
Please join me at Millikan Middle School to discuss how we can better tackle the problem of helicopter noise in our community. You can let me know if you plan to make it by RSVPing with the button on the right. I look forward to seeing you there.
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