In 2014 KFLK-LP began airing over 95.9 FM The Flock in Minot, ND. This was made possible using a Nautel type certified VS300 for Low Power FM. We selected the VS300LP because of the positive reviews, advice, and recommendations from radio industry experts.
“The VS300LP has been referred to as the ‘Cadillac’ of LPFM transmitters.”
– Ben Shea, Production Manager
The VS300LP came with the assurance that this transmitter would be future proof and keep us on the air for many years to come. It is now 2019 and we continue to provide a reliable radio presence in our community.
The initial build-out of the transmitter site was very straight forward and the VS300LP was center stage. It has been the perfect transmitter for learning especially given that we’re new to radio. It is reasonably sized and has fit nicely into our single equipment rack. It works in tandem with a site transmitter link and streaming device. The user manual for this device has been a breeze to work with and has simple, easy-to-follow instructions.
This is a photo of our station manager Bill Smith (left) and our radio engineering friend Curtis Young (right). This was one of our mid-winter transmitter site checkups. Minot, North Dakota has seasonal temperatures that get below -40 degrees Fahrenheit. The transmitter doesn’t seem to mind and continues to surpass our expectations. The Nautel VS300LP is our transmitter of choice for LPFM.
The user interface (AUI) of the VS300LP is very fluent and appealing to the eye. With simple buttons to click and graphs to monitor the station. The current audio meters give great insight into the status of our station signal. We often remotely connect to the VS300LP in order to check-in on the technical parameters. The accurate readings of heat and power are very useful.
We also greatly depend on the reporting system and notifications capability. It is helpful to receive automated emails that tell us if the audio threshold is low. This has helped us several times to identify audio that has been produced with a very low audio level. Many times, we barely notice this problem because of the great audio card that is internal to the VS300LP. The Orban audio processor has been known to bring low audio levels up to reasonable levels. This has improved the audio quality we provide to the listener every day.
The VS300LP has been a great investment and the customer service at Nautel has been a great asset to our station. We had an exceptionally positive experience with the customer service technician Adam Middelkoop. In December 2017 we were unable to remotely connect to our transmitter AUI. Within a single business day Adam provided us with timely and spot-on instructions to run an operating system recovery. He did a great job of breaking down a complicated operation. In a few simple steps we had the AUI back up and running smoothly.
“Nautel truly stands behind their products and is always there to support. From this point onward we have had a flawless track record with the Nautel VS300LP. It is easily one of the most reliable devices in our radio chain.”
– Ben Shea, Production Manager
One of our favorite features is the backup USB audio, which has allowed us to remain on the air despite power and internet outages. The ability to provide our listeners with this level of reliability has been a game changer. We simply load a USB flash drive with archived content and when audio is lost for greater than ten minutes, the backup audio channel kicks into rotation.
The VS300LP is our LPFM workhorse!
Ben Shea, Production Manager
KFLK, Calvary Chapel Minot
Minot, ND, United States
