There’s a special kind of dread that comes with finding metal shavings in your generator’s oil pan. That unmistakable sign of internal engine breakdown couldn’t have come at a worse time for our critical broadcast site.
The story of our Cummins 400kVA generator is one of changing technology and infrastructure planning challenges. Installed around 2002, this diesel workhorse was appropriately sized for an era of power-hungry tube transmitters that could each draw 30-50 kilowatts. Fast forward to today, and our modern solid-state equipment—a 32kW TV transmitter, two FM transmitters (18.5kW and 3.6kW), and a 1kW NOAA weather radio transmitter—barely scratches the surface of what this generator was designed to handle. Our monthly power consumption rarely exceeds 200 kilowatt hours, even in peak summer months.