EAS Watch

The EAS WATCH OSM, or On-site Station Monitor, is a RU2 rack mount unit designed primarily to monitor on-site received and broadcast EAS alerts (either on-air or direct audio) at stations required to carry these alerts.

When the unit detects an EAS alert, the full FSK text (including the two repetitions) are captured along with any voice audio and sent to the server for analysis via an Ethernet connection to the Internet.

The base unit accepts the digital output from a standard ENDEC device (utilizing a standard RS232 input), offering the same functionality as the ESM (ENDEC Serial Monitor). The OSM is also intended to monitor the actual on-air audio in order to confirm the actual broadcast of an EAS alert.

The modular design allows for monitoring up to five different signal sources per unit. Expansion cards allow monitoring of on-air signals from an external antenna or via direct audio input from existing monitor receivers. Because the OSM continuously monitors preset stations, it can detect spurious alerts (base unit) and determine on/off air status (Expansion cards required), relaying this information to the server.

The OSM is regularly contacted through the internet by the server to assure connectivity. Should there be a connection disruption, the unit stores alert information and updates the server as soon as the connection is restored. The OSM is useful in situations where station location and/or signal strength make remote monitoring impractical and/or impossible. Unit may be setup via the Ethernet port.

*Requires On-Air expansion card