CINCINNATI and NEW YORK— GatesAir is providing its over-the-air technology and RF service expertise to broadcasters testing over-the-air TV coverage from One World Trade Center in New York. The company has supplied its latest high-efficiency Maxiva UHF and VHF transmitters for the tests, which will determine how broadcasters can maximize coverage across the nation’s largest broadcast market from the new building.
The testing of the One World Trade Center antenna system, positioned at 1,700 feet above ground, will allow broadcasters to perform a complete market coverage analysis as they consider relocation to the new site. The designated RF facility on the 89th Broadcast Level Floor has capacity for as many as 11 TV and 21 radio stations serving the New York City market.
GatesAir will aid in installation, commissioning and onsite training to ensure that broadcasters and engineers from The Durst Organization, which manages and leases space at One World Trade Center, are familiar with the design and operation of the transmitters. The GatesAir service team will additionally undergo performance tests in advance of installation, including verification of pre-shipping tests conducted from its Quincy, Ill., manufacturing facility; and calibration of total UHF and VHF system power.
Results are expected in February.
“These tests will showcase the advantages of broadcasting from this next-generation site, and we’re enthused that GatesAir is supporting our efforts with their latest high-efficiency TV transmitters,” said John Lyons, assistant vice president and director of broadcasting for The Durst Organization. “We believe that One World Trade Center will become the premier transmission site for over-the-air TV and radio broadcasters due to its attractive downtown location and clear line of sight.”
At 1,776 feet tall, One World Trade Center is the fourth-tallest building in the world, and has the greatest height of any skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere.The turnkey UHF and VHF systems will include GatesAir transmitters, exciters and real-time adaptive correction software to accurately verify signal quality, compliance, receiving levels and other performance parameters across the entire region.
“These tests represent the significant role of over-the-air broadcasting to viewers in and around New York City, and will validate the benefits of wirelessly delivering free TV and radio content from this iconic new building,” said Rich Redmond, chief product officer, GatesAir.
GatesAir will take the opportunity to measure efficiency parameters as the tests progress, providing a point of reference for the Maxiva transmitter line. The GatesAir service team will monitor reductions in energy consumption through GatesAir’s PowerSmart 3D broadband transmitter architecture, among other performance measurements. In addition to energy savings, GatesAir said PowerSmart 3D also reduces transmitter size and weight and simplifies operations from in-the-field channel changes to long-term maintenance.
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