Dielectric Communications now offers a line of digital antennas and filters for low-power television (LPTV) broadcasters. The new product family provides a cost-effective and easy-to-install solution for LPTV broadcasters looking to comply with this month’s FCC open filing window for digital LPTV stations and translators.
The new low-power product line allows LPTV and DTS broadcasters, as well as translators and boosters, to optimize their digital coverage with an input power rating of up to 2 kW. The easy-to-install antennas feature low weight and wind load designs, and are designed to operate on channels in the frequency band of 470MHz to 860MHz. The mask filter options will be tunable and rack-mountable and will also provide an input power rating of up to 2kW.
Although LPTV stations were exempt from the switchover to digital broadcasting in June 2009, their analog signals may be blocked by some of the converters that viewers have purchased to enable digital reception via older television sets. As a result, many stations are looking for lower-cost solutions to help them convert to digital transmissions and take advantage of the FCC filing period, which begins without geographic restriction on Jan. 25, 2010. After this date, the FCC will accept applications for new digital-only LPTV stations and translators, major modifications to existing analog and digital stations, and digital companion channels. After Jan. 25, no more applications for new analog facilities will be accepted.
