Greetings from your broadcast friends out on the Desert…
This is BDR Newsletter 8609, Volume 17, #27 for February 3, 2026

YES, SUMMER WILL COME
With so many states enjoying (?) the winter storms of the past few weeks, we sympathize with those of you dodging falling ice. It is worth considering potential issues – some that could take you off the air – as the thaw begins in places where solid icing built up: (1) falling ice can be dangerous to the transmitter building, your car, and you (a helmet is not ; (2) eventually the ice does become water, and potential leaks in the building roof could harm equipment and allow the site to get overgrown with plants/vines/bushes/trees/etc; and (3) the tower will need to be inspected – excessive ice weight could contribute to tower/guy wire damage or even tower failure.

AND THE FCC IS OPENING WINDOWS
Perhaps not throwing open physical windows, but the FCC has made more and more information available during this month’s Open Meeting that it intends to open an application window for non-commercial translators. Owners of NCE FMs, Non-comm AMs, and LPFMs, can apply for translators in a window expected later this year. Efforts are being made to prevent speculator applications, including a cap of 10 applications for any company (less for LPFMs). Additional windows are posited, but the FCC plans to lift the freeze on LPTV applications.

WHEN IT IS COLD OUTSIDE
Whether or not the windows are open (pun intended, I think), cold weather can have an effect on transmitters – not quite the same as high heat, but there is something to consider. Jeff Welton is our guest this week, with some maintenance tips for transmitters in unusual temperatures. And, as he is wont, Jeff will have a number of neat tricks and tips to build great maintenance programs.

Join us tomorrow (Thursday) and enjoy the information. Jeff will always answer any transmitter questions. Can you stump him? The request for the link is, as usual, on www.theBDR.net/TLG/  and thebdrnet channel on youtube.

… and do not forget, on the same page we have over 200 videos you can use on subjects you will want to learn about.