When Your Backup Plan Needs a Backup Plan: The Slow Death of a Generator
05/19/25 • 7 min
There's a special kind of dread that comes with finding metal shavings in your generator's oil pan. That unmistakable sign of internal engine breakdown couldn't have come at a worse time for our critical broadcast site.
The story of our Cummins 400kVA generator is one of changing technology and infrastructure planning challenges. Installed around 2002, this diesel workhorse was appropriately sized for an era of power-hungry tube transmitters that could each draw 30-50 kilowatts. Fast forward to today, and our modern solid-state equipment—a 32kW TV transmitter, two FM transmitters (18.5kW and 3.6kW), and a 1kW NOAA weather radio transmitter—barely scratches the surface of what this generator was designed to handle. Our monthly power consumption rarely exceeds 200 kilowatt hours, even in peak summer months.
This mismatch creates a perfect storm when equipment failure looms. Do we rebuild this oversized dinosaur or replace it entirely? The economics favor replacement, but that means navigating a labyrinth of quotes, load calculations, site drawings, zoning approvals, and emergency contingency plans—all with a 6-12 month lead time hanging over our heads. Meanwhile, we're stuck in infrastructure limbo, hoping our metal-shedding generator keeps breathing long enough for procurement to work its magic. The stakes couldn't be higher: this site houses critical communications infrastructure serving entire communities with television, radio, weather alerts, and emergency communications.
Have you ever faced a similar infrastructure challenge? Share your generator breakdown stories or replacement nightmares with me—the link to text me is in the episode notes. Until next time, stay redundant, stay resilient, and when your generator starts coughing, don't just turn up the radio to drown it out.
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
There's a special kind of dread that comes with finding metal shavings in your generator's oil pan. That unmistakable sign of internal engine breakdown couldn't have come at a worse time for our critical broadcast site.
The story of our Cummins 400kVA generator is one of changing technology and infrastructure planning challenges. Installed around 2002, this diesel workhorse was appropriately sized for an era of power-hungry tube transmitters that could each draw 30-50 kilowatts. Fast forward to today, and our modern solid-state equipment—a 32kW TV transmitter, two FM transmitters (18.5kW and 3.6kW), and a 1kW NOAA weather radio transmitter—barely scratches the surface of what this generator was designed to handle. Our monthly power consumption rarely exceeds 200 kilowatt hours, even in peak summer months.
This mismatch creates a perfect storm when equipment failure looms. Do we rebuild this oversized dinosaur or replace it entirely? The economics favor replacement, but that means navigating a labyrinth of quotes, load calculations, site drawings, zoning approvals, and emergency contingency plans—all with a 6-12 month lead time hanging over our heads. Meanwhile, we're stuck in infrastructure limbo, hoping our metal-shedding generator keeps breathing long enough for procurement to work its magic. The stakes couldn't be higher: this site houses critical communications infrastructure serving entire communities with television, radio, weather alerts, and emergency communications.
Have you ever faced a similar infrastructure challenge? Share your generator breakdown stories or replacement nightmares with me—the link to text me is in the episode notes. Until next time, stay redundant, stay resilient, and when your generator starts coughing, don't just turn up the radio to drown it out.
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
Previous Episode
Free Software, Priceless Results: Essential Open Source Tools for Broadcast Engineers
Dive into the world of free and open source software that's revolutionizing broadcast engineering! We're peeling back the curtain on the powerful tools that keep stations running without breaking the bank.
The humble Linux penguin (affectionately known as Tux) might be the unsung hero of broadcasting. As Kirk Harnack perfectly put it, "Linux is the air you breathe in broadcasting. You may not always see it, but without it nothing moves." From remote transmitter sites to complex playout systems, this open source powerhouse runs approximately 90% of cloud infrastructure and serves as the foundation for tech from industry giants like Grass Valley, Telos, and Evertz.
Monitoring doesn't have to cost a fortune either. We explore how LibreNMS, Grafana, and Zabbix provide enterprise-level visibility without the enterprise price tag. I share how these tools once helped me catch a transmitter cooling fan failure before catastrophe struck – saving thousands in potential equipment damage. For audio and video production, we delve into the surprising capabilities of Audacity, BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool), OBS Studio, and the Jack Audio Connection Kit. These aren't just budget alternatives; they're powerful solutions that often outperform their expensive counterparts.
Ready to level up your broadcast engineering game? Check out the resources mentioned in this episode to build your open source skills. And don't miss our next show where we'll tackle how cloud services are transforming remote broadcasting – for better and worse. Subscribe now to keep your signals clean, your mind open, and your config files backed up!
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📚 Learn more!
- https://www.comptia.org/certifications/linux - CompTIA Linux+
- https://www.cbtnuggets.com/it-training/linux - CBT Nuggets Linux Courses
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💬 Get in touch!
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
Next Episode
Engineers can finally study anywhere with SBE's new web-based certification tools
Broadcast engineering certification just got a whole lot more accessible. The SBE has finally brought their CertPreview practice exams into the modern era with a completely web-based platform that eliminates the installation headaches and compatibility issues that plagued the previous system.
As broadcast engineers, we're rarely in one place. We bounce between studios, transmitter sites, and remote locations, yet our professional development tools haven't kept pace with this reality—until now. The new browser-based CertPreview means you can study for your CBT, CBNT, CBRE, CSRE, or specialist certification from literally anywhere with an internet connection. Those late-night transmitter shifts or airport layovers just became valuable study time.
This shift reflects a broader industry trend, with over 60% of engineers now preferring web-based training tools over traditional methods. It's about valuing your time and removing unnecessary barriers to professional advancement. The certification committee has recognized that if our automation systems, routers, and monitors have moved to browser-based interfaces, our study tools should too.
The implications go beyond convenience. By making certification prep more accessible, the SBE is strengthening the future of our industry. Engineers no longer need to put off getting certified because the tools were cumbersome. Whether you're looking to break into the field, demonstrate your cross-disciplinary expertise, or secure that chief engineer position, the path to certification just got smoother.
Ready to level up your broadcast engineering career? Check the links in our show notes for direct access to CertPreview, pricing details, and the full list of supported certifications. And if you've recently earned a certification, text me your study tips—I'd love to feature them in an upcoming episode. Your experience might be exactly what another engineer needs to hear.
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📚 Learn more!
SBE Certifications: https://sbe.org/certification/
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📲 Get in touch!
🎙️ Need a voice tracker for your station? I’m Tyler — experienced in rock and classic hits, but open to other formats (no polka, thanks). Fast turnaround, easy to work with, and budget-friendly. Hit me up: [email protected]
If you enjoyed the show, be sure to follow Fully Modulated and leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app—it really helps more people discover the show.
You can also keep the conversation going by following me on Bluesky @fullymodulated.com, or shoot me an email anytime at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.
Fully Modulated - When Your Backup Plan Needs a Backup Plan: The Slow Death of a Generator
Transcript
Thank you . Ah , the sweet sound of a generator that just doesn't really want to do it anymore . Welcome back to fully modulated the podcast . For anyone who's ever stared at a breaker panel in the middle of a storm and whispered please don't . Today we're talking about the slow , wheezy decline of one of our oldest workhorses , a Cummins 400 KVA generator that well ,
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