Just a short note to explain why we have shifts in the transmitter room... currently there are two transmitters that broadcast programmes at certain times in the morning and evening... depending on the timezones of the countries receiving the transmissions.
Whomever is on shift gets in there a half hour before the broadcast starts and goes through a long check list to ensure the transmitter is tuned to the right frequency, sending the correct power output, sending a clear signal, receiving a good signal from melbourne, has enough coolant, sending via the correct antenna etc etc. They watch as the different systems come online and ensure there are no errors.
Once all is up and running, the systems need to be monitored throughout the broadcast. This does leave time to dust and clean as well as make a coffee or two. At the end of a shift, it also co-incides with bringing the transmitters back offline (they draw too much power to be left on when not transmitting a signal) and there is another checklist to go through to cover shutdown.
Everything seems very simple at this point, but I loathe the day when there is a problem!
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Don - when something does go wrong don't panic - just go through things in a logical manner - its like diagnosing a problem with your car - zero in on the bit that there is a problem with and always start with the power supply - is there power, and work from there.
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