DAVICOM’S OLDEST UNIT CONTEST

January 1^st to June 30^th 2021

I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who submitted their units and photos for our contest. We received submissions from around the world, which isn’t surprising given the fact that the sun never sets on all Davicom units. 

We are proud to see our products still working tirelessly after 19, 20 even up to 22 years. This is a nice exploit in today’s fast paced world of cheap electronics and short product lifecycles. Actually, it isn’t too surprising since each generation of Davicom products is designed and supported to last over 10 years!

THE WINNER!

The winning contest entry is from Yoann Des Ponts at Arsenal Media.

His Davicom MiniMAC unit (yes, we called them MACs back then, but that’s another story) was manufactured in November 1998 and is still in operation at CKLD-FM in Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada. It is running firmware version 2.42.5 and as of June 30^th, it had an age of 22 years and 7 months! Yoann and Arsenal Media will be receiving their prize in a few weeks. It’s one of our newest babies, a 3^rd generation Davicom Cortex 320 unit that Yoann will be able to introduce to its Grandpa, the MiniMAC. Just to put things in perspective, Grandpa only had a phone, a fax and a VT-100 terminal. In addition to the phone and FAX, the new kid has InstaModbus, SnapSNMP, TikTok-I/O and is constantly checking the network for Internet access (sound familiar? :-).

SOME RUNNERS-UP

1999-03-30, 267 months, 22.3 years

Coming-in at just a few months younger than our winner is a MAC8 installed at a 40W CBC AM site in Beaver Creek, Yukon. . It was manufactured in March 1999. Thanks to Jason Byers of the CBC for submitting the photos.

1999-05-25, 265 months, 22.1 years

Here is a MAC8 manufactured just 2 months after that, in May 1999, and installed at the studios of CKCR-FM in Revelstoke, BC.

Thanks to Larry King of Bell Media for submitting the photos.

2000-05-12, 253 months, 21.1years

This MAC24 is installed on a large Shively combiner with ERI antenna at the top of the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. This standby site is co-owned and operated by many of the FM signals in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Minnesota market.

Thanks to UNSWP’s Brian Gullikson for submitting the photos.

2001-02-01, 244 months, 20.3 years

In service at Heart, Hertfordshire, UK this MAC16 unit was installed in Feb 2001 at what used to be the studios, but is now an unmanned site. Thanks to Radica’s Tim Foulsham for submitting the photo.

2002-03-21, 231 months, 19.3 years

This MAC System was installed to monitor the VHF radio network of a public safety agency in Newfoundland & Labrador.

2004-10-15, 200 months, 16.7 years

This MAC32 is installed at CKLW-AM in Windsor, Ontario. Thanks to Darrin Drouillard of Bell Media for submitting the photos.

Davicom has manufactured thousands of remote site management units over the past 28 years. We continue to develop, manufacture and support new generations of site management products that stand guard on broadcast transmitter & public safety repeater sites, keeping listeners informed and citizens safe around the world.