The AI-generated cat pictures thread
I identify as a bear.
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,102
Total Cats: 6,636
No, just power-handling capacity. This system is built to take up to 77.6 kilowatts total (combined output of all attached transmitters), and that's more than you can put into a single 6" line. And the antenna itself is a hair over 30 feet tall, so it had to be split into two sections anyway.
Theoretically, they could have run a single waveguide up the pole and put the divider up at the top, but in actual practice, nobody runs waveguide of that size for that distance. It would be a mechanical nightmare.
Dunno why, nitrogen is just the standard gas that everyone uses for this.
Not everyone, actually. For lines that are known to be especially leaky, it's common to use an air compressor with a self-regenerating desiccator. This is what they use on the East combiner, since those lines are pretty old and have gotten leaky over the years. I also use a little one here at the studio for the waveguides going out to my uplink dishes, for the same reason. While it is a tad bit more maintenance intensive, it beats swapping out nitrogen tanks every few days.
I really haven't a clue. Every time the idea of shutting down the spectrum entirely (so it can all be given to the wireless data companies) is floated, someone in Congress says "But just think about all of the elderly, and the low-income folks, who rely on free over-the-air TV," and the idea quickly goes away.
In terms of commercial viability, I'm frankly amazed that network-affiliated stations are still around. Many of them are hurting in a big way, especially since the networks themselves are increasingly competing with their own affiliates (Disney+, Peacock, etc) while still charging them the same rates and not giving them any more local commercial avails.
I'm just hoping that my own little independent station keeps going for another 10-15 years, by which time I'll be ready to retire. After that, TV can do whatever it wants.
Amusingly, now that I live in a house, I recently installed a UHF antenna in the attic, aimed downtown. It's plugged into a box that tunes one channel and then streams it onto my local network, so I can pop open VLC on any of my machines and watch channel 9 in a window.
The antenna is out of view, above the duct at the right.
Theoretically, they could have run a single waveguide up the pole and put the divider up at the top, but in actual practice, nobody runs waveguide of that size for that distance. It would be a mechanical nightmare.
Argon should technically do a better job of that, but if you get several months out of that tank then it's better for staff to be like 'hey that tank's been there for longer than it should let me investigate" as opposed to "hey those tanks last years so i never have to look at them".
Not everyone, actually. For lines that are known to be especially leaky, it's common to use an air compressor with a self-regenerating desiccator. This is what they use on the East combiner, since those lines are pretty old and have gotten leaky over the years. I also use a little one here at the studio for the waveguides going out to my uplink dishes, for the same reason. While it is a tad bit more maintenance intensive, it beats swapping out nitrogen tanks every few days.
In terms of commercial viability, I'm frankly amazed that network-affiliated stations are still around. Many of them are hurting in a big way, especially since the networks themselves are increasingly competing with their own affiliates (Disney+, Peacock, etc) while still charging them the same rates and not giving them any more local commercial avails.
I'm just hoping that my own little independent station keeps going for another 10-15 years, by which time I'll be ready to retire. After that, TV can do whatever it wants.
The antenna is out of view, above the duct at the right.
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,677
Total Cats: 800
It's beautiful Joe. It really shows what paying good money for the proper labor will get you. Everything done nicely.
I still won't believe they swept up after even if you told me.
I have no good images to share. So here is a tank that needed cleaned today. Little Moreen got about 6 of the 60 buckets out before giving up and tagging me in.
I still won't believe they swept up after even if you told me.
I have no good images to share. So here is a tank that needed cleaned today. Little Moreen got about 6 of the 60 buckets out before giving up and tagging me in.
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,677
Total Cats: 800
I took this picture at roughly 4:30pm. The area of sky in which the sun is at during this time is depressing.
Article here:
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/nasa-fea...YCzml16Cq63-Ec
I identify as a bear.
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,102
Total Cats: 6,636
It's beautiful Joe. It really shows what paying good money for the proper labor will get you. Everything done nicely.
I still won't believe they swept up after even if you told me.
I have no good images to share. So here is a tank that needed cleaned today. Little Moreen got about 6 of the 60 buckets out before giving up and tagging me in.
I still won't believe they swept up after even if you told me.
I have no good images to share. So here is a tank that needed cleaned today. Little Moreen got about 6 of the 60 buckets out before giving up and tagging me in.
Do I even want to know what horrible, caustic substance is dried up in the bottom of the pit which Moreen is in?
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,677
Total Cats: 800
All of the trades involved in this project laid down protective material on the floor prior to hot-work, and cleaned up after themselves. The plumbers did scuff up the wall just a tad while hanging the heat exchangers.
Do I even want to know what horrible, caustic substance is dried up in the bottom of the pit which Moreen is in?
Do I even want to know what horrible, caustic substance is dried up in the bottom of the pit which Moreen is in?
It is good to see they only rotted in the areas where the water meets the air.
Elite Member
iTrader: (21)
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 6,604
Total Cats: 1,265
Amusingly, now that I live in a house, I recently installed a UHF antenna in the attic, aimed downtown. It's plugged into a box that tunes one channel and then streams it onto my local network, so I can pop open VLC on any of my machines and watch channel 9 in a window.
The antenna is out of view, above the duct at the right.
The antenna is out of view, above the duct at the right.
I want you to know that I laughed sufficiently hard at this that I actually became conscious of the fact that I have spontaneously perforated a lung in the past (the one on the right, if you're curious), and this seemed like the sort of thing which was likely to cause a recurrence of such event.
Normally, I'm up for that kind of thing, as it opens door to interesting romantic consequences. But with the whole covid situation happening, I assume that the likelihood of my hooking up with yet another hot nurse and subsequently going on the adventure of a lifetime is reduced.
So, let's keep the spontaneous pneumothorax counter down until after this present madness is over, ok?
Mmkay.
Normally, I'm up for that kind of thing, as it opens door to interesting romantic consequences. But with the whole covid situation happening, I assume that the likelihood of my hooking up with yet another hot nurse and subsequently going on the adventure of a lifetime is reduced.
So, let's keep the spontaneous pneumothorax counter down until after this present madness is over, ok?
Mmkay.
Hopefully this won't cause you to laugh too much.
Boost Czar
iTrader: (62)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Chantilly, VA
Posts: 79,517
Total Cats: 4,080
pookie, pictured above, thinks he needs to tell us about every toy he finds at night. he's so ******* loud, and mews the entire way up the stairs until he drops it at the foot of our bed. I have video, but dont wanna have to upload publicly just to share here...
Last edited by Braineack; 01-28-2022 at 12:58 PM.
I identify as a bear.
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,102
Total Cats: 6,636
The angle of the photo may be deceiving. It's actually mounted correctly relative to the printing on it, which is sideways.
Why it is there I have no idea. It's a relic left over from some previous owner, much like this 1st gen Motorola phone which is just out of reach in the dead-space between the interior wall of the forward bedroom and the "Dude, seriously, this is structural, load-bearing brick" exterior wall. They built 'em differently during the period between the Spanish-American War and World War 1.
And, while in the process of going upstairs to take that first thermometer photo, I discovered a hidden portal which was previously unknown to me. It's inside the closet of the aft bedroom.
This old house is full of surprises...
I have not yet crawled through it.
Why it is there I have no idea. It's a relic left over from some previous owner, much like this 1st gen Motorola phone which is just out of reach in the dead-space between the interior wall of the forward bedroom and the "Dude, seriously, this is structural, load-bearing brick" exterior wall. They built 'em differently during the period between the Spanish-American War and World War 1.
And, while in the process of going upstairs to take that first thermometer photo, I discovered a hidden portal which was previously unknown to me. It's inside the closet of the aft bedroom.
This old house is full of surprises...
I have not yet crawled through it.