December 27, 2010

It’s been a while since the Emergency Alert System was been upgraded, and that’s actually good. By now, most of our EAS equipment is aging, and requiring maintenance and replacement anyway. So, even if the FCC wasn’t about to change everything and force you to buy new gear, you’d want to anyway. But force, they will. So here’s what you need to know.

The new flavor of EAS incorporates a data transmission system called CAP, for Common Alerting Protocol. What CAP adds is the ability to transmit audio, video and text within a data stream transmitted on your station for emergency alert situations. The actual specifications for CAP are still being determined, but there is now a deadline to put on our calendars: September 30, 2011. Within 180 days of that date, your station will be required to have new EAS/CAP equipment installed and operational.

What do we need to buy?

First, you need an entirely new EAS unit designed to handle the new digital system. The unit I’m recommending is the Sage Digital ENDEC. The original Sage ENDEC units were some of the best EAS units on the market. The new Digital ENDEC unit is similar in appearance, but extends its capabilities into the digital realm, and adds more receiver inputs. The Digital ENDEC carries a list price of $2695.

Note that there are, or soon will be "add-on" boxes designed to add CAP functionality to your existing EAS unit. I don't recommend this option unless your EAS unit is very new. A key point of EAS is reliability, and old EAS devices all require maintenance now. Since a defective EAS unit is one of the most common FCC violations, avoiding that possibility is worth an investment.

This is also a good time to update aging receivers used to monitor your EAS primary stations. Most stations use at least two receivers, but new CAP requirements may dictate more than two. There are several receivers to consider, and my specific recommendations will come later, but you should plan for between $250 and $100 for your receivers, possibly more depending on requirements we will learn later.

There will be some installation and set-up labor, which in most cases will be betwee $150 and $500.

So, your total list of materials will look like this:

Sage Digital ENDEC unit $2695
Receivers $1000
Installation $500

Total cost for FCC required upgrades: $4195

This estimate is based on list prices (nobody pays list of course), and doesn’t include shipping charges. Equipment can be ordered from several suppliers, including Broadcasters General Store, BSW, and Harris. This is a "High Side" estimate for budgeting only. If your station has one studio, and can use your existing recievers, the actual cost could easily be less than $3000. The actual EAS unit cost will likely be coser to $2500, withhout receivers, and installation may be more like $150.

Special note to stations with more than one studio or campus: You can avoid purchasing two EAS/CAP systems with proper installation! The unit should be located at or near the transmitter site, and some adjustments need to be made for logging purposes, but these modifications are far lower in cost than two complete systems. The concept involves a single EAS/CAP unit, and a small remote control system. This will require a LAN connection at your transmitter site. The additional cost will be around $1000.

If the deadline is September 30, 2011, when should I order?

The rule is, "Budget now, order by March 2011". There will be a rush on equipment near the deadline, and there likely be at least one firmware upgrade before the deadline, so don't be too early, but certainly don't be late. The only exception to that rule if your current EAS equipment is malfunctioning. In that case, don't fix, replace now.

I will post my receiver recommendations soon, watch this space!

Please contact me with questions about this. The primary take-away point is, this gear must be operational at your station within 180 days of the deadline date, September 30, 2011.