The warm weather of summer brings those wonderful thunderstorms with wind, lightning and rain. Without proper preparation, you could fiind yourself off the air for hours and possibly days.  It's very easy to avoid costly damage to your facility, but you've got to have a plan!

It will be almost impossible for your staff to function in a a studio that feels like a sauna!

Air conditioning systems are crucial to both the studio and transmitter sites. Call your AC service company and have them thoroughly examine your AC units.  A redundant AC system at the studio facility will prevent an AC failure from affecting your on-air sound.  Remember, it will be almost impossible for your staff to function in a a studio that feels like a sauna!

If your transmitter site recirculates air, (closed loop system) an air condtioning failure can cause room temperatures to rise above 120 degrees. At this temperature most equipment won't function properly and transmitter equipment can be severly damaged. A redundant air conditioning system is a must for any closed loop cooling system. In addition, a temperature sensor should report the room temperature back to the studio via the remote control system. If the temperature gets too high, an alarm should sound, so the AC repair company can be notified immediately. If your transmitter facilty uses outside air for cooling, have the filter system checked monthly or as often as needed.  Don't let a clogged air filter take you off the air during afternoon drive .

There is no way to guarantee that lightning will not strike your studio or transmitter facility and cause major damage, but there are measures that you can take to protect yourself.

1. Have your tower crew check to see that all towers at the studio and transmitter site are properly grounded. Even the TV antenna on your facility needs to be properly grounded. All ground wires should be checked for corrosion and should be replaced if necessary. AM towers using base insulators should have properly adjusted ball gaps.

2. Make sure that transmission lines are properly bonded to the tower using grounding kits.

3. Install a lightning protection system on your tower. There are a few different companies manufacturing such systems, such as LEA and Cortana, but don't expect to find a system that will positively guarantee that your tower will never be struck.

4. Install a master surge protection system on the incoming power to your studio and transmitter facility. This is your first line of defense for incoming  voltage spikes or noise caused by the power company or bad weather. A large voltage spike on the power line could blow out all of your studio or tranmitter equipment. Individual line filters for each piece of equipment can also reduce the risk of damage. These filters are available at Radio Shack or your local hardware store.

5. Install surge protection on all incoming telephone lines. The phone company ususally provides some type of surge protection on business phone lines, but it's a good idea to install filters on each phone line in your facility. Phone filters should be readily availbale from any computer supply house. Install the filters where the telephone lines come into your building. Have your engineer make sure that all filters are tied to a good ground.

6. Install a good ground system at your facility if one is not already in place. You can easily create a good ground system by having your electrical contractor drive multiple copper ground rods as deep in the ground as is practical. These rods should be spaced several feet apart and bonded together using copper strap or a large gauge wire.

7. Install UPS systems for all computers and any sensitive equipment, such as CD players.  UPS  (Uninterruptable power supply) systems usually have integrated surge and noise suppression. They  provide continuous power during power outages. The length of time the UPS can supply power is limited, usually 10 to 20 minutes. The perfect combination is to have emergency generator power backed up by a UPS system. When there's an outage the UPS supplies power until the generator comes on line (usually in 10 to 15 seconds). Your equipment won't even miss a beat!

Have your generator serviced now, in addition make sure  your engineer tests the system on a weekly basis.

One of the best investment you can make is an emergency generator that is tested and serviced regularly. Remember if the generator fails when you need it most, you've wasted time and money. Have your generator serviced now, in addition make sure  your engineer tests the system on a weekly basis. Power outages can sometimes last days, so don't forget to make sure that the fuel tanks are topped off.

You have the power to reduce the possibility of a summer disaster at your facility

The long hot suumer and it's associated thunderstorms are tough on your facility.  Sit down with your engineer and make sure that you are taking all the necessary steps to insure that your station isn't going to blow up at the first sign of a thunderstorm.  Don't be afraid to invest a few dollars in some preventative measures that will definitely save you money in the long run. You have the power to reduce the possibility of a summer disaster at your facility, and now is the time to take action.