Earlier this year, the CMTO and Technorama collaborated on the first Station Tech Blitz at 2RRR 88.5 FM in Gladesville, Sydney, and the course was a huge success. Technorama President and trainer John Maizels said of the Blitz’s positive result, “The first success is that it hit every single one of our aims. The aims were: raise the level of technical experience – tick, create a small community of people prepared to help each other – big tick, get the station back to a point where we know what’s broken and we understand what levels are, and it worked – big tick.”

Reflecting on the value of an experience like this, John said, “The great thing about the blitz is that it’s not overtly training. It’s not ‘chalk and talk’, it’s ‘discuss and do’. The most important thing for me is that all of the learning is bolstered by significant amounts of hands-on, where you can immediately assess how the learning is going and revisit anything that is not clear at the time. They’re actually learning through process.”

  

By the end of the Tech Blitz, both studios at 2RRR had been pulled apart and refurbished by volunteers from the station and other stations in the area, who can now take those skills back to their own stations. The CMTO would like to offer this opportunity to other stations.

This class is aimed at:
– Technologists who are on the journey to full proficiency
– Technologists who are ready to be immersed in a “master class” environment to bring skills to the next level
– Stations which have two or more studios and where maintenance has been problematic

The key learning areas for the Station Tech Blitz involve:
– Reviewing station documentation
– Itemising a ‘fix list’ for the station
– Understanding, creating and applying block diagrams to map your technology
– Identifying technological issues and maintenance strategies through team planning
– Stripping, reassembling and maintaining studio based equipment

Ideally, participants should possess the ability to:
– Read and interpret a basic circuit diagram
– Confidently use a soldering iron and multimeter
– Work with small assemblies

If you’d like to host a Tech Blitz at your station, please send in an expression of interest by March 29.