[SBE] Sat Truck Operator Licensing

[Eargle, Ray L]

Note most I see is a reporter and a photog. On some I hear just a reporter. 

-----Original Message-----
From: sbe-bounces at sbe.org [mailto:sbe-bounces at sbe.org] On Behalf Of Matt Antalek
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 1:45 PM
To: sbe member discussion mail list
Subject: Re: [SBE] Sat Truck Operator Licensing

I have one question of clarification from Gibson's original message.
I don't work in local news, so I'm not sure how most stations do it now.  Do stations with satellite trucks typically send out 3 people for a satellite live shot (truck engineer, camera, reporter?)

There must be some that already send out just an operator/photog and a reporter, right?  I'm a big DMA (Philly) and I see the microwave truck guy who will set up a camera on the sticks and frame the shot for the reporter and then go back into the truck for the live hit all the time.

On 11/15/09, Matt Antalek <matt.antalek at gmail.com> wrote:

> As a sat truck engineer, I'm not sure about the legality issue.  I've 

> always been told that when you're on the bird, you stay in the truck, 

> but I'm not sure there's a law mandating this.  In the real world, 

> when you're uplinking a backhaul or some all day event, no sat truck 

> op that I've seen stays in front of the "radiate switch" at all times.

>  Although, the good ones are almost always within monitoring distance 

> (perhaps a few feet outside the door with the door open).

>

> Just remember, the further away from the controls you are when 

> something goes wrong, the longer the response time will be to switch 

> to a backup path and get back on the air, etc.

>

> Matt Antalek

> VideoLink

>

>

>

> On 11/9/09, Urban, Brian L <burban at kut.org> wrote:

>> When I operated a sat truck (C-Band) we were not allowed to go on or 

>> off the bird without being on the phone with the sat operator TOC.  

>> That was universal with all sat operators.  Turning the transmitter 

>> on/off by camera remote would be problematic without coordinating 

>> with the TOC.  Can you imagine the interference chaos that would 

>> ensue if trucks were going on/off

>> the bird at will?  How would you bill for the time?   If the transmitter

>> is

>> radiating, the operator should be in the vicinity of the truck.  In  

>> the scenario below, if the operator/photographer had a cell phone the 

>> TOC could call, that should be sufficient.

>>

>> --

>> Brian Urban

>> Chief Operator

>> KUT Radio

>> The University of Texas at Austin

>> TEL 512-471-1085

>>

>>

>> On 11/6/09 7:11 PM, "Gibson Prichard" <gibson at prichard.tv> wrote:

>>

>> What is the consensus of the legality of a two-person crew (reporter 

>> & satellite-trained photographer) being sent to operate a sat truck 

>> for ENG News gathering? Once the shot is up and on the bird, the 

>> operator might step away from the controls to operate the camera 

>> while the reporter is on-air. It would be possible to tie the 

>> uplink's transmit enable to a remote line that the photographer could 

>> toggle off if need be in an emergency. It could be tied to H sync or 

>> valid SDI clock data from the camera, so turning the camera off would 

>> turn the satellite transmitter into standby, thus essentially meeting 

>> the "designated remote control point" requirement.

>> I'm sure there are many times when the scenario above takes place, 

>> and probably most ENG trucks are without a remote turn-off ability. 

>> Does anyone know if a station has ever been cited for not having an 

>> operator in front of the "radiate" switch at all times?

>>

>> Gibson Prichard

>> Nashville

>>

>>

>>

>

>

> --

> -Matt

>



--
-Matt
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