RF Shorts – August 19, 2010

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Science and technology Web site Physorg.com posted an article by Lisa Zyga describing how Giant nets could remove orbiting space junk. The article says Star Inc. president Jerome Pearson, speaking at the annual Space Elevator Conference, predicts that, "over a period of seven years, a dozen of Star Inc.'s Electrodynamic Debris Eliminator (EDDE) vehicles could potentially capture all 2,465 identified objects over 2 kilograms currently floating in low Earth orbit." Obviously there are complications, as the article explains.

We previously reported on Ludwig Enterprisesplans to offer nationwide mobile audio service via mobile DTV. Last week Ludwig announced its "TheOne" receiver will utilize Linux as its base operating software, allowing applications from other developers to operate in the radio. This week Ludwig announced The Consortium, Inc. agreed to purchasing its technology for deployment in Mexico. Do any readers know what U.S. stations are testing or are planning to broadcast Ludwig's material? Other than a short note that their system is compatible with Harris Broadcast's ATSC mobile DTV equipment, I could not find information on that in any of the Ludwig releases or on their web site.

While probably nothing new for most transmitter engineers, you might find CNET photographer Sarah Tew's photo essay On top of the world with a wireless antenna engineer amusing. What is that person in the center of photo #6 doing? It's very bizarre!

Doug Lung
Doug Lung
Contributor

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack. A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.