I am excited to announce another new website design, this one is for Jenkins Travel. The new website launched less then a month ago and features a new presence for Jenkins Travel online. The site was built with wordpress as a backbone which provides the client with an easy way to manage content and updates in the future. The site is designed with travelers in mind. Go ahead and check out www.jenkinstravel.com.
In September 2007 Lea and I decided that we would sponsor a compassion child. After searching through the available children on compassions website we choose Ahebwa Rogers. Today Ahebwa will turn 12 years old. Ahebwa lives in Uganda Africa, he lives with his Aunt because his Mother has died and his father does not live at home. Lea and I enjoy writing letters and hearing about Ahebwa’s progress in school and how he uses his Christmas and Birthday gift money for purchasing a pig for the family and other very practical things. It is unlikely that Lea and I will ever meet Ahebwa in person on this earth but we know that our sacrifice of just $38.00 a month is making the difference in his life. Our prayer is that Ahebwa will grow up to be someone who will make a difference in his community. I pray that he will know that his life matters and that we love and care for him. Happy Birthday Ahebwa, we love you!
Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults. Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries. Have you ever considered sponsoring a child? If not today you could give a child one of the best birthday gifts ever by becoming a child sponsor. Click here to learn more.
Last November I helped out Bridge Connections Inc. by creating a new logo and website for there ministry. Bridge Connections needed a way to communicate with sponsors as well as the teams of people who will be going on short term missions experiences through Bridge Connections. The website was designed using wordpress which allows for easy management by the organization. The logo reflects the organizations passion for global awareness and being the bridge between local churches in the United States with grassroots orphanages in countries like Uganda and Haiti. Check out the new website and logo by visiting www.bridgeconnections.org.
Lea and I both enjoy going to concerts, unfortunately we have not been to a live concert in some time. The main reason is because our favorite artists have not been within driving range. This Saturday we won’t have to drive anywhere to attend the “Help Haiti Live” event sponsored by Compassion International. Some of our favorite artists like needtobreathe (my music choice of 2009), Mat Kearny, Jars of Clay, and Matt Wertz will be performing live online. This Saturday February 27 you can expect to find me at home with the laptop hooked up to the big screen attending this special event. The concerts will be streamed from Nashville Tennessee and will benefit Compassion International’s work in Haiti. Check out this well produced video promo (great inspiration for future projects) for the event and plan to join me live at helphaitilive.com.
I have been keeping a close eye on what the FCC has been doing over the last few months and years surrounding the DTV transition. Many might not realize that the whole reason the FCC took us through the big DTV transition. The goal was to free up frequency band space for the next generation of consumer and emergency wireless devices. The new devices will include 4G service by major cell phone providers and other portable TV Band Devices. So what does this mean for the church and our wireless mics?
First things first, if you are using wireless mics that operate in the 700 MHz frequency band its time for you to stop, and trade-in your gear if possible from one of the major vendors such as Shure or Sennheiser. Most of this equipment cannot be re-tuned. The major US audio vendors have already stopped producing 700 MHz mics, so you are safe in purchasing new mics. To clarify, the FCC is very committed to clearing the upper part of the TV bands between channels 52 and 69 – (698-806 MHz), which is the 700 MHz band. So where does this leave the church?
The FCC has announced in a recent statement that it will begin licensing devices and operators which will be restricted to broadcast and movies. The unlicensed operators and devices which includes the church must accept interference from other license and unlicensed devices. In other-words there will be two classes of wireless system operators going forward. Part 74 licensed users will have their geo-location information entered into a database so that unlicensed TV Band Devices can try and figure out if they’re about to interfere with them, and thereby know when to shut themselves off. Unlicensed users (the Church) under Part 15 must accept interference from others — which is actually what we do when we operate a wireless system currently. However in this new world of TVBD’s their operation is liable to occur in the church where people will be walking in with portable devices which will interfere with wireless mics. Since the geo-location database and licensed use go hand-in-hand, expansion of Part 74 is in the best interest of the local church, schools, performing arts centers, sports arenas, and theaters. Part 15 also stats that the FCC will limit wireless mics to 50mW of total power output.
So what is safe? Churches must trade-in or just stop using 700 MHz wireless systems by June 12, 2010. Those who need to make the switch should look at operating in several 6 MHz TV channels on either side of channel 37 (608-614 MHz). You can also look to operate in the TV band of 16-20 or 169-171 MHz which falls just below channel 7. This whole transition is still very much in process and I expect that some of the verbiage and rules will change in the coming months but at least we are now a bit more familiar with what is coming down the road.
You can read the entire FCC release by clicking here (pdf). The FCC has also released a complete list of mics that are affected by the 700 MHz clear-out, this list can be accessed by clicking here.
-Portions of this post were enhanced by Live Sound International’s February 2010 magazine.
