This is the actual 80 kW GatesAir solid-state transmitter installed at this UHF broadcaster. It is now on the air.
CINCINNATI — GatesAir has delivered what the company claims is the world’s highest-power digital TV solid-state transmitter. Now on air at a major-market TV station in the U.S., the new unit replaces an older, less-efficient tube transmitter that had escalating costs. Engineered to produce 80kW ATSC output, the GatesAir Maxiva ULXT transmitter reduces the footprint, monthly power and maintenance costs associated with tube transmitters of this scale, without the common hefty upfront price tag of very high-power solid-state transmitters.
Many broadcasters are seeking reliable, efficient over-the-air solutions to replace aging tube transmitters from manufacturers that no longer support older products or have gone out of business. Additionally, they are looking for broadband solutions with frequency agility and simple upgradability to new modulations in preparation of potential spectrum changes and ATSC updates. In the case of this customer, the operational efficiencies of the Maxiva ULXT presented an opportunity to transition to solid-state, simplify operations and lower the costs and labor associated with long-term tube transmitter maintenance.
GatesAir introduced its high-efficiency ULXT liquid-cooled transmitters for medium-to-high power UHF this past spring at NAB, delivering high power density, broadband amplification and improved energy efficiency via its PowerSmart 3D architecture.
