comments

11-07-2024: Mark, a note to let you know how much I enjoyed your March 2024, QST article for using an open power relay for rf switching. I used a similar relay in an swr null meter by Paul Chriistensen February 2010 QST, which I modified to handle full power. I like your idea of being able to switch an antenna analyzer in and out easily. Great article and terrific website. 73 Hugo Kleinhans III, KB2VZI, Long Valley New Jersey.

04-27-2024 email: Hello Mark and Paula, I enjoyed reading the Radio World article about your and Paula�s history in the business and your upcoming induction to the MN Hall of Fame. Proud to say I know you and you both have helped me out with bench work numerous times. Even requiring you to invent a test jig for that Harris Z transmitter power supply TAP controller! Hal Kneller, Punta Gorda, Florida.

04-26-2024 email: Congratulations for being 'inducted' into the the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Well deserved and too long in the coming. Enjoy the honor and these halcyon moments of recognition for all of your efforts well done. Best, Charles "Buc Fitch W2IPI, Avon, Connecticut.

04-25-2024 email: What a GREAT article! CONGRATULATIONS to you both! Steve Brown, W9APL in Appleton, Wisconsin.

04-24-2024 email: Hello Mark, News has reached this distant outpost of you and Paula�s induction into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Obviously, I�m not the only one who thinks you two are very special people. I couldn�t be happier for you. Congratulations, my friend! Dave Richards, WOON Radio, Woonsocket Rhode Island.

04-24-2024 email: email: Mark, Congratulations to you and Paula on both being inducted into the MN broadcasters hall of fame and the wonderful article about you two in Radio World. Geoff Mendenhall, W8GNM, Port Clinton, Ohio.

04-24-2024 email: Mark and Paula -- I just saw, in Radio World Engineering Extra, the announcement of your induction into the Minnesota Broadcasters Hall of Fame. Contracts to both of you. Clifford Groth, KD9OZH in Watertown, Wisconsin.

04-23-2024 email: Hi Mark, I just read in Radio World that you will be inducted into the Minnesota Broadcaster Hall of Fame in October for you and Paula's lifetime of service to the radio industry. I say congratulations to you both! And thank you for your service to radio and more specifically your help over the years with many of my radio projects. You're a real inspiration to me to strive for excellence in everything I do for the radio stations I am in charge of. I am still working for Midwest Communication in Sioux Falls, SD having celebrated my 9th anniversary as chief engineer already. Amazing how fast that time has gone by! Alot of what I've accomplished here has been with your assistance and guidance, and your articles in Radio World have provided valuable advice as well. Al Gilbertson, Midwest Communications in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

03-08-2024 email: I just got to my March 2024 QST Magazine. I loved the cover� antennas are cool, but every now and then you need some hardware. Like you I figured if Harris can use relays in an AM rig� so can I. I have never had one get dirty and need dressing. However, now I feel inferior as my plans have these in the open� but it�s hard to shield ladder line, and I have a bunch of that� so a box doesn�t add much. I admire the extra screws and braid. Guess I need to up my design. I had considered that�. But thought �who would do that?� Now I know, and I guess I have too also... Fred Bomgartner K0FMT, Elizabeth, Colorado.

03-21-2024:email: Hi Mark, I got a kick out of seeing the cover of the March 2024 "QST" Magazine. I began my training as an industrial electrician in 1974 and that was when I began working with these kinds of relays, mostly made by Square D and also Allen-Bradley.. When I became a Novice in 1981, I had bought a used pair of Hallicrafters rigs - an HT-32B Transmitter and an SX-115 receiver. I made my own antenna changeover relay, using a relay similar to the one pictured on the cover of "QST." The relay that I used was a single-pole, double-throw Square D relay and it used 120 VAC control voltage from the HT-32B's relay. It worked FB! In my work as an industrial electrician, I "graduated" from relay & limit switch control to control using PLCs (programmable logic controllers). I am now retired, after working as an industrial electrician for 40+ years. Take care...73 de Brad, N9EN

02-07-2024 email: Commenting on Those Darn Wall-Wart Power Supplies! A few years ago, I had a friend store his motorcycle at my house, with a wall wart battery trickle charger. Eventually I forgot about the charger. Eventually I noticed a beeping sound coming from my AM radio. It was like Telstar, beeping away not just on BC, but also on Shortwave. All over the dial! So I disconnected anything in the house that might be interfering, took a portable radio and walked around the house. Didn�t find anything inside, so I tried outside, and sure enough, at the power box, the beeping grew louder. So I went to the front yard power pole. Beeping increased again, so I concluded (erroneously) that it was a neighbor. Weeks go by. I finally get mad enough to check one more time with a portable. This time it dawns on me: I never pulled the battery charger wall-wart. So I did, and the beeping immediately stops. I looked at the wall-wart to see if this was some sort of cheap imported thing, and what do I see, but a logo from the Canadian version of our FCC, assuring me that the device will not interfere with radios! Ever since then, I hate switching supplies. Duke Evans, WBBF-FM Radio in Buffalo, New York.

02-05-2024 re: Wall Wart article: February 5, 2024 email: I totally agree with Mark Persons. The old-fashioned transformer / rectifier / filter capacitor wall-wart power supplies failed mostly because the electrolytic capacitor dried up and the output had as much ripple as DC. But those are getting harder to find as modern wall-wart supplies are switching supplies. These are less expensive, smaller, lighter, and more efficient. In some areas like California they are required because of the higher efficiency. These suffer from the same problem: limited lifetime of electrolytic capacitors. There are wall-wart supplies that are just a transformer and provide an AC output. These are much more reliable because the rectifier and filter are located in the equipment and operate much cooler. Besides life they have been known to fall out of the power receptacle, especially when vertical. And they tend to take over power strips unless you have short Edison cables to spread them out away from the closely spaced receptacles on power strips. I can go on and on over my dislike of wall-warts with many war stories about their failures and problems caused to stations. Yes they are inexpensive and convenient but when providing DC power to part of your air chain I strongly recommend getting an OEM style open frame linear supply and taking the time to mount that to a rack panel with a fuse and other accessories. Bill Ruck, San Francisco.

02-14-2023: Mark, As always, I enjoy your articles in Radio World and I am glad to see you continuing to educate younger generations! John King, Jacksonville, Florida.

02-14-2023: Great Aricle Mark, Loved the latest article! It's funny because video is so easy compared to audio! Though your article is more about the technical side, one of my "basics for audio for radio" is that WAY too many broadcasters don't know, understand, , or maybe "care about." And, too many people don't understand levels as they relate to digital and analog. I've always said, digital has ZERO headroom. NEVER approach "100%" with digital because anything above 101% is "gone forever" (clipped, distorted, flat-lined). At least analog always had a little headroom (depending on the quality of the gear.. some had more than others). Anyhow... thanks for a great article!! Dan Slentz, Cleveland, Ohio.

03-25-2022: I thoroughly enjoyed Mark Persons� article on audio levels in the studio. I just wish someone would write something like that for the recording industry. As a field engineer for two major Christian music radio networks, I go to great lengths to make sure my stations sound the best they can and it�s super frustrating to have some incompetent recording and/or mastering engineers clip the daylights out of the audio. They say it sounds OK for the people listening to an mp3 on cheap earbuds. Well, not all of us are listening that way! The LA guys still tend to do it right; the worst stuff comes out of Nashville. Like Mark said, once it�s clipped it�s permanently damaged, and it seems like the majority of what we get is that way now. I know most of my fellow field engineers feel this way. Scott Todd

03/15/2022: Hello, and thank you for Radio World. As as an ex-engineer, I enjoy keeping up with the new tech and techniques in radio today. I just read the article on studio levels. It brought back so many memories. Especially from my college radio station I started at. It sometimes seemed like they had 17 different standards for the same measurements. But we've all encountered this. Add in that most of the studio equipment was older than I was, and it was a fun time for everyone. One summer, another engineer and I did a major sweep and test of every piece of gear, right down to adjusting the tensions on the reel to reel decks. We also did a major facelift of the studios. Its amazing what a can of spray paint and some scrap sheet acrylic can do. Every thing was clean, working, and running +4dBm. We also updated the old VU meters to led readouts. Later, when we were back in full operation, we heard some bad distortion on the office monitors. When we went to the on air studio to find out what was happening, we saw that the DJ had the fader cranked up to 9. When I reached out and turned it down, the conversation was short, sweet, and frustrating. Me: Why are you playing that so hot? DJ: So I can see the pretty lights you guys installed. That's one studio level that you just can't adjust with a reference tape and a screwdriver. Archie Stulc

03/13/2022: Hi Mark: Just saw your article on audio levels in Radio World. Boy, you hit it on the head. We had the same problem in TV with our field crews as the digital gear came in. Many thought the peak level was -18 and you couldn�t peak over that. Management wanted to know why the noise was so bad on field recordings and editors had to crank the levels, after all it�s digital. It was mostly due to no training on the new gear and working in the digital domaine. I was asked to train operators in proper levels. The unfortunate thing was that the cameras had a black scale on audio levels. I think it would have been less of a problem if we had a color display, but the cam operators got it. Part of the training was also with the editors, fortunately that gear had tri color displays. My saying was �If its green your lean, Mellow is Yellow and red your dead�. That seemed to stick with people and corrected many problems. I used this analogy because of my flying experience with VASI Lights on the runway. White over White go around, red over white your all right, Red over Red YOUR DEAD. Thanks for a great explanation of what goes on with the �NEW/ OLD audio levels. 73, Lou Sabatini, W9LRS, Palos Park, Illinois.

01/03/2022: Hi Mark: I read your article in the October 2021 CQ Magazine about the antenna grounding relay and my first thought was �Well, Duh!� That thought was prompted by the fact I had everything required to build the project in my junk box and that I had, several years ago, built a similar project to automatically ground my ladder line fed 80m loop, though that relay was mounted in a non-metallic box. Thank you for a well thought out and well written article. And thanks for the impetus to get into the shop and actually build the project. 73, Ron NY0A, Dassel, Minnesota.

12-01-2021: Email to Radio World Magazine: I really appreciated the article from Mark Persons on amateur radio. Unfortunately, as Mark mentioned, with cell phones and the internet, the youth of today can't be bothered with amateur radio and that poses a problem to get new broadcast engineers. As a kid, I was really into music and where did music come from, why, the radio, where else. So I was addicted to AM radio. While my parents watched television, I sat in a different room listening to radio, DXing the AM dial and the shortwave bands on an old Zenith chassis with its 12 inch electromagnetic speaker and its metal 6F6 output stage that burned the skin off my forearms more than once. The good thing is that most of the hams at that time used AM so I could listen to them without the luxury of a beat frequency oscillator that the Zenith didn't have. So after listening for years, I got the old Ameco study guide and a key from Olson Radio and went about getting a novice license in 1961. Had a lot of fun with a homebrew single 6L6 running off an old TV power transformer and 5U4. When I got a "real" license I added another 6L6 and a 12AX7 and made an AM rig, wow, a Heizing choke and downward modulation on 40 all the way. Well, that led to a First Phone license when I turned 16 and wound up as Chief Engineer of a commercial classical station after the Chief passed away on Christmas morning. Sure the transmitter was a lot bigger and a lot more sophisticated than the 6L6 rig but from the years of building ham transmitters, receivers, and antennas, walking into a broadcast station was not a shock (pardon the pun). I think there are two things that make a great broadcast engineer, one is a background as a ham and second an appreciation for music as it trains your ears to good audio. I still have my ham license and operate regularly as does my wife. The old 6L6's are gone but still operate with some homebrew gear and a Collins S line, no solid state gear here. I am pushing 73 now and if I was 10, I would have followed the same path as I did knowing what I know now. Ron Schacht, K3FUT, Kensett, Iowa.

11-30-2021: Mark, I compliment you in an Excellent broadcast/amateur radio article in the Oct 2021 RadioWorld magazine. Thank you for countering the misalignments publicized in the television programs of NCIS and CSI dramatizations concerning amateur radio operators. After all, amateur radio is the original �internet� connection. 73 Jimmy "Jimbo" Ishee, KD4GS, Columbiana, Alabama.

11-30-21: Having been an amateur radio operator for more than 67 years, and a once in a while contributor to Radio World, I want to compliment Mark Persons on his article in the October 27th. Issue. It is the best explanation of the amateur radio hobby that I have ever read. There is nothing more that I could add to describe "Hamming" to both the technical and non-technical, and I will rely on it to explain and recruit more hams to our hobby. 73, John Seibels, K4AXV, Coumbia, South Carolina.

11-30-2021: Mark, I really appreciate your time and everything that you do for the broadcast community. Thanks! Matthew Wesolowski, SSR Communications, WYAB Radio, Jackson, Mississippi.

11-12-2021: I would like to tack on an anecdote to Mark Persons' article, "Alike, but Not Alike: Broadcast vs. Ham Radio." I live in the Washington DC area and have been a pro broadcaster since 1979, but didn't jump into Amateur radio until 2009. When I did, I did so with both feet. I even changed my ringtone on my cellphone to the Morse characters "CQ", which Hams use to call out over the air to talk to other hams. As a frequent commuter bus rider in this town, I have to transfer buses many times at the Pentagon depot. Many of my fellow passengers are military folks who disembark there for their days' duties. One morning my phone rang (dah-dit-dah-dit, dah-dah-dit dah) and a loud guffaw went up from the back of the bus. One of the other passengers was either a Ham or part of the Signal Corps, recognized the pattern and got the joke. Broadcast Radio and Ham Radio. Love 'em both. Alan Peterson KJ4IVD, Springfield, Virginia.

11-11-2021: GREAT ARTICLE. Mark, Enjoyed your article in August QST. What beautiful radios. Great job restoring them. Owen Heath, KB2QQM, Racine, Wisconsin.

11-10-2021: Hi Mark, I was pleased to see the photo of the two of you accompanying your excellent "RadioWorld" article on the similarities and differences between ham radio and broadcast radio. Very well done! tnx & 73, Rich Moreson, W2VU, Bloomfield, New Jersey

11-09-2021: Alike but not alike.Thanks for the nice description/comparison! Bob Wilson, WA9D in Oregon, Wisconsin.

11-08-2021: Thanks for this overview article�interesting to me. I was a broadcaster first for a number of years, and didn�t get licensed in Ham Radio until 1990. In the early years, it seemed that many of the engineers I worked with were hams. Maybe not so much anymore. But one of them proved a worthy �Elmer� to me, and got me up and running on Ham over 30 years ago. There are indeed many similarities, at least in the technical aspects. When I started in broadcasting, a 3rd class license was required. Every person overseeing an air shift needed to take transmitter readings to ensure compliance in power output. Other �off air� duties included making sure we powered down or up at the appropriate times to sunrise or sunset, check the tower lights, and other similar tasks.

As time went on, the 3rd class license requirement was dropped, as were the requirements of the broadcasters to be knowledgable of power readings, and such. They were fun years�two turntables, three cart decks, and a microphone staring you in the face. No automation, no computers, and even having the time to use the bathroom on a 6-hour shift was pretty much limited to the 4 1/2 minute UPI news feed at the top of the hour. My last years in broadcasting were distilled down to recording cuts and saving them with specified file names.

Of course, Ham Radio is more recreational. The content is not controlled by a station log, but by the person on the other end of the QSO. But there was still the magic of being on the other side of a microphone. If conditions were good, it was not unusual for me to work a number of QSOs before and after being not on the air as a broadcaster. I am grateful for the broadcast engineers I�ve known over the years�keeping us on the air with our broadcast stations, as well as helping me get into ham radio. 73, Scott McIntire, K7DXT, Hotchkiss, Colorado.

10-28-2021: Great R/W Article. Hi Mark, I found your article insightful and very relatable.. Thanks for writing it and I�m glad Radio World felt it was worthy of inclusion in Radio World. 73 Conrad Trautmann, N2YCH, Cumulus Media, New York City, NY.

10-27-2021: Howdy from W0SO. Hello Mark�.enjoyed your article regarding amateur radio in �Radio World. � Nicely done! Yes, I certainly remember when all of us were hams. A different time. Gary Liebling, Great Plains Media, Lawrence, Kansas.

10-27-2021: We have a lot in common! Your article was great. I also read your QST article a few months ago. Keep up the good work! 73 Dave Hershberger, W9GR, Nevada City, California.

09-06-2021: Hello Mark, Many thanks for your August 2021 Classic Radio article in QST on �Restoring an Heirloom: The Gonset Twins.� I�m the son of Faust Gonsett who owned and operated the Gonset plant. Your article brought back so many good memories. As a kid, I may have touched the meters that wound up in your G-66B and G-77A. No, I wasn�t the reason the paint fell off the pointers:) Best 73, Bob Gonsett, W6VR, Fallbrook, California.

08/05/2021: Hello Mark. I am W7SCY and I was attracted to your article in the August 2021 QST Magazine primarily because it was about the "Gonset Twins" because I had a Gonset Commander; but I was really surprised to read that it was really about using the Gonset G77A transmitter for a remote link to your father's radio station! I did the same thing with a Johnson Viking II in the same time period (1958 or 1959) at KGAL in Lebanon, Oregon where I was Chief Engineer, and have had hams doubt that the FCC would allow it. I was in radio broadcasting for 35 years and evolved from engineering into sales and management and spent the last 22 years with the Radio Advertising Bureau. It was a lot of fun. I received my Novice license, WN7SCY in July, 1951 so I celebrated 70 years of continuous Ham radio fun with my original call (minus the "N") last month. I'm active in the High Desert Amateur Radio Group (HiDARG), the Central Oregon DX club and ARES and it's still fun! Thanks for the trip down memory lane. 73, Bob Weed, W7SCY, Bend Oregon.

05-21-2021: EXCELLENT article in Radio World, Mark! Count me among those who started out in the analog world but quickly became "digitally native." I would be hard pressed to recommend a new analog buildout these days, even for smaller stations. It just makes so much sense and is so much easier to make changes after the fact. The biggest drawback is that unfortunately, digital equipment does tend to have a shorter lifespan than analog, simply because of the rapid pace of technology improvements, and often quicker part obsolescence. 10-20 year lifespans for some equipment have now become more like 3-5 or 5-10, not because it has failed, but because technology has improved. That said, in some cases the labor saved in maintenance and ongoing changes can often offset some of this cost. It's just something that needs to be budgeted for, much like upgrades to desktop computing technology. Shane Toven, engineer at K-Love Radio.

03-26-2021: Hi Mark, I wanted to thank you for being a true mentor and friend for the engineeering problems I have gone through for the last two days. Also thank you for giving me all the support and knowledge for putting things into perspective over three years. Dave Halprin, Townsquare Media, El Paso, Texas.

02-04-2021:  Radiogram: Congratulations on your John Battison Award 2020, a most worthy and deserved achievement. Dean Sever, SBE CBRE, W8IM, Pinellas Park Florida.

01-31-2021: Great article including pictures that help tell the story.  Thanks. Lyle Amundson, Merrifield, Minnesota.

01-31-2021:  Hello Mark: Yeah...neat article about that 459 ft tower replacement.   Phil Schoenthal, Poco, Washingto

01-29-2021: Mark, Last night I read your article in the latest Radio World. I am a retired TV engineer in Louisville. I still try to stay up to date with technology. I enjoyed your story. Gil Lochner.

01-31-2021: Mark. It is a very well written article (as usual!). I particularly liked that you mentioned and addressed the impedance difference and possible reasons. Much agreed on welding. I've heard many DA stability "horror stories" due to that. Hopefully it will help some AM newbies. Thanks for a great article (and all those you write). The temporary vertical antenna was the way to go. Del Dayton, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

12-28-2020: Mark, I see in Radio World you are being given the SBE Lifetime Achievement Award. Let me say congratulations! It is well deserved. I am still in touch with a couple of the C-QUAM AM Stereo installers (Jack Sellmeyer, Mike Patton) and I see posts from Greg Buchwald who is still at Motorola. Hope all is well with you and your family. Regards, Don Wilson

12-28-2020: Mark - Congrats on your SBELifetime Achievement Award. It's well deserved. Clif Groth, KD9OZH, Watertown, Wisconsin.

12-15-2020: Hey Mark, Great bio in Radio World! No one deserves it more. So glad to hear that you are enjoying retirement and still keeping your hand in the pot. Daniel Braverman, President Radio Systems, Inc, Philadephia, Pennsylvania.

12-14-2020: Very Nice Article. Hi Mark: Just read your article in Radio World. Very nice! Congratulations, again, on the Lifetime Achievement award!! Your career path is one that we can all envy. You did what you love to do (and you�re darned good at it!!). Enjoy your retirement. Stay positive � TEST NEGATIVE! Scott Schmeling, New Ulm, Minnesota.

12-11-2020: Mark, Congratulations on the SBE lifetime achievement award. Dan Karg, K0TI in Woodbury, Minnesota.

12-10-2020: Dear Mark, I want to congratulate you on becoming the 10th person to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Broadcast Engineers. You have been an inspiration to me as you have to countless others in this field. Thanks for all the help and inspiration you have given me over the years. I hope you're enjoying retirement, and I hope you and Paula have a Merry Christmas and Happy new year! Sincerely, Al Gilbertson, Sioux Falls, SD.

12-09-2020: Mark, Congratulations on winning the John H. Battison Award for Lifetime Achievement! And you are only the 10^th recipient of it! Mike Davison, Town Square Televison, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota.

12-07-2020: Mark, Congrats on the Society of Broadcast Engineers Lifetime Achievement Award. 73s, David Ehehalt, Mount Freedom, New Jersey. N2DAE.

12-04-2020: CONGATULATIONS. I just read the article in the November 25, 2020, Radio World. I am proud to have worked with you and Paula. Glad to see you all are doing well and enjoying retirement. Take good care. Eva Schaeffer, Kintronic Labs, Bluff City, Tennessee.

10-21-2020: Mark, am another of the �fans� of your article about lightning damage. What was important, beyond the description of the extensive damage, was the review of procedures to be taken to insure that there were not multiple paths to ground via the station equipment. Keep the articles coming; they are fascinating and very well written, too! David Gleason, https://worldradiohistory.com

10-15-2020: Congratulations. Nice article on the lightning strike in the October 14th issue of Radio World. Tons of damage. Bob Meister WA1MIK in Hamden, Conneciticut.

10-12-2020: Congratulations on your SBE Lifetime Achievement Award! Well deserved. Best Regards, John Kean, Cavell, Mertz and Associates in Monaasas, Virginia.

10-10-2020: Hi Mark, Congratulations on your recent award from the SBE. I very much enjoyed watching your interview with Kirk Harnack on Twirt. Have a great weekend! Maynard Meyer, KLQP-FM Raedio in Madison, Minnesota.

10-09-2020:

Hi Mark. Wow! What a website!

Superb website detailing your 40+ years in the trade.
Some superb tips on there.
Many congratulations on your Lifetime Achievement Award, absolutely well-deserved as well of that I am sure! 73s David Porter G4OYX, Ludlow, England.

10-09-2020: Hi Mark: Congratulations on your recent honor by the SBE! Steve Tuzeneu, WHIS Radio, Middleton, Conneciticut.

10-07-2020: Hello Mark, You da man! Big congratulations on your very special SBE Lifetime award. Charles "Buc" Fitch, Avon Connecitcut.

09-29-2020: Congratulations! I love it when I can say, �Hey! I know that guy!� I give Paula half of the credit. Thanks! Bill Dahlstrom, Minnesota Public Radio Engineering CE, St. Paul, Minneosta.

09-28-2020: Mark, congratulations on this well-deserved award. While I am not sure if we have met in person, we did meet via the phone many years ago. In the late 1080�s when I was in college in Albany NY at WVCR-FM. I was referred to you for parts and some service on Revox A-77 units that we had and I think either a B-77 or PR-99. In any case, you were very helpful and fair to this not so knowledgeable young radio enthusiast and really provided a great example of what a little bit of time and sharing knowledge can do to help nurture the next generation. Again congratulations on the acknowledgement of a long career of helping others grow. Best regards, Richard Redmond, President of Gates Air, Mason Ohio.

09-28-2020: Lifetime Achievement Award. Congratulations Mark, and Paula! I know how team efforts work, and yours was very evident :) I can't think of anyone more deserving of this award. Every one of us who had the privilege of working with you learned something from it, both in terms of technical knowledge and positive attitude. I've followed your path the last few years, opening my own repair facility, NorthwoodsTech.com Those are large universally respected footsteps you left on retirement, None of us can really fill them. But we'll try! Again, congratulations, and best to you and Paula. Take care, stay well and thank you for your contributions not only to the industry, but to many of us personally. Chuck Gennaro, Northwoods Technical Services, Rome, Wisconsin.

09-28-2020: Just learned of your Lifetime Achievement Award from the SBE. I was always proud to call you a friend.......but this take it all to another level! Dave Richards, WOON AM/FM Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

09-28-2020: Congratulations on the Lifetime Achievement Award. Your contributions to the broadcast engineering world have not gone unnoticed. I learned many tricks from your articles and advice through the years. Norm Phillips, retired corporate engineer from Town Square Media, Dallas, Texas.

09-28-2020: Hi Mark, Congratulations on your award! It is very well deserved. You set a high standard for those of us in the profession of broadcast engineering to follow. I am fortunate to have worked with you and learned many lessons from you over the years. I thank you for that and for always being available for advice, no matter the day or the hour. I also thank you for the friendship of you and Paula as well. Best wishes to you guys! Marv Olson, Broadcast Technical Solutions, Austin, Minnesota.

09-28-2020: Award! I just saw your website this morning... happy belated birthday to Paula and my sincere congratulations on your Lifetime Achievement Award Mark! I appreciate all the advice you have given me over the years. Allen Bailey, Manager of KEYL and KDXL Radio in Long Prairie, Minnesota.

09-28-2020: Mark, Congratulations on receiving the SBE Lifetime Achievement Award. Well deserved for sure. Best. Tom Jones of Carl T. Jones Corporation, Springfield, Virginia.

09-25-2020: Hey Mark: Congratulations on your award! I feel honored that I learned most of what I know you and that you are still only a phone call away if I have a question. Mark Anderson, Bemidji, Minnesota.

09-25-2020: So happy Mark that you have received the Battison Award! Very well deserved! and I am copying Paula on this because I think that is truly a team award for the both of you! Glad they were able to surprise you. That makes it even better. Congratulations sir! Steve Brown, Director of Broadcast Engineering, Woodward Radio Group, Appleton, Wisconsin.

09-25-2020: Congratulations on the Battison Award! So satisfying to know that this was awarded to you by your peers!, Kirk Harnack, Nashville, Tennessee.

09-25-2020: Hi Mark, Congratulations on your great honor just bestowed by the SBE! I only met John Battison a few times but what an amazing fellow, you must feel very proud to be receiving this. We are lucky that you are sharing your time and talent with the NRSC, thank you so much for that. Best regards, David H. Layer, Vice President of Advanced Engineering, National Association of Broadcasters, Washington, DC.

09-24-2020: Mark this is FABULOUS! Congratulations and very well earned. Paul McLane, Editor in Chief of Radio World, Falls Church, Virginia.

09-24-2020: Well, congratulations. No one is more deserving then you. Jim Offerdahl, Offerdahl Broadcast Services, Fosston, Minnesota.

09-23-2020: My dear friend Mark: Congratulations on the Lifetime Achievement Award from the SBE! Shane Toven, K-Love Radio, Rocklin, California.

09-08-2020: Hello Mark- I�d like to congratulate you on your accomplishments and your over 40 years in the field and your 2018 Engineer of the Year award. I can only hope as I progress in this field to have a modicum of the knowledge you gained over your career. Terry Crawford, Member of SBE Chapter 9 in Phoenix, Arizona.

09-05-2020: Mark: Thanks for your service. Steve Kohn, San Antonio, Texas.

October 2, 2020: Thank you for the wonderful Tech Tip articles on your website. It's right up there with Radio World Magazine. Thank you ever so much for the outpouring of your experiences and articles. I particularly admire your "Wall of Shame" page. David Duca KA9JSV, WOCO Radio, Oconto, Wisconsin.

August 7, 2020: Hi Mark, Nice article in Radio World. Love the potato chip truck story. Mark's Reply: I love telling stores. Steve's Reply: It shows :) Steve Brown, Director of Broadcast Engineering, Woodward Radio Group in Appleton, Wisconsin.

August 6, 2020: Mark, ! read and enjoyed your article on AM DA maintenance. Chip Veres, WLRN Radio and TV, Miami, Florida

August 6, 2020: Hi Mark, Enjoyed your recent article in Radio World and many others over the years. Just wanted to congratulate you on your retirement. I sold my radio group over 20 years ago, but still find articles about the industry interesting, especially engineering. Best regards, Dutch Doelitzsch K9HR, Marion, Illinois.

July 17, 2020: Hello Mark, I want to take a moment to commend you on your stellar contributions to the RF industry and sharing years of wisdom to others in the future! Kudos and many thanks to you! Gerald Chernicky, Point Mugu, California

June 16, 2020: Mark! Thanks again for yet another incredible chapter in our favourite "love-stories" magazine, Radio World! The "Best Practices for AM Directional Systems" brought back memories of my early days in legitimate broadcasting (before I left for a career in TV engineering from which I'm now - thankfully! - retired). Congratulations to both you and Paula for your efforts over the years! Michael Shoven, Newburgh, New York.

May 15, 2020: Mark, I like your website and I've gotten lots of good projects from it. Jim Talbott, Farmington, ME.

October 27, 2019: Mark, I've been reading your articles for over 40 years (Ouch!) and have used a lot of your tips. Thanks. Kevin Brooks, Chief Engineer at KTJJ/KREI/KJFF Radio, Farmington, MO.

October 27, 2019: Great article in the October 9 Radio World, "Finding Your Modulation Sweet Spot." As a former engineer, now a radio station owner, (I liked engineering better), AM or FM, I don�t care as long as I have a great sales staff and fantastic local programming. I recently purchased an AM in Orlando on 660 and we started a fun, new local talk station that is really starting to take off. Thanks for the great insight and very useful information on your website. John Caracciolo, President and CEO of JVC Broadcasting.

April 20, 2019: Mr. Persons, I just saw that you retired and wanted to wish you congratulations! I have always enjoyed your website tech tips and have used several of them which have now been incorporated into my own "bag of tricks." Thank you so much for giving back to the engineering community over the years. Burley Stapley, Chief Engineer, WFIN and WKXA Radio in Findlay, Ohio.

May 31, 2019: Thank you, Mark! I read the article that the Brainerd Dispatch newspaper did on you. You�ve led a very interesting life! Susanne Fussy, Brainerd, Minnesota.

May 27, 2019: Mark, Congrats to you and Paula on a nice article in the Brainerd Dispatch newspaper. Thanks for your service to our country. My brother Wil served in the Air Force during that era. Interesting note about Paula's family and its history of serving since Revolutionary War. WOW! It was all interesting to read and I am sure others in the community will find it interesting as well. Thanks, Fritz and Judy Bertelt, Brainerd, Minnesota.

May 27, 2019: Hi Mark, Dave and I send our congratulations on the impressive Brainerd Dispatch newspaper article today and also the very moving Memorial Day ceremony at the cemetery! Thank you for all you did to put that together and for your service! Jean and Dave Schaeffer, Brainerd, Minnesota.

March 27, 2019: Great piece on Ohm's Law in Radio World. Thanks for taking the time, and thank you for sharing. 73s Dolf Santorine, ham AD0LF Wheeling, West Virginia

December 1, 2018: Good Article! Hi Mark, I enjoyed your article on troubleshooting in the recent Radio World. Merry Christmas to you and Paula. Again , congrats on the well-deserved SBE award. Maynard Meyer, KLQP Radio, Madison, Minnesota.

November 9, 2018: Hi Mark. Was happy to see you recognized in the engineering community. Certainly well deserved. If there was ever a guy who "lived" radio broadcasting, it's you. Congratulations on a phenomenal career, and a life well lived.........so far. Doug Stromberg, Stromberg Technologies, Wadena, Minnesota.

November 2, 2018: Mark: CONGRATULATIONS!!!! That's prestigious. We don't impress easily but this did it! Jerry and Cathy Collins, Lake San Marcos, California.

October 25, 2018: Congratulations on the SBE award! Chuck Conrad, Texas Museum of Broadcasting & Communications, Kilgore, Texas.

October 22, 2018: Hello Mark, Congratulations on your award. You certainly deserve the recognition for all your work and contribution to the industry. Well done. Paul and Teresa Hirst, Maidenhead, England

October 8, 2018: Mark: congrats on your well-deserved award. Tom McGinley, Market Engineering Manager, Townsquare Media Group, Missoula, MT.

October 1, 2018: Mark and Paula: Mark congratulations on being recognized as Engineer of the Year by the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Steve Twiselton, retired television broadcast engineer, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

September 27, 2018: Hi Mark, I read your Radio World article on Power Generators (The rest of the story) with great interest. This subject would be very relevant, as a presentation for our SBE chapter Thanks and congratulations on receiving the Engineer of the Year award. Best regards, Art Lebermann, CPBE, W6REQ, Chairman, SBE Chapter 40, San Francisco, California.

September 21, 2018: Mark, I read the article in Radio World with interest, we say where did all the years go? I have been in radio part time since 1972 and always loved engineering. As a result, station engineers pretty much took me under their wing giving me the chance to do things I would never have expected. I worked with Mike Fast, who was CE at several Baltimore stations, old school, now retired. Like you I had NO formal training, but knew just enough to stay out of trouble. The last job I did, was learn as you go by following the schematics to install the Kintronics gear for a diplex, plus help with installing a 25kw Nautel AM at that site, this was before the NX series in that it had two cabinets as I recall.. Great support from Nautel! You were fortunate to have your dad as a mentor, and equally good to have your wife interested in engineering and knowing first hand why the hours can be so crazy. I was always an engineering helper, so anytime I am fortunate to help out now, it's still a learning adventure. My wife is a part time broadcaster, so she knows the deal too. One of the real problems today is the lack of qualified RF engineers entering the field as we age and retire. They all want to be "IT" people. Management now expects the CE to do it all, and considering the progression to audio over IP, there is a learning curve. Very few have ANY knowledge of AM, especially directional. Don't know what the future will bring, hopefully SBE is looking at this. Anyway, thanks for the tips page on your site, that's certainly from years of experience and is greatly appreciated. Thanks, Tom Conroy

September 19, 2018: Mark, In the Radio World daily email, we were all reminded of your R/W generator article. Looking for something else, I had that article up on screen and quickly got engaged in reading that piece once again. Arguably one of your best efforts ... a really good 'news you can use' story. Best, Charles "Buc" Fitch, Avon, Connecticut.

September 11, 2018: Dear Mark, I salute your life dedicated to our broadcasting industry. Your father would have been proud of your "Engineer of the Year" award. SBE made an excellent choice. You and I were the ones Frank Sinatra sang a song about " I did it my way." We just got things done. As my favorite movies title says, "It's a Wonder Life." It is for us both. P.S. Thank you for your service in The U.S. Army!!!! Richard Witkovski, Dallas, Texas.

September 7, 2018: Hey Mark: Congratulations! Much deserved Engineer of the Year award. Saw the article in Radio World today. Mark Anderson, Bemidji, Minnesota, engineer for Hubbard Broadcasting

September 7, 2018: Mark: I have been remiss in congratulating you on the SBE Flanders Engineer of the Year award! What a great honor and you are a very deserving of it! Congrats! Dave Cox, engineering contractor to Hubbard Broadcasting.

September 6, 2018: Mark: Congratulations on being named "Engineer of the Year!" Shane Toven, K-Love Radio, Laramie, Wyoming.

September 6, 2018: Mark, congratulations or being recognized by SBE! I hope all is well with you and Paula. The SBE is a wonderful group of people and you more than deserve to have them make so many people look at your picture. Bill Dahlstrom, Minnesota Public Radio Engineering

August 5, 2018: Mark, Congratulations on being named the SBE Broadcast Engineer of the Year. I have always admired your professional approach brought to the industry and have learned a thing or two over the years from your many industry articles. I look forward to offering my congratulations in person next month in Danvers, MA at the national meeting. 73s Wayne N1WP, Texas A&M University KAMU FM-TV, College station Texas.

August 4, 2018: Hi Mark, I just wanted to take a moment to extend my congratulations on receiving the SBE Engineer Of The Year honor. It is well deserved and overdue! I hope all is well with you and Paula. Give her my best. Maynard Meyer, KLQP Radio is Madison, Minnesota.

July 27, 2018: Congratulations on your SBE Engineer of the Year Award! Jim Offerdahl, Fosston, Minnesota.

July 27, 2018: Hello Mark and the woman behind the prize... the lovely Paula. In case I did not make it abundant clear, congratulations to the two of you ... well deserved, too long delayed. Charles Fitch, Avon Connecticut.

July 27, 2018: Big-time congratulations, Mark! Wow! Paul McLane, Managing Director of Content for Future Media Radio World Magazine, Alexandria, Virginia.

July 31, 2018: Mark: Congratulations to you and Paula on your winning the SBE Engineer of the Year Award! You are well deserving of this honor. I include Paula in the congratulations because she has been the "silent partner" in your activities for many years. It's been a pleasure to know you and work with you during your career. Steve Brown, Chief Engineer for Woodward Radio Group, Appleton, Wisconsin.

July 30, 2018: Just heard about your award, Mark. Congratulations to you! Warmly, Dave Richards, WOON Radio in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

July 30, 2018: Congratulations Mark on the Engineer of The Year award.. But really, it should have been engineer of a few "Decades" for all the top notch and hard work you put in to the industry and the many engineers (including me) you inspired! You also "taught" so many owners and managers how to "do it right" (defined as "correctly") the first time too! Hope you and Paula are enjoying the fruits of all both of your hard work in retirement and for wish you many more years ahead to enjoy! Del Dayton, radio broadcast engineer in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

July 30, 2018: Hi Mark, Congratulations on winning SBE Engineer of the Year!! Tom Vernon, contributor to Radio World Magazine, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

August 10, 2018: Hi, Mark: Just saw the announcement about your award from the SBE. A well-deserved honor. I hope you and your wife are well, and hope we'll cross paths again at NAB, if not before. Best regards, John Kean, Kean Consultants LLC, Falls Church, Virginia.

May 1, 2018: Hello Mark: A Dale Carnegie toned article from YOU !!! Your extrapolation of what the military used to call ' character ' and then ' leadership techniques ' and now in the PC world, 'inter-personal relationship skills and self projection,' was excellent. Another giant from your pen ... a true classic ...keep up the great work ... Best, Charles "Buc" Fitch in Avon CT

May 1, 2018: Hi Mark: Just a quick email to say that I enjoyed your recent Radio World article. All the best, John Whyte, Nautel

April 27, 2018: Good morning Mr. Persons, Having read all your Tech Tips and articles, I take two minutes to thank you for the share of your experience on your website. This is all very interesting stuff. From a French Canadian broadcast engineer at CJAB-FM and CFIX-FM in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, Best regards, Alexandre Collard

April 20, 2018: Mr. Persons, I just saw that you retired and wanted to wish you congratulations! I have always enjoyed your website Tech Tips and have used several of them which have now been incorporated into my own "bag of tricks." Thank you so much for giving back to the engineering community over the years. Burley Stapley, Chief Engineer of WFIN/WKXA/The Fox in Findlay, Ohio.

March 29, 2018: Mark, I subscribe to Radio World and also got a subscription mailed to Doug, our owner. He reads it every time he gets his copy....he called me about an article he read that showed a skid steer mowing a tower field. He stated it was a really good article and I should be sure to read it...I finally received my copy and immediately told him that I read the article. I also informed him that the article was written by Mark Persons. It was a fun surprise for him. I'm glad he is learning more about broadcasting and I look forward to reading more of your articles. Say hi to Paula. Allen Bailey, KEYL/KXDL Radio, Long Prairie, MN.

March 9, 2018: Mark, I greatly enjoyed your Dad's book, and have passed it around the office. Several other people here have read it along with my daughter-in-law in Minneapolis. It is an enjoyable read with a lot of history and great feel for how it was when your Dad was in the business. Best to you, Tom Jones, Carl T. Jones Consulting Engineers, Springfield, Virginia.

January 4, 2018: Retirement? Boy, Mark, I'm happy for you but sad for our industry . . . Sure glad you're going to continue to share your wisdom through your writing though! Thank you, Sir! Dave Magnum, Magnum Media, La Crosse, Wisconsin.

January 1, 2018: Mark, Thanks for sharing your experiences and advice with the world. Easy to read while providing excellent details. Enjoy retirement and I hope you continue to write. Ralph Brancato, iHeartMedia, St. Louis, Missouri.

December 30, 2017: Mark: Thanks for teaching me the fine art of troubleshooting! Hope you and Paula had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to retirement in the new year! Shane Toven, Laramie, Wyoming.

December 29, 2017: Mark: Just learned you have retired!! Congratulations on an engineering life well lived. I enjoyed your father's book. It was easy to see where you got your skills and sense of humor. You truly rounded out the next generation from him. It also seemed your father perhaps put some of his career ahead of family and that is where I so respect you and Paula for being a team but also having fun in life. Best wishes to you and Paula and being released from the duty of having to fix things all the time. Thank you for the advice and guidance through the years. Dan Houg, Chief Engineer of KAXE/KBXE Radio Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

December 29, 2017: Mark, Before we close our doors on the last business day of the year, I just wanted to take the time to wish you and Paula the best in your well earned retirement. Even though we only had an opportunity to work together in person one time back in the 1980's on the Nautel and C-Quam installation at KFYR, Bismarck, I am still impressed by the level of professionalism you brought to the field of Broadcast Engineering. I have not met another contract engineer in the past 30 years that could even come close. Again, best of luck. Jeff Bliss, KWGO in Minot, North Dakota.

December 29, 2017: Dear Mark: A HUGE THANK YOU from me, and every other broadcaster you've known. Today please know you've made a difference for the Betterment of our industry, and everything you do, and just as important what you know you have shared freely with others to help them and me for so many years. Please keep in touch as a friend, and not just my top supplier of everything I've needed for over 20 years. Stay warm and celebrate the day, Retirement=YEA. Rick Keefer, KCLV Radio in Clovis, New Mexico.

December 27, 2017: Hi, Mark.. Congratulations on your retirement. Thanks for your Tech Tips. Best regards, Jack Ondracek, RDI Radio in Bremerton, Washington.

December 20, 2017: Hello Mark, just wanted you to know that I truly am pleased to have learned about your father's book and been able to read his story, an extraordinary one as you certainly recognize. Marlin Taylor, Washington, D.C.

December 19, 2017: Hello, Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed, and understood your article and your website. Also been a Ham since age 16. Turning 81 now and have worked in electronics all these years. Not really worked, just got paid for doing my hobby. Best wish's for a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and a long and wonderful retirement. Jerry Snapper, KG6FDM, Plant City, Florida.

November 2, 2017: Hello Mark, Great read in your excellent article in the new Radio World. Best Regards, Randy Klock, Nott, Limited, Farmington, New Mexico.

October 31, 2017: Hello Mark, Another excellent Radio World article addressing a really important topic. Timely as well ... was just chatting with a conferrer that very nearly ever station I had visited in the previous month was ALL SOLID STATE ... not even any of the classic 'junk' on the shelves had any tubes. The great jeopardy to these plants is from lightning and line surges and most of these sites have next to nothing to protect from these hazards .. OR if they do, not properly configured. Best, Buc Fitch PE, Avon, Connecticut.

October 2, 2017: Hi, Mark, Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed your dad's book. Sometimes it takes work by someone who doesn't write as a profession to convey not only the experience, but establish the mood. I felt like I was there. Best regards, Jim Wood, Founder of Inovonics, Inc, in Fenton, California.

September 5, 2017: Hi Mark, I just read your Tech Tips article in Radio World. Good stuff there. I also wanted to thank you for sending me a copy of your dad's book. I really enjoyed it, I love his sense of humor. He lived quite a life! It was a great read. 73, Maynard Meyer, Manager of KLQP Radio in Madison, MN, and ham WA0KNP.

August 30, 2017: Hi Mark: read your current article in this week's Radio World Newspaper. Very informative and educational. Thanks for your time & effort in contributing to R/W. Sincerely, Kent Verbeck, Minden, Nebraska.

July 24, 2017: Hi Mark! Like and read all your articles from Radio World. I have some saved in my tablet for quick reference. Thanks for your time and wisdom. Don Setliff K8DRS, VP at the Museum of Radio Technology in Huntington, West Virginia.

June 24, 2017: Just read your dads book for the second time. Wish I would have known him better. Denny Schmidt, Brainerd, Minnesota.

April 29, 2017: Just an e-mail to say "THANKS" for your time and effort to contribute to Radio World. If no one else appreciates your time and effort I wanted to inform you that I DO. Your current Arc Gap article with illustrations in Radio World is very informative. I've learned a lot from reading your past & current articles. Topics no teacher in any radio school I've went to ever covered. You are an extremely knowledgeable individual when it comes to radio engineering. Kent Verbeck, Minden, Nebraska.

March 3, 2017: Mark, the modulation monitor switch you built for Alexandria worked just perfectly. Now when Brett changes transmitters remotely, his silence sensor doesn't activate because the mod monitor now has a feed. Thank you again for putting that unit together for us, and for modifying it to work with a +2 volt sample input. Doug Thompson, Osceola, Wisconsin.

March 3, 2017: Re: Radio World Article. Mark: Great writing and photos in the March 1st Radio World Magazine article. While we didn't have the catastrophic failures of the KLIZ tower, WLIB, 1190 KHz, in New Jersey/New York, had several other types of guy problems and had to change all the Phillstran on our 5 tower DA. Fortunately, we had NON-D towers so lowering power and shifting tower feeds was the trick. Still, your heart is in your throat when they are doing each tower. Not as bad as a tower lift to replace base insulator, but close. Thanks again. Best. Timothy Braddock, Long Valley, New Jersey.

February 25, 2017: Hello, Mark: I enjoy your articles in Radio World. Thanks, Kent Verbeck, Minden, Nebraska.

January 30, 2017: Hello Mark, Enjoyed your father's book Where Have All The Broadcaster's Gone? Radio Engineer, Butch McBride.

January 27, 2017: Mr. Persons, Hello and happy Friday. First, thank you for the Tech Tips section of your website. I have used some of your ideas on many occasions. Thank you very much for any help you can provide! Burley Stapley, Chief Engineer, WFIN/WKXA, The Fox Radio in Findley, Ohio.

December 29, 2016: Mark and Paula, I just read your article on taking pride with what you do...Very well written and thank you for all your various articles...all are must reads for all engineers. I look forward to your next article...Sincerely, James Paul

December 19, 2016: My goodness Mark, you shaved extra close and got a haircut for your appearance on TWiRT... WOW... one would think you were on Face the Nation!!! Everyone sounded really good... just like radio. Best, Charles "Buc" Fitch, Avon, Connecticut.

December 17, 2016: Hello Mark, Last night I put the repaired Crown monitor amplifier in and it is working just fine, thank you. Hal Kneller, Punta Gorda, Florida.

December 13, 2016: Hello Mark: Your good article in Radio World on audio levels and calibration caught my eye. Thanks much, Stanley Adams, Bartlett, Tennessee.

December 1, 2016: Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated. Regards, William Stacey, Macquarie Park, Australia.

November 18, 2016: The manual and room-size schematic just arrived. Awesome! Thank you both so much! Lee Reisinger, Market Engineer, Cumulus Media, Topeka, Kansas

November 16, 2016: Your website is great for viewing. Add more tech solutions, please. Best regards. Jon Book, KB0EDE, Broadcast Engineer CBT, SBE, Davenport, Iowa.

November 16, 2016: Mark, Your article on balancing audio consoles and other related considerations looks terrific and reads marvelously in my copy of Radio World received today. Charles, "Buc" Fitch P.E., Avon, Connecticut

November 8, 2016: Dear Mark, thanks for your insightful tips on BE exciter repair. Francis from Mainbridge Broadcasting in Kenya in Africa

November 8, 2016: Hello Mark, I enjoy reading your website. Best Regards, George Burt in New Zealand.

August 22, 2016: Mark, I enjoyed reading the book. Your dad sounded like a very knowledgeable man with a good sense of humor. Steve Youngberg, Kerkhoven, Minnesota.

July 9, 2016: Mark, Just wanted to let you know your AM antenna coupling network design is now working perfectly. Dave Obergoenner finished the install and tuned it for us. We are running 1:1 on VSWR with no reflected power. I did not think it would even be possible on such an old shunt fed tower from the late 50s. Jim Stephens, KALM Radio, Thayer, Missouri.

June 20, 2016: Mark, Thanx for the speedy repair and turnaround on the equipment repair. Tom McGinley, K7QA, Town Square Media, Missoula, Montana.

June 17, 2016: Mark, I spent a bit of time on your website last night- looks like you have wealth of very valuable information that I will find useful in the future. Have a great weekend and 73s. David Steckling KC0ZNE, St. Cloud, Minnesota.

June 16, 2016: Mark, Your tech tips section came in handy today! Jim Offerdahl, Fosston, Minnesota.

May 12, 2016: Mark: Love your Power Point! It should be in the Society of Broadcast Engineer curriculum for anyone seeking certification. Good, common sense stuff! Bob Simmons, KNDK Radio in Langdon, North Dakota.

May 11, 2016: Mark: What a great idea to use a car battery charger to warm up and drive out moisture. Take care, Hal Kneller, Punta Gorda, Florida.

April 22, 2016: Paula, That's wonderful! I really appreciate it very much so! Have a great weekend and thank you! Tell Mark I said thank you too! You've both been super helpful with my audio console project! Lane Goodwin, Wynne, Arkansas.

April 14, 2016: Mark: Thanks. The power supply you repaired is working great. Manfred "Fritz" Bertelt, Brainerd, Minnesota.

April 9, 2016: Mark: I am enjoying the book. The preface got me hooked. Norm Keon, W8AWE, St. Louis, Michigan.

April 8, 2016: The book was a great read. Ed Trombley, Munn-Reese Broadcast Engineering Consultants in "Coldwater, Michigan.

April 7, 2016: Mark, just letting you know I received the repaired and retuned LPB transmitter. I installed it today and it sounds good. Thanks. Mick Rapeer, Director of Engineering, Connoisseur Media in Easton, Pennsylvania.

April 6, 2016: Hi Mark, You retrofitted a couple of the Harris HT25/35 series 150W driver amplifiers for me a while back and are still working great. Thank you! Rob Ramseyer, RJ Communications, Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico.

March 24, 2016: Mark - Your articles in Radio World are most interesting and I read them all. Robert Zellmer, Fountain Hills, Arizona.

March 2, 2016: Mark, Thanks. The variable coil arrived. I Installed it yesterday and it is working well. John C. Huntley, Townsquare Media, Rockford, Illinois.

February 29, 2016: Mark: I am pleased to inform you that the exciter was the problem at KPRW Radio. It is back on the air at full power. Sure is nice having someone to do bench work on exciters. Saved a lot of time and expense. Jim Offerdahl, Fosston, Minnesota.

February 24, 2016: Mark, your article on spectrum analyzers was beyond brilliant, erudite to the extreme, the prose flowed like poetry, inspiring to new generations and and and ...actually quite good with some very useful information. Best, Buc Fitch, Professional Engineer in Avon, Connecticut

February 22, 2016: Mark, The tube chimney for my Collins 831D2 Transmitter arrived just now. Thank you very much, it is in great condition. I've enjoyed reading through your website over the years. Lee Reisinger N5SXM, Cumulus Media, Topeka, Kansas.

February 19, 2016: Thank you very much. I appreciate your great service! Quao Hill, Austin, Texas.

February 17, 2016: Hi Mark: Just finished your Father's book...should be required reading by the "Newbies." J Boyd Ingram, WBLE Radio, Batesville, Mississippi.

February 17, 2016: Mark, I read your father's book cover to cover and I enjoyed it immensely. How lucky you have been to experience such a wide array of broadcast adventures with your father and on your own. With kind regards, Brian Henry, WB6QED, Napa, California.

February 10, 2016: Dear Mr. Persons; Would like to say how much I enjoy reading your articles; I appreciate the straight forward manner In how you have explained the various repairs (or modifications) you've made. Thank you again for a great website and your services to the broadcast engineering community!! Calvin Larrabee, Educational Communications Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.

February 8, 2016: Hi Mark, I like your frequency selector modification to a CCA FM60G FM Exciter. Doug Kehrig, WHDH TV in Newton, Massachusetts.

January 28, 2016: Mark, Great article with a potpourri of most useful service tips in the 16 December issue of Radio World.... believe the only one you left out was the use of an old plastic ice cube dish for segregating all the screws and assembly parts. Best, Charles S. Fitch, Professional Engineer in Avon, Connecticut.

December 28, 2015: Enjoyed reading your article today. Ben Downs, Byron Broadcasting, Byron, Texas.

December 25, 2015: Re: The book by your father, "Where have all the Broadcasters gone." I enjoyed reading it. Your dad lived a rich experienced life and was a good representative of early broadcast radio. Dave Garner, WUCP Radio, Farragut, Tennessee.

December 10, 2015: Dear Mark, Just wanted to let you know I read and was totally fascinated by your dad's book. I was overwhelmed by all of the things he did with radio and TV. He was truly a pioneer in both areas. Bill Matthies, Brainerd, Minnesota.

November 30, 2015: Hey Mark, I read your dads book. He was truly one of a kind. I often wonder what he and other pioneers like him who have left us, would think of the state our industry is in today. I'm sure Charlie would marvel at the technology, but might be a bit taken back by today's corporate practices. Bob Simmons, KNDK Radio in Langdon, North Dakota.

November 19, 2015: Thanks Mark for the Tech Tips. Your site is great, nicely done. Vince Fedele

November 10, 2015: Hi Mark: Finally got through the last stories in your dad's book last night and had to smile. I chuckled at the tornado story with you and your brother saving the day while your folks were stranded in Mason City. You really did get an early start in all this RF technology stuff, didn't you? Thanks for the look back into regional broadcast history. Your dad definitely got in on the ground floor of an industry with a lot of future (at least at the time). Mark Croom, Riverfront Broadcasting, Elmore, Minnesota.

November 7, 2015: Hi Mark, Just wanted to thank you for giving me the motivation to dive back into the old Harris FM transmitter. It can be very frustrating, and sometimes tedious keeping the old girl running. I replaced two resistors that were out of tolerance and cleaned the tube sockets as you suggested. Fired her back up and she's running great, even sounds cleaner over the air. Thanks again, Karl Habeck, WOJB Radio, Hayward, WI.

November 7, 2015: Hi Mark, thanks for the info. Two local broadcast engineers in the Knoxville area told me that you do good work. Fred Garner, WUCP Radio, Farragut, Tennessee.

November 1, 2015: Thanks for repairing my Zercom MAX-ZII. It looks and works great. Richard Dillman, Transmitter Wrangler, KWMR Community Radio.

October 26, 2015: I just wanted to say, the book is very hard to put down and now I get it, even the Morgan Murphy piece. I finished it last week, taking time to do it. You are a lucky guy, and I've put in on Jody's reading pile. I think she will like it also. What can I say? Best thing I have read all year. It sure captures the times, the place, and the broadcasting I first was introduced to. My wife Jody loved the book also. Fred Baumgartner, Elizabeth, Colorado.

September 22, 2015: Good Morning Mark....That was a great story on off-shore broadcasting, I enjoyed reading it. That looks even tougher than trying to maintain a station in the middle of the prairie, miles from the nearest repair shop or parts distributor! Maynard Meyer, KLQP Radio, Madison, Minnesota.

September 18, 2015: Your Dad's Book. Great read for anyone in the broadcasting business especially those on the technical side. Some great stories of a true pioneer, self-taught. Some are funny, some are of adversity, but it's clear Charlie Persons loved broadcasting and the people in it. I only wish I had the chance to have met him. Hal Kneller, Punta Gorda, Florida.

September 8, 2015: Hi Paula, received the package today in excellent condition. Thanks for the prompt & efficient service. Blessings, Gerry Herft, Victoria, Australia

September 4, 2015: THANK YOU Sir, for the article on Radio Caroline, in Radio World Magazine. I was stationed in Bamberg Germany in the U.S. Army in the 1960s at a missile site. Anyhow, Yea, a LOT of GI's listened to that signal, more than the Armed Forces Network! Again, THANKS. Retired broadcaster Fred Shetler, Port Royal, Pennsylvania.

September 4, 2015: Hi Mark. The CRL SEC-800 sounds great, thanks for the repair. Charlie's book, very interesting information, your dad was a pioneer.... Philip Davies, Tucson, Arizona.

September 3, 2015: Hi Paula; The part arrived yesterday. As always, Mark's workmanship is superb. Thanks again! Chuck Gennaro, WFHR Radio, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

August 24, 2015: Mark, I finally got around to reading your dad's book while on a plane flight. Quite and interesting story. Larry Fuss, Delta Radio Network, LLC.

August 24, 2015: Hi Mark, Thank you so much for the expert repair on the CRL SEC-800 Audio Processor. Philip Davies, Tucson, Arizona.

August 5, 2015: Dear Mr. Persons: Just a note to tell you I received the Eimac HR-6 today. I appreciate all the help you have given me in learning about AM and FM broadcast engineering. Kent Verbeck, Minden, Nebraska.

July 2, 2015: Dear Paula, Thank you so much for all the help. I hope you and Mark have a wonderful 4th of July holiday. Fred Damron, WFGH Radio in Fort Gay, West Virginia.

June 29, 2015: Hi Mark, Just wanted to let you know that I received the diagrams and charts you sent. Thank you so much for the assistance! Appreciate what you do for us all. Sincerely, Gary Jackson at KTQM Radio in Clovis, New Mexico.

June 4, 2015: Paula and Mark, I wanted to let you know that the time delay relay arrived on time and more importantly got everything up and running again. Thank you very much for everything! Ben Ecker in Rochester, New York.

May 29, 2015: I am very happy with the CRL 400 I bought from you. Thanks. Thelma Howard, Detroit, Michigan.

April 27, 2015: Good Morning, I received my shipment of gear this last Friday from MW Persons. It arrived in good condition and was installed yesterday afternoon. It's working perfectly and quickly solved our problem. I wanted to write you and thank you for the quick service and for selling me old style gear that works great! Best wishes for you and your business. Dan Yeager, Jefferson City, Missouri

March 12, 2015: Your dad was quite a guy. I thoroughly enjoyed his book and my brother is reading it right now in Austin, Texas. In fact, he must have just read the part your dad wrote about the old gag trick announcers would play on the engineers moving their lips but purposely making no sound. Ron pulled that one on me last night during an evening video chat. Once he broke into a laugh I realized my computer and speakers were working fine. Doctor Rick Waters, Athens, Georgia.

February 17, 2015: Mark: I read your piece on transmitting power tubes. Nice work! Right up your alley. Jim Barry in Destin, Florida.

February 17, 2015, from LinkedIn: I continue to enjoy your article in Radio World. I never realized that tubes were evacuated upside down to get some gravity assist in the process. Is that true, or were you just pulling our legs? The article about the stereo 19kHz pilot getting broadcast on an AM transmitter brought back memories of long ago before I went overseas with VOA in '89. I discovered that happening on one of my contract stations while they were taking an off-air FM sports network feed using a cheap run-of-the-mill audiophile FM receiver. As I recall, it put a very noticeable 1 kHz beat note on the second adjacent stations' signals. Charles Lewis, KY4P, West Jefferson, North Carolina. Tube question answer: Evacuating tubes in an inverted position is true and is the best way to do it. Mark.

February 14, 2015: Mark, You did a spectacular job. The Gates Executive audio console is amazing...it is perfect. Thank you so much! Dr. Rick Waters, Athens, Georgia.

February 13, 2015: Hi Mark, Just wanted to say I checked out you article in the Radio World magazine this month (Feb 1st, 2015). Good Stuff my friend! Never knew what the inside of a ceramic tube looked like before this. And then there's the electron theory of operation inside between the filament and plate. On Behalf of all of us RF numb skulls everywhere; Thanks! Andy Bursaw, WKLK Radio, Cloquet, Minnesota.

February 12, 2015: Great article in Radio World on tubes, Mark. I've never seen the inside of a tube! Also, good info on the naming scheme. Thanks. Dan Houg, Station Engineer KAXE Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and KBXE Radio Bemidji, Minnesota.

February 8, 2014: Just got my February 1st issue of Radio World yesterday. Good story by the way, looks like some work to break the tube apart. Dave Cox, Brainerd, MN.

February 5, 2015: I've framed your article and it now hangs in an honored place on my office wall. Best, Charles S. Fitch, P.E., Avon, Connecticut.

February 4, 2015: Hello Mark, Thank you for the most excellent Radio World tech tips article. Interesting, informative to the extreme, and of personal interest to me. After retiring from government work, I became chief engineer at KVMR in Nevada city and KMYC in Marysville California. Now retired in Florida. Again, thanks for showing the tube innards. Jerry Snaper, KG6FDM, Plant City, Florida.

February 4, 2015: I thoroughly enjoyed reading your dad's book. Sure can tell he was your dad - you are definitely a "chip off the old block." Some of the humor was especially telling. ;) I passed on my copy to our general manager. He is an old school radio guy to the nth degree and will be retiring this year. I also thought of him while reading the books and I know he will enjoy them. Steve Brown, WHBY Radio/Woodward Communications, Appleton, Wisconsin.

February 2, 2015: Dear Mr. Persons: Saw your article on the 4CX5000A tube, published in Radio World this afternoon. EXCELLENT ! This is the type of educational articles I'd like to see published more often in Radio World. Keep writing them. I want to tell you that I appreciate your time to disassemble and photograph the 4CX5000A tube. Never saw what one looked like inside. Thanks for your time to write the article in Radio World. Sincerely, Kent Verbeck.

January 30, 2015: I just received my February 2015 Radio World publication. Page 18 & 19 "about the ins and outs of transmitter tubes" by Mark Persons, W0MH. Great article with the history of, and photos showing the Eimac 4CX series tubes (4CX5000A) with cutaways and disassembled tubes. The Tube Collector organization is very alive with hundreds of collectors/members. I'm sure they will enjoy your article. They have a monthly collector magazine covering everything tube. They are a good bunch. 73, John Dilks, K2TQN, Former Editor Vintage Radio Column, QST Magazine 2000-2014.

January 30, 2015: Thanks for the great article. I passed it along to a student IT employee who has shown some interest in transmitters and all other things broadcast. Yours in service, 73 DE KAGKT/7 Stephen Claasen, Senior Broadcast Engineer, Arizona Public Media

January 30, 2015: Hi Mark: I enjoyed your article on high-power tubes. I particularly enjoyed the photos showing the "innards" of a 4CX5000. Although I've worked on transmitters, used ceramic tubes were always sent back for rebuild so I've never actually seen inside one. Thanks! Bob Weller P.E.

January 21, 2015: Hello Mark and Paula: Happy new year to you. Just to tell you that I've received the microphone amplifier transformers. Thank you so much! Best regards, Christophe Van Huffel in France.

January 14, 2015: Hi Mark, I found your father's book to be very interesting. Small market radio is sure a different animal compared to the medium and large markets. How many people can conceive of having their mother with a talk show (my mother was an interviewer), a father who was involved in all aspects of the community (my dad was on just about every committee in town). The book was very interesting to me. Thanks again, Woody Woodward, General Manager KSUM AM KFMC FM Radio in Fairmont, Minnesota.

January 8, 2015: Looking Good. Enjoyed watching you on This Week In Radio Tech (TWiRT) tonight. It's always interesting to hear discussions about the radio engineering industry and learn new things. You have a wealth of knowledge and should be commended for sharing that wealth. Jim Offerdahl in Fosston, Minnesota.

December 27, 2014: Hi Mark: Your website is really informative with all the repair stories on it - fab work. Regards, John Marren in Ireland.

December 17, 2014: Mark: Didn't take long and Alex got the control board back up and running. Thanks for all your help. Dustin Moore WZFG Fargo/KTGO Tioga, North Dakota.

December 17, 2014: Hi Mark, I've been enjoying your website for some time now, and especially enjoy your technical tips. Best Regards and Thank You, Karl Habeck, Hayward, WI.

December 9, 2014: Hi, Paula, Just wanted to let you all know that the repaired transmitter modules arrived safely here in Tennessee. Also, thank you so much for the book! I have already started reading it. We have a very different philosophy at our stations than 90% of the radio world today, we SERVE our community. We do local news, the obituary report, community affairs, support local schools, broadcast the veterans services, find lost dogs and help the police catch bad guys. Not because the FCC makes us, but because that is what we do! A local radio station if part of the glue that holds a community together. It's not about ratings and spots and dots, it about how can we help our community and our sponsors to grow. My wife and I feel that we were blessed with this big stick in the yard and its our responsibility to use it for good for as long as we own it. It's a shame the industry seems to have lost its way. Rob Clutter, WMSR/WHMT Radio in Manchester, Tennessee.

December 8, 2014: Mark: Read your December 4, 2014, article in Radio World. I agree your scheme works just as well as factory part. Granted the assembly is neater by factory but results are the same. Warren Shulz, Griffith, Indiana.

November 24, 2014: Thanks, Mark. Everything worked well on the Zercom Max-Z Remote Broadcast Telephone that you repaired for me. Hayes Calahan, EHC Sports in Strum, Wisconsin.

November 20, 2014: I really enjoyed reading your father's book, "Where Have All The Broadcasters Gone?". Without going into why, his stories brought back memoires of my childhood running around the studios of WJEJ AM in Hagerstown, Maryland, and having picnics at the tower site at Quirock, near Fort Ritchie, Maryland. Thanks again. The book was an unexpected pleasure. Dirk DeVault, WWCF Radio, Hagerstown, Maryland.

November 6, 2014: Thanks Paula, You are very thorough! Best regards, Alan Zulberti in Carmel, California.

October 29, 2014: Mark, I ran across your great website full of tips and tricks this week and have been spending time looking at them. Just wanted you to know that your tip on reducing AM noise on your GMC van worked on my 2006 Chevy HHR. Since I got this car two years ago I've been having lots of ignition noise while listening to distant (100 mi) AM stations. Couldn't figure it out since the spark plug wires on this thing are something like 6 inches long! I read your tip to ground the hood and did that yesterday when I got home, also ran a braided wire from the body to the engine and NO MORE NOISE! I've enjoyed looking at your other tips on the page too, lots of great info there! Dave Land, Ponca City, Oklahoma.

October 21, 2014: Thanks Mark. We've received lots of nice feedback on the Radio World article that you wrote about us. Yours, Steve Raymer, Pavek Museum

October 15, 2014: Mark: I enjoyed your story about the Pavek Museum. Thank you. Dick Witkovski in Dallas, Texas.

October 11, 2014: Hi Mark, Nice article on the Pavek Museum in Radio world. It was nice to see your smiling face in one of the photos. Maynard Meyer, KLQP-FM, Madison, Minnesota

October 7, 2014: The shared wisdom pages on your website are very interesting. David Stewart, Dallas, Texas

October 5,, 2014: Hi Mark and Paula. When I came across your website, I thought WOW, here are people, who have spent their lives together helping others. It's evident in all I read, the generous giving of time and information. Your life and service to the Broadcast Industry is a credit to you both. Thank you so much. Ray Cox, Sydney, Australia

July 21, 2014: Thank you for all the information and tips you have on your website, they are a big help. I remember hearing you deliver a paper in St Louis or Kansas City at the national SBE show years ago. Thanks so much for that and all those Radio World features. Bob Romonosky, Chief Engineer, River Radio Carbondale.

July 18, 2014: I am very happy with the latest purchase from you. I am also happy that there are places like your business that sells these type of electronics. I find myself in need of parts quite often. Robert Albo KK4IBG in Raleigh, North Carolina.

June 26, 2014: Hello Mark. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge! I try to get the best signal strength from the tower. Again, thank you and God bless you and your family! Regards, Pablo Carcamo in Honduras

June 25, 2014: Mark: First of all, thank you for taking the time to put these up on the web where I could search for them. You just happen to have a crystal that I need. THANKS!! Dave Barnett in Nevada City, Nevada.

May 29, 2014: Mark, Just wanted to send you a note to thank you for the quick turn around and great work you performed on the WBVI Moseley STL system. It sounds better now than it has in a very, very long time. Not only did you repair the issue but we can now also fully appreciate the processor I installed about four years ago. It sounds incredible. Thanks again. Burley Stapley, Contract Engineer, WBVI-FM, Fostoria, Ohio.

May 27, 2014: Recommended on Linked-In "Mark has a wide spectrum of experience on lots of topics in broadcast engineering." Service Category: Broadcast Consulting Engineer. Year first hired: 1982. Top Qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity. Steve Brown WHBY Radio in Appleton, Wisconsin.

May 23, 2014: Hi Mark, I�ve enjoyed your articles, always very practical. Dan Houg at KAXE Radio n Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

May 23, 2014: Hi Paula, Yes it looks like we have success. Many thanks to Mark and you. Have a great weekend and thank you for first class service. Stu Williamson in Auckland, New Zealand.

May 22, 2014: Mark, I have enjoyed your articles and website for several years, so it was a particular pleasure for me to speak with you yesterday and benefit from your knowledge and experience. Thanks again, Bryan Shaw in Easton, Maryland.

May 22, 2014: Mark and Paula, Thank you both for your services on this and all the other help you've given me. Best Regards, Andy Bursaw at WKLK Radio in Cloquet, Minnesota.

May 21, 2014: Excellent article, Mark! Thanks for carefully setting the stage and taking us through the troubleshooting steps to find the real culprit. Also, it's great to see engineers coordinating to solve a problem. Best, Kirk Harnack in Nashville, Tennessee.

May 21, 2014: Thank you so much. Look forward to working with you again in the future! Greg White, WSLM Radio in Salem, Indiana.

May 20, 2014: Just been looking around the site and I'm very impressed. Stu Williamson in Auckland, New Zealand.

May 15, 2014: Very comprehensive article by Mark Persons on 05.14.2014. I learned a lot. Thanks for the informative articles. I am reminded that back in my teens, tube car radios (using vibrators in the Pwr. Spy.) had whistles up and down the AM band when tuning. They all had at least 10KC audio band pass. Good sound too when parking with a girlfriend! Pete in Hollywood, California.

May 15, 2014: Mark, I read the current article about the AM interference in Green Bay. Another great article! Thanks. Christopher in Duluth, Minnesota.

May 14, 2014: Hello Mark -- Just read -- and enjoyed your article in Radio World. It was a good display of how stations can cooperate to chase a problem. Keep creating the good reads -- All my best -- Paul in El Paso, Texas.

May 13, 2014: Another great article in the May 7th Radio-World magazine about the 1 kHz Morse Code-like interference on 1440 kHz. Bob in Hamden Connecticut.

April 29, 2014: Hi Mark: Noticed your NAB lecture headline story on today's Radio World News Bytes .... solid info, way to go and good for you. Charles in Avon, Connecticut.

April 18, 2014: Well done on the APRE and SBE speeches! Ian in Alexandria, Virginia

April 17, 2014: Paula, Thank you so much for the note. A pleasure doing business with you and your firm. Bill in Aberdeen, Maryland

February 11, 2014: Thank you so much for the kind/courteous transaction. Customer service is paramount in my opinion and your company does great. Regards, Shane in Morgantown, North Carolina.

January 15, 2014: Hello Paula, just wanted to let you know the transformer arrived here today in great condition, thanks! Look forward to doing business again. Bill in Warrenton, Missouri

January 6, 2014: Dear Mister Persons: Nice to look at your website. Unfortunate that so few in the Netherlands have knowledge of tube transmitters. Karel in Holland.

January 2, 2014: Hello Mark: Great job on the Radio World tube socket article ... nice pictures. Charles in Avon, Connecticut.

December 18, 2013: Hey Mark, Just a quick note here to say thanks for another good article --- the one on the tube socket change. Been reading your articles since, well, "Common Point" days when you were doing battle with SMC automation systems and the like. (Somewhere in my archives, I'm pretty sure I still have those articles!) The photos in the article were great and added a lot! Rich in Sioux City, Iowa.

December 10, 2013: Thank you for your help and information. I am very grateful to you. Looks to have a lot of experience in this field. Have a nice day. Fernando in Honduras.

December 5, 2013: I really enjoyed the tour you conducted in the recent (November 4th) issue of Radio World. I usually find what I need at Digi-Key and enjoy working with the people there. Best regards, Paul in El Paso, Texas.

November 25, 2013: Hi Paula; Just wanted to let you know the package arrived today. The dummy load is exactly the type I needed. Thank you! Chuck in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.

November 2, 2013: Hi Mark- I continue to enjoy your informative website with articles about Minnesota radio stations. Great photos too. Paul in Edina, Minnesota.

October 30, 2013: Have I thanked you lately for all the tech tips on your website? THANK YOU. Norm in Arlington, Texas.

October 4, 2013: Just fine, it all works now. Thanks again for your help Mark. Doug in Osceola, Wisconsin.

September 20, 2013: Thank you for your prompt and professional handling of the transaction. We will keep you in mind for future business. Ron in Macomb, Illinois.

August 26, 2013: Just read your latest pallet amplifier install in the BE IPA. Very nice job as usual. I'd say you've got this kind of repair/rebuild down to a science. Bob in Hamden Connecticut.

August 21, 2013: Thanks Mark for the capacitor , its great! Bob in Raleigh, North Carolina.

July 12, 2013: Hi there, Paula, Thank you so much for the swift updates and shipping! Please tell Mark I said "thank you" as well. Stephen in Huntersville, North Carolina.

July 10, 2013: Thank you for a very interesting and informative website. Carl in Yakima, Washington.

June 29, 2013: Dear Paula, Just wanted to let you know the part arrived yesterday and was exactly what I needed. It was a pleasure doing business with you! Thank you for everything. Derrick in Granger, Indiana.

June 28, 2013: I like how very well organized your transformer inventory is arranged on the website. Charles in Avon, Connecticut.

June 13, 2013: Paula: Many thanks for your prompt shipping and for all your support! Best Regards, David in Lewisville, Texas.

June 5, 2013: Hi Mark, I saw your 5/31/13 Article in Radio World Magazine on "Prevent transistor Failures with Science". Using a shorted 1/4 wave stub antenna. Good Article Professor! Andrew in Cloquet, Minnesota.

April 22, 2013 on Linkedin: "I have consulted with Mark on the several great articles he has written for a number of Broadcast Magazines. He also came recommended by many of my mentors in the broadcast industry. He has a lot of patience when teaching the inner workings of broadcast equipment." Allen in Mosinee, Wisconsin.

April 6, 2013: Dear Mr. Persons: Thank you so much for sharing your exciting work of installing and servicing broadcast transmitters with us through the brilliant photos on your excellent website. James in Long Island, New York.

April 3, 2013: Good morning Mark, Thank you so much for quick service. I received the repaired Harris THE-1 FM Exciter yesterday and had it on the air by 4 PM. Works great. Tigran in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

March 19, 2013: Now the Zercom Max-ZII Remote Broadcast Telephone works without having to use an adapter to get sound in both headphones. Thanks again. You guys are lifesavers. Matt in Wausau, Wisconsin.

March 19, 2013: Hi, Paula. Please tell Mark "Thanks!" for being so industrious in developing a new way to repair these meters and for being so considerate and modest in what he charged me for the repair. My best regards to you both. Ted in Vienna, Virginia.

March 14, 2013: Good Morning Paula, I've saved the invoice you sent. I had already turned in the PO with the packing slip so I expect the payment will be in the next check run. Thank you both for your help in this and many other matters in the past. You guys help me look good from this end. A special thanks to Mark! You can be sure that I will continue to call on you for my future needs...Best regards, Andy in Cloquet, Minnesota.

March 11, 2013: Hi Paula, I have read up about both of you on your website. You both seem like nice people, have a nice family, and Mark has been very nice to me. There are not too many people left in the engineering business like Mark who are honest and understand the small "stand alone" stations like the one our family owns. Thanks! Scott in Gallatin, Tennessee.

March 7, 2013: Thanks for your webpage, it is very useful for me, because I enjoy your stories for the technical information that you bring us. Geovanny in Honduras, Central America.

February 13, 2013: Thank you for your fast response. Your staff handled the transaction very professionally. I hope to do more business in the future. Jerry in Birmingham, Alabama.

February 10, 2013: Hi Mark, I follow your articles in Radio World and enjoy your website. Anyone who likes cats is a kindred spirit. Jim in Belgrade, Montana.

February 4, 2013: I want to say thanks for the tips on your website, I have read many of the posts and found them very helpful. It seems to me the factory tech support is slowly just fading away. Dave in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

January 30, 2013: Subject: Great article on O scopes in RW! Good afternoon Mark, Finally had a chance to read your article in Radio World on the amazing oscilloscope. It took me back to my days in Electronics School in Wahpeton, ND. It is so true that in this day of plug-n-play that many black boxes wind up in the junk pile rather than thrown up on the bench for what is usually an easy repair. Jeff in Minot, North Dakota.

January 24, 2013: I read yet another great article about oscilloscopes in last week's edition of Radio World that I just got yesterday. It's amazing how even the simplest things I take for granted, such as scopes and preparing coax cable for RF connectors, seem to be great ideas for articles in RW. Bob in Hamden, Connecticut.

January 3, 2013: Dear Paula; I received the AC Adapter for the Zercom unit and works seamlessly. Thanks for all. Sincerely, Raymond in Puerto Rico.

December 15, 2012: I saw on your website the repair you did on the 606 (cap replacement) and was impressed! Glenn in Blanding, Utah.

November 12, 2012: I read your Radio World article on proper installation of N connectors with interest. As a green engineer I remember the first time I opened the Amphenol and found no instructions. I started looking at the pile of parts and used deductive reasoning. (I was also a master at Erector sets in earlier years). Not sure how, but after a couple tries I got them in correct order and was pleased to see your detailed instructions matched what I have been doing for almost 40 years. Norm in Arlington, Texas.

November 2, 2012: Hi, Mark, Thanks for helping me out. Ed in Florida.

November 2, 2012: Good Morning Mark: I really like some of the new stuff you've added to your website, except I spent WAY too much time on it! Thank you for your efforts and sharing so much info. Looking very nice. Del in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

November 1, 2012: Hi, saw your article about tool boxes as I prepared a number of boxes for a planned trip to Nunavut (a territory just south of the North Pole !!...on the eastern side of northern Canada). This is like packing your van into boxes to go on an airplane. I am trying to not forget anything for the install of a small FM transmitter and studio in the town of Kimmirut Nu. There is no chance of buying anything more than a screwdriver there. Any way that is why I found your article helpful. Thanks. Wilf in London, Ontario, Canada.

October 29, 2012: Hello Mark, After reading that article you wrote in Radio World, I still have on my mind that my AM station should have a tube back up transmitter. Scott in Gallatin, Tennessee.

October 17, 2012: Mark- Just read your great article in Radio World on putting N connectors on cable. Steve in San Francisco, California.

October 16, 2012: Greetings, Thank you again for all your time and assistance! Scott in Ionia, Michigan.

October 16, 2012: Hi Mark. I just read your "Installing Connectors the Right Way" tip article on the Radio World website. Very good, thank you. I too have fallen victim to poorly done connectors, typically high up on our tower where I can�t get to them!! Mike in Kansas City, Missouri.

October 13, 2012: Mark, I hope you and Paula are staying well. Two of your Radio World articles struck a chord with me. The one on ventilation of transmitter sites was a situation I faced when buying a shelter for an AM/FM combo in Connecticut. Your piece on N connectors brings back memories of a repair I did at a station with a new 3.5kW single tube transmitter. I quickly found that by simply moving the IPA output coaxial cable that I could make the RF normal or none. I disassembled the N connector that showed an intermittent short on an ohmmeter. I expected to find a strand(s) of braid shorting against the inner conductor. No so. Whoever made the connector assembly did so to perfection. What I did find was a tiny strand of brass sitting on the Teflon insulator intermittently shorting the case to the inner! The small shard took down the entire box. Small things can cause big problems! Thanks for the articles. I enjoyed them. Tom in Brookfield. Connecticut.

October 13, 2012: Mark: Nice seeing you on "This Week In Radio." David in Rocklin, California.

October 12, 2012: Another fine article about clamp N and BNC connectors in Radio World. Bob in Hamden Connecticut.

September 13, 2012: Hi Mark, Just dropping you a note to let you know how much I enjoy your web stories and Tech Tips. It's full of great info. I am also a broadcast engineer (retired) and ham operator. Nice job on that Silicon Valley 0101-500CH module.

August 29, 2012: Just wanted to mention how impressed I am with your website! Tom from La Crosse, Wisconsin.

August 3, 2012: Re: Transmitter instruction book. Paula, It all looks good. Thank both you and Mark for all your help. Best Regards, Bob in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

August 2, 2012: Re: FM RF amplifier. Very nice modification, Mark! from Shane in Laramie, Wyoming.

August 1, 2012: Re: FM RF amplifier. Beautiful job as always ... our clients don't deserve you. Charles in Avon, Connecticut.

July 10, 2012: Paula- The test instrument made it here today in good order, thanks for the nice packing job. Best regards, Mark in Mineral Wells, Texas.

July 10, 2012: Mark, Your web page is AMAZING. Randy from Minnesota Public Radio told me to take a look at it...and I'm glad I did. Looking forward to reviewing more tonight at home! Thanks for your support and free advise! Ron from Hancock, Michigan.

July 9, 2012: letters in this latest issue of Radio World (received just today here in isolated and far distant Avon) in response to your article on the diminishing engineering community were legend, erudite, persuasive ... not to mention 'right on'. Congrats on a job well done. Charles in Avon, Connecticut.

July 2, 2012: Mark.....Time Domain Reflectometer just arrived and all appears working. Thanks again for the TDR. Jim in Dwight, Illinois.

July 2, 2012: Hello Mark, I just wanted to drop you a note about the nice article in RW about cooling a site. The use of some great photos, I think, makes this a great "how to" for those in the field looking for some guidance and suggestions, thanks for the great effort. Rich in Mason, Ohio.

June 29, 2012: Hi Mark, I read your article on transmitter ventilation and got some useful tips. I was planning to make some changes at my site and will incorporate some of your tips. Maynard in Madison, Minnesota.

June 21, 2012: I enjoyed your paper in June 20th Radio World. Richard in Quincy, IL.

June 21, 2012: Paula, I received the two Belar RFA-2 units and they work great Thank you very much. Colin in Australia.

June 5, 2012: Mark, It's always great to check your site for the latest Tech Tips. Thanks. Jeff in Minot North Dakota.

May 31, 2012: Mark: I ran across your website while looking for something else. Looks really nice. Tim in Saint Ignace, Michigan.

May 29, 2012: Mark, I just read your article "Where Have All The Engineers Gone?" and it literally brought a tear to my eye. I too am one of those now-gone broadcast engineers that among other positions spent 30 years in television from the era when it was Metromedia until Fox put out the engineers in favor of almost total automation under the control of IT-- not broadcasters. I sometimes feel as if I was one of the last of a dying breed. As far as I can tell, most engineers have been fired and replaced by outside contractors who will charge by the repair rather than being a day to day "cost of doing business." Expertise means nothing to the "suits" and "bean counters" in NYC and elsewhere. Thanks again for a great article. Bill in Saugus, California.

May 24, 2012: Dear Mr. and Mrs. Persons, I am very pleased to advise that the moment I reinstalled the returned exciter to the equipment rack, the channel was back in service immediately. I am truly thankful for your help. Steve in Hong Kong.

May 21, 2012: Mark, Good article in Radio World on "Where have all the engineers gone?" Fred in Lima Ohio.

May 21, 2012: I have been enjoying your articles in Radio World. You last article was right on target. Danny in Eldorado, Texas.

May 21, 2012: Hi, Enjoyed you article in Radio World about "Where Have All the Engineers Gone?" Walt, somewhere in Arizona.

May 18, 2012: Hi Mark, Good article and right on the mark! Bill in Bemidji, Minnesota.

May 17, 2012: Good Morning Mark: I enjoyed your latest article in Radio World. That's a good question. It's kind of scary when you think of the local IT guy poking around in the RF section of the transmitter! That would be like me working on the engine in my vehicle...an accident waiting to happen. I guess I never really thought about the fact that an engineer might not own a soldering iron...but I guess that's the way it is in this day of plug-and-play. Maynard in Madison, Minnesota.

May 17, 2012: Hi Mark, I just wanted to say I appreciated your commentary this week in Radio World. You made me stop to realize that engineering is really evolving to a module-swap operation, and the number of engineers who have the skills to dig into equipment, understand it, and repair it, is diminishing. Mentoring new engineers would be a good thing, but the combination of economics and equipment design does make it an uphill battle. John in Washington, DC.

May 11, 2012: Your website is really informative and a pleasure to read. That is a very nice article on the RCA 807, great job done there! I really like the material on your site. Best regards, John in Dublin Ireland.

May 9, 2012: Yo Mark, I always look for your articles in Radio World and they never disappoint. Your article addresses a common radio station question these days when ever I get a call asking me who they can call to fix a transmitter. Jerry in Olympia, Washington.

May 3, 2012: I enjoy browsing your site. George in New Zealand.

April 23, 2012: Mark, I understand you retired from field work...congratulations on a great career and enjoy your time. Dave in Park Rapids, Minnesota.

April 11, 2012: Hi Mark, Excellent article in Radio World on the importance of tower welding. As far as FM goes, the interference doesn't affect just STL receivers. A few weeks before the article came out, I solved an intermittent translator (input) interference problem when an aluminum shim near the transmit antenna came in contact with a rusty tower bolt. The non-linear junction acted like a diode, creating a mixer that made a great intermod generator, and the noise was near the translator input frequency. Also, I've seen smaller towers with a high degree of "twist" which can loosen connections. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Mario in Salt Lake City, UT.

April 6, 2012: Thanks for such good service. John in Salem, South Carolina

March 27, 2012: You are obviously a black belt electronics troubleshooter! Hal from Zolofo Springs, Florida

March 22, 2012: Hi Mark, You wrote an excellent article regarding welding on AM towers in Radio World. Craig in Camden, Connecticut.

March 16, 2012: Mark: I�m behind on my reading - I just finished reading your article in the Feb 1, 2012 Radio World. Very nice!!! David in Rocklin, California.

March 8, 2012: Thanks for the nice info on your website. Andy in Duluth, Minnesota.

March 6, 2012: Mark, I had an opportunity to read your detailed Radio World February 1st article on the THE-1 exciter upgrade and was very interesting reading. It is good to see that engineers such as you still show interest in upgrading older equipment to keep expenses at a minimum. JT in Ocala Florida.

February 29, 2012: We purchased a Comrex Access, but we use our Zercom Remote Broadcast Telephone in places with weak phone lines or no cell service. On Saturday, we did a game and there were four Zercom Max-Z units there! Ours was one of them. They are time tested and built like Sherman Tanks. Jon in Indianapolis, IN.

February 4, 2012: Mark, Enjoyed your article on the latest edition of Radio World. Randy in Brainerd, Minnesota.

February 4, 2012: Excited about Exciters! Hi Mark, I read your article about exciters. That Harris MX-15 looks familiar. I totally agree with your idea of using actual knobs once in a while. There never seems to be a small screwdriver anywhere in sight when you really need one! Maynard in Madison, Minnesota.

January 29, 2012 e-mail to Radio World magazine: After reading the article from Mark Persons about having a "tube type" AM transmitter for a stand by, I am taking his advice and looking into that situation now. My dream is to find a McMartin BA-1K. It is small, and I love the looks of it. Sincerely, Scott in Gatlin, Tennessee.

January 18, 2012: Hi Mark, I really enjoyed reading your handy dandy "hints and kinks" for MW and FM. One other tip I'd like to toss in regarding the FM Continental 816 series transmitters, be sure to check the fan on the harmonic filter. Since it is "out of sight and out of mind" it's frequently overlooked. Jay from Dallas, Texas.

January 6, 2012: Hi Paula and Mark, I received the CRL SMP-850. Everything is absolutely perfect! It was a pleasure to do business with you! A thousand thank you. Olivier in France.

December 1, 2011: (From Reader's Forum in Radio World Magazine) THANKS MARK. Being from Minnesota, I read with interest Mark Persons' article about the wireless Internet tower that interfered with KLIZ AM. ("How Did That Wireless Tower Get There," September 1, 2011). We are fortunate to have Mark Persons in our state; he understands and deeply cares about maintaining quality radio. Our industry needs to foster the development of the next generation of quality engineers like Mark. Leighton Broadcasting and many other broadcasters in our state are grateful for his work for us over the years. Bob Leighton, CEO of Leighton Broadcasting in St. Cloud, MN.

October 25, 2011: Mark, I enjoyed your article in the October 19 issue of Radio World. Coincidentally, I'm working on restoring the 1968 RCA BTA-5TI at KWSU-AM in anticipation of its 90^th anniversary. Tom from Pullman, Washington

October 6, 2011: Hi Mark, I just read your Radio World piece about WJON Radio. Good work. Ira in Putney, Vermont.

October 3, 2011: Mark, I read with interest your articles about de-tuning AM re-radiators. I'm in Canada and we face the same problems. Don MacMillan

September 29, 2011: Hi Mark, Just been looking around your site. It's well laid out and the photos are very good - something you don't see that often these days. Stu in New Zealand.

September 26, 2011: Mark: I enjoyed your website so much. Oscar in Honduras.

September 19, 2011: Mark, You have a nice website. Thanks for the "Tips" section. I really enjoyed looking through about half of them. Right now I need to get back to work. I'll go through the rest later. :-) John in Shelbyville, Tennessee.

September 8, 2011: Hi Mark; I just read your article in this issue. Details Interesting, to say the least. I am glad it all worked out in the end. Hi to Paula, take care. Best regards, Eva in Bristol, Tennessee.

September 7, 2011: Congratulations Mark. Your proved that things can be worked out if approached correctly and with your engineering knowledge you made it work! Details Mike Sigelman

September 6, 2011: Great article in Radio World on your detuning of the cell tower next to the AM! Details Dan in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

September 1, 2011: Hi Mark, I saw your article in Radio World about the tower near KLIZ. Very interesting. Minnesota radio stations have been lucky to have you in our industry. We appreciate the work you've done for us over the years. Details Bob Leighton, Leighton Broadcasting.

August 31, 2011: I read your very interesting story about the problems that KLIZ had. The happy ending to the the story was extra pleasing to them, I am sure. Details I always enjoy your stories. R.E. Witkovski, President Besco Iinternational

August 30, 2011: Mark, I sure enjoyed your "Popped Up Antenna Tower" article in the September 1, 2011, issue of Radio World. The article reminded me of a phone call I received years ago from a North Central Kansas client station, KFRM (5KW 3 Tower directional antenna on 550 kHz). Rod, the local engineer, told me that someone had just built a 200 foot tower across the highway from the station. After a quick check of the database, I told Rod that the someone was the State of Kansas and the tower wasn't even half way constructed. The planned height was 450 feet. I contacted the state communications director and was told that he would "check into it". Like you, I mentioned a couple of FCC regulations. A half hour later I received a return call saying, "You're right, we're wrong, make it right." Some $60,000 later, also with the help of Mr. Nott, the tight shotgun pattern to the south-southwest was back into compliance. The project resulted in a continuing association with the state, as their tower projects moved forward. Details Thanks again for the article. 73's Larry in Wichita, Kansas.

July 8, 2011: Hi Mark, I wanted to take a minute and tell you how much I enjoy your website. I'm now out of the business, but for about 30 years broadcasting "paid the bills." I love your approach to problems, and the elegant solutions you come up with. Your "Technical Tips" section is a great read. Keep up the great work - I look forward to more in the future! Best Regards, Rick Jordan.

June 1, 2011: I was looking over your website, very impressive. Steve in Brookville, Pennsylvania.

April 18, 2011: Thank you for the quick & very smooth transaction. Have a Great Day! :O) Ken in Point Robert, Washington.

April 1, 2011: See e-mailed comments about the Negative Electricity story.

March 31, 2011: I am so pleased with the service. You are so nice and helpful. The transaction was smooth. I got my Otari 10.5" reel hub adapter in a timely and orderly fashion. Thank you. Ron in Dumont, New Jersey.

March 24, 2011: Mark: Mike let me know you were on the TWiRT webcast last night, so I tuned in for a while. Nice job! Any guy who manages to quote Mr. Spock during an interview is all right in my book��Live long and prosper!� Doug in Wadena, Minnesota
March 24, 2011: Ann and I watched your appearance last night. You did very well. Production quality is quite good. I like your microphone and story about Gates. Jim in Fosston, Minnesota.
March 23, 2011: Mark, Good show on TWiRT tonight! Bill from Superior, Wisconsin
March 23, 2011: Good job on the broadcast Mark. I found it interesting. Kurt from Brainerd, Minnesota
March 23, 2011: Good job on the show! Marv from Austin, Minnesota

March 23, 2011: Thanks so much for the quick response and great service! Paul in Savage, Minnesota.

March 18, 2011: I received the CBS Volumax 4300 in good condition. I am very pleased with my purchase and the fast service. It works very well and so does the RCA modulation monitor I purchased from you previously. Thank you. Howard in Spokane Valley, Washington.

March 15, 2011: Mark, Just read your article about the wind turbine near KLOH. Good article, it is amazing how people don't think about the fact that sticking large pieces of steel up in the air near a radio station antenna won't have any effect. Steve in Richfield, MN.

March 8, 2011: Mark, Nice article. Ben in Seattle, Washington.

March 3, 2011: Nice article on detuning the wind turbine pole in the March 1 Radio World that I just got today. Bob in Hamden, Connecticut.

February 1, 2011: Regarding TWiRT Televison appearance, nice interview, Mark! Shane in Laramie, Wyoming.

January 31, 2011: Dear Mr. Persons, I read with much interest your articles in "Radio World" on your van and tool box. I sincerely hope that you plan to write more articles. Your writing is definitely for the common person...easy to understand, and easily absorbed. Far too often today, writers forget that not all of their audiences may have PhD's and over dramatize long words that often times mean 'and' 'to' and 'around' to name just a few. I congratulate your writing style and thank you. I look forward to future informative and interesting articles with the by-line...'Persons." Sincerely, James Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.

January 19, 2011: Hi Mark, I just had to drop you a quick note to say that your toolbox is a bit more organized than mine! I always enjoy your articles, keep 'em coming. Maynard from Madison, Minnesota.

December 30, 2010: Dear Mark, I especially enjoy the photos of your installation projects. Joan and I wish you and Paula the best of everything in the coming year. Jon in St. Louis Park, MN.

December 24, 2010: Mark - The Dummy Load arrived this evening. Thanks so much and Merry Christmas! Jack in Fullerton, California.

December 21, 2010: Mark, Thanks for the quick return on the Mosley STL repair, it is working great. Marc from Ozark, Arkansas.

December 11, 2010: Hey Mark! GREAT article in Radio World on your van. That baby looks like it has everything you need for a trip out here! Your neatness and preparation for anything is well expressed in it. Jerry in Lake San Marco, California.

December 11, 2010: Hi Mark, I enjoyed your article about your van and work. Thanks for sharing and for the generator article recently as well. Lyle in Los Angeles, California.

December 8, 2010: Hi, Mark, Saw your article in Radio World. Good advice. Kirk in Antioch, Tennessee.

December 7, 2010: Saw you in Radio World, what happened to your hair!? I guess I should talk as what gray hair I have left is bailing out. Love your van! It looks pretty well thought out. Al in Centennial, Colorado.

December 6, 2010: Mark, just a dandy story on your van in Radio World. Was not the least bit surprised at how well organized you are. Dean in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

October 30, 2010: Hello, kudos on a very informative website! Dan from Roseau, MN.

October 28, 2010: Thanks Paula. Tell Mark thanks for wasting some of my time with all of the wonderful info on your website. I have been looking at the various pages since I got off the phone with you nearly 20 minutes ago! Back to work now, Jess in Minneapolis, MN.

October 21, 2010: I just now opened my Oct. 6th issue of Radio World and read your column about gensets, very informative. Great job! Richard in Oregon.

September 28, 2010: Nice article in Radio World on power! I've had two power disconnects replaced at our transmitter site, both caught by feeling the outside of the box as a routine check. Dan in Grand Rapids, MN.

September 15, 2010: I love the tech tips on broadcast repair, especially the Harris FM 20K, which I have the privilege to be involved with here on the Gulf Coast at Power88. I recently had a problem where I could not get the PA plate current to come up to 2 amperes. It was running low, but I had 100% power. Weird! Found the problem in the high voltage power supply. The high voltage cable was loose at a terminal where it entered the cabinet on a porcelain insulator. Brad in Spanish Fort, Al.

September 7, 2010: I'm always left a little smarter after talking with M. W. Persons. Thanks for your service beyond the sale. Mark in Peru, Illinois.

August 19, 2010: By the way, thank you for a very good website! Best Regards Don in New York

July 7, 2010: Hey Mark, Good to see your article in Radio World this morning! I thought I was the only one that ever had second harmonic problems. (540 in Carmel Valley with 1080 in Santa Cruz, California). Thank God we had a good engineer! Jerry in Lake San Marcos, California.

July 6, 2010: I enjoy working on transmitters when things make sense. I learned how the Harris HT-5 FM Transmitter output connection was made with this most recent repair. The manual was no help and Harris really wasn�t either. Thanks for YOUR help. It made all the difference! Marv in Austin, MN.

July 1, 2010: Hi Mark, great article in the last Radio World Magazine. Interesting. Steve from Winona, MN.

June 23, 2010: I took the opportunity to peruse your Web site. I always find excellent Tech Tips there! Thanks for an excellent resource. Del in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

May 8, 2010: Mark was the best dressed engineer at the NAB convention in Las Vegas! Jim in Fosston, MN.

February 10, 2010: Mark & Paula: Thank you for the great website and for the equipment manual that you sent me. You provided very fast service and I expected to get a reproduced manual, but you sent me an original in excellent condition. I just purchased two 820E/F1 transmitters and the manual will be very important to me. Jim KB1MIW in Newport, VT.

February 3, 2010: Hello Paula & Mark: I came across your website and really enjoyed the categories, especially the 'Thoughts' section. It's nice knowing there are others who enjoy American accomplishments and technology. Leland NC9K, Iron Belt, WI.

January 24, 2010: Hi: I was just looking around the Internet looking for large variable capacitors for a link-coupled tuner and I found you Web page. It is the nicest web page I have ever seen! Very nice! I have spent some time exploring and learning. John in New London, MN.

January 13, 2010: Mark, you helped me to no end in repairing my ReVox A-77 Tape Recorder. You are a wealth of information and a wealth of hard to get parts. Thanks for being there. Jacob from Sylvan Lake, MI.

January 1, 2010: You are a good man and you have a nice website. Ed from Scarsdale, NY.

August 24, 2009: From M. W. Persons to customer: The Moseley PCL-606 STL receiver problem turned out to be a bad variable capacitor in the first oscillator module. I have seen this before so I replaced all three capacitors like that in the module. Good thing you sent the transmitter here too as it was off frequency a bit. All is well now and the system should ship from here on Monday. Customer: I don't call you "The Wizard" for nothing! Bill in Rochester, MN.

April 15, 2009: Hey Mark, got the Harris HT-10FM Transmitter up and running yesterday with the modules you repaired. Works great. Thanks for all your help. Keith in Marshall, MN.

April 8, 2009: It's a cool website. Rita from New Mexico.

February 1, 2009: I bought a Zercom Max-Z Remote Broadcast Telephone around 1989, and absolutely loved it. If the unit were a car, I would have "driven" it the equivalent of about 300,000 miles. Minor league sports can be incredibly tough on equipment, and both the Max and the Max-ZII have been outstanding. Used the Max-ZII for an entire hockey season a year or so ago, and that's brutal stuff, with set up and tear down before and after every game. Despite needing repair, I've had the units now for 10 years, most of that time doing two sports (70 or so hockey games and 140 baseball games per year). It's been remarkably good. Thanks again! Bob in Oakland California.

December 30, 2008: Thank you folks for the fast service and careful packing of the RCA modulation monitor. It arrived right on time and is already in service. I'm very pleased. Thanks again. Howard in Spokane Valley, Washington State.

November 23, 2008: Saw your website including the WPPI project. Looks like a first class install. Fabulous site. David in Ely, MN.

August 27, 2008: Just wanted to thank you for the great website information and pictures of WPPI Radio and also the original WVAL Radio ITA transmitter. Drew in Apple Valley, MN.

May 5, 2008: Hi Mark, Thanks for the "heads up" on the honey-comb filter. I'll make sure to hit that on my upcoming tube change. Extending the shaft on the PA bias control was pretty slick, along with how you implemented the overload relays. David Halperin at El Paso, TX. (RE: Tech Tips)

March 10, 2008: Mark, thanks for your info on hooking up the phone/amplifier! That was just what I was looking for! Royce.

March 7, 2008: Great website, my complements. I shall return. Larry Toombs.

February 26, 2008: By the way, nice website. I've been reading it on and off all morning (slow day at the insurance factory). Have to take a break, it's stirring up the broadcaster in me. George Brand in Grayling, MI. Ham call WA8SCO.

March 8, 2007: I like your website. It contains a lot of information. Kind regards, Dennis in Holland.

January 31, 2007: "Thanks Paula. I got the box today from UPS, just in time to replace the missing power supply and knob on the used Zercom Max-Z unit. I sent it out with our second team for a girls basketball broadcast. It's working fine. I'm glad you are still providing service and support for the Max-Z's as they are still the best thing out there for those of us who are on a budget and can't afford the new codec systems." We are Southwestern Ohio Public Radio (WSWO-LP 97.7). Being an LPFM on a thin budget, I don't see us going to Comrex units anytime soon, so we are doing our sports via cell phone or land lines using the Max-Z. They are easy for our volunteer announcers to set up and operate even though they may not be very familiar with broadcast technology. Zack Riepenhoff.

November 16, 2006: I love your website. You seem like nice folks. Richard Dalbec

August 23, 2006: Your website, by the way, is very well done. My compliments. 73, Ken K4SVX.

July 28, 2006: Your website is very professional and user friendly. 73 de Chuck Milton W4MIL Palm Coast, FL.

April 10, 2006: I like your website!!! Steve Gretsch KLFD Radio in Litchfield, MN. http://klfd1410.com

October 9, 2005: Mark and Paula, not quite sure how I found your website, but the past 45 minutes have been a treat...what a wonderful pictorial recognition of your many wonderful and loyal customers. Congrats on your new home. It's obvious...it's a center point of your lives. May our paths cross sometime soon...would love to tell a few stories, and hear a lot more. Dean Sorenson.

March 28, 2005: I looked up your website. Very impressive. Say hi to Josie the cat for me! Phil Hayden, Minneapolis, MN.

February 18, 2004: I think your website lost an electron....... it seems so positive! Roger Birkholz, Grand Forks, ND.

March 14, 2003: I enjoyed visiting your website. It's friendly, a pleasant place to visit. Sincerely, Burt, K6OQK http://www.biwa.cc

February 24, 2003: Mark: Thought you'd like to know: we just put our Milbank, SD translator on the air on Saturday using the antenna we had you retune to 90.5 and it works great! The VSWR is very low and the translator sounds great with better than expected coverage! Al Gilbertson WNCB (now WJRF), Christian Radio, Duluth, MN. http://refugeradio.com

February 10, 2003: Looking to purchase the "travel bag" for the Zercom Max Zll. Rick. Answer: Sorry, those bags are out of production and none are available new or used as far as we know. Thanks for finding us on the web. We are available to repair your unit when the time comes that you need help. Reply: Thanks, Mark, I will bookmark your site.

November 7, 2002: Hey gang....as usual, interesting site you have....good to see what's going on and hope you are both well...Best regards/ Pete Boyce, Midamerica Electronics Service.

August 30, 2002: Mr. Neutron....nice website. Tom Wright, Delta Electronics.

May 16, 2002: Hi Mark, I received the ReVox switch yesterday. Thank you again for your timely response. Been a pleasure doing business with you. Regards, Jerry Jennings.

May 12, 2002: I tried the used audio processor unit you sent and it works well. I'm super happy with this transaction. Thanks, you have an excellent company and I wouldn't hesitate to buy more stuff from you in the future. David Newfeld.

April 13, 2002: Mark, just looked at your web site for the first time, I think it is terrific. Good show. Jim Wychor, Past President of the Minnesota Broadcasters' Association

April 9, 2002: Mark: I am pleased to inform you the antenna you recently tuned for us works great! Also the connector you sold us works well too! We mounted the antenna with a 10 foot mast on top of the Glencoe Water tower and the reflected power is very low. "Pal" Al (Al Gilbertson) http://refugeradio.com in Duluth, MN.

January 24, 2002: Just happened on your excellent website.... things to do at 2AM !! Pete Boyce, Midamerica Electronics.

January 23, 2002: Bill: Thanks for finding our website. Sorry we don't have the item you are looking for. We list all major used equipment that we have. I did pass your name along to someone who might have one. Reply: Thank you so Mark. Indeed, it looks like you've pointed me in the right direction. Your efforts are very much appreciated. Sincerely, Bill Tinsley.

December 31, 2001: Can't believe all you've put into your site. It's been fun watching it grow. Now, back to your site. Great job, Mark! Jerry J. Collins, President, F&L Broadcast Development Corporation in Anacortes, WA.

March 5, 2001: Hi Mark...Great website! I don't know how Paula finds time to work - she seems like a really busy lady. I really enjoyed both of your personal pages. Best regards, Jo-Ann Dunn, Radio Systems.

November 29, 2000: Hi Mark, Thanks again for taking care of my Econco order. Just visiting your web site and discovered you are a ham as well. I am K0SH. First licensed in '74 as WN0MHK, then WB0MHK, WW0F and finally the vanity call for last 4 years. 73, Steve Heaton Waitt Radio, Inc.

September 28, 2000: Hello from Bluff City, TN. What a great web site....What a beautiful office...I think I could live there!!!! Eva Shaffer at Kintronic Labs.

August 27, 2000: Fantastic website you have!! You are offering a fantastic service with all that used equipment and expertise. Ken Benner.

July 24, 2000: Mark, I took a closer look at your website. You and Paula have done a great job with it. I'm impressed by your credentials. I'm looking forward to receiving the Patch Switch. Regards, Dave Stewart, Creative Broadcast Audio, Elizabeth, NJ.

July 18, 2000: Hello Mark. Just wanted to let you know I visited. Wow! You've been busy. Wish I had more time to play here. Excellent site! Mike Murrey, Corporate Engineer, TKC Radio, Rice Lake, WI. http://www.wjmcradio.com

March 19, 2000: Hi Mark.......Checked out you site, well done! Tim in Crosby, MN

February 9, 2000: I Found your site on the Web....loookin' gooood! Warren Johnson.

February 9, 2000: Cool Site. Tom Martinson, Network Systems Administrator, Bresnan Communications.

December 15, 1999: Hi Mark: I was looking at the various web pages and came across yours. It is excellent--very nice. Best Regards, Merit Arnold W6NQ RF Parts Co.

October 11, 1999: Nice website Mark!! Very clean and well laid out...just like your radio work!!! ; ) Take Care! Bill Sanford KAWE/KAWB TV Channel 9/22 Bemidji/Brainerd, MN. http://lakelandptv.org

October 11, 1999: Just visited your website again. Nice work. Enjoyed the ham and personal pages too. Mark Croom.

October 11, 1999: Say Hi to your cat. from "Pup" (our feline) ~0 0~ Cole Grace in Duluth, MN.

September 27, 1999: Had a chance to peruse your website - very, very nicely laid out and informational. Paula should brag on her talents more - I didn't know she was a ham, too, until visiting your website. Again, good work! Best, Kirk Harnack VP-Engineering, Delta Radio, Inc., Boyle, Mississippi.

September 23, 1999: Was just fooling around and decided to visit your web site. Nice Job! Hope everything up north is going great. Karen says Hi! Mark Mueller, Mueller Broadcast Design http://muellerbroadcastdesign.com

January 31, 1999: Hi Mark, What a wonderful webpage. I can see I have a lot of work to make mine as exciting as yours is. Well the lake here is not frozen (Lake Huron) we are about 500 feet from the lake where we live. Larry Parker.

October 30, 1999: Hi to Mark, Paula, and Diode from Rhode Island! The website just keeps getting better and better! Dave Richards at WOON Radio

January 22, 1999: Hi Mark, I like your website, it's easy to move around and view what you have. Woody Woodward KSUM Radio, Fairmont, MN. http://www.ksum.com