A methodology for modeling the reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) of a generic shortwave broadcast relay station

A methodology for developing a reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM) model that is applicable to evaluating conceptual designs for shortwave broadcast relay stations is described. A generic relay station (GRS) that has nine major subsystems exclusive of ionospheric propagation path is proposed. The reliability of the propagation path to the listeners is not addressed. An example of the use of the methodology is presented for the GRS and the sensitivity of the model results is studied for the most significant subsystems from a RAM standpoint: the satellite earth station that delivers the program feeds and the high-powered transmitters