High-power transmitters continue their evolution from IOT devices of 15-20 years ago to increasingly solid-state devices. In addition, there is lots of interest in ATSC 3.0, much of which will be on display on the NAB Show floor.
Unlike the transition from analog to digital, ATSC 3.0 will generally run on the same transmitter that ATSC 1.0 (the current standard) runs on, but there are still a number of RF components that need to change. Of course, there’s always the need for replacements and upgrades, so there are lots of things to shop for in this category on the show floor.
TRANSMITTERS
GATESAIR will feature its Maxiva ULXTE liquid-cooled UHF transmitter with PowerSmart Plus, which includes the XTE software-defined exciter with advanced real-time adaptive correction and a simple upgrade path to ATSC 3.0. ULXTE offers high-energy efficiency, ATSC 3.0 power parity, increased power density and IP-based monitoring and control.
ONETASTIC will showcase a new line of multichannel transmitters with common amplification and high integration. The units broadcast up to 7+1 independent channels from a single transmitter.
Egatel TUWH1000
EGATEL will spotlight the TUWH1000, a new ultra-compact (1RU) transmitter series that uses a wideband Doherty amplifier for efficiency. The TUWH1000 series can provide up to 125W of output power in UHF.
Rohde & Schwarz THU9evo UHF transmitter
HITACHI-COMARK will feature its Parallax VHF B3 solid-state VHF Band 3 DTV transmitter that provides up to 50 percent efficiency using liquid-cooled high-efficiency Doherty technology. The company will also highlight its ATSC 3.0 Starter, an integrated solution available for broadcasters to easily migrate their DTV station from MPEG-2 ATSC 1.0 workflow to ATSC 3.0.
ROHDE & SCHWARZ will show its upgraded THU9evo UHF transmitter, with improved energy efficiency and power density. The THU9evo delivers energy savings even during channel changes or when adjusting the output power, using an efficiency optimization feature that automatically provides the most economical operation.
RVR-ELETTRONICA, also known as Broadcast Depot, will spotlight its low-power UHF transmitter line that includes the PCM 150 UHF, a 150 Watt unit that fits in a 2RU space. The PCM 150 UHF can be used for either analog or digital.
TeamCast Vortex II exciter
TEAMCAST will show its Vortex II ATSC 3.0 exciter with STL interface, SFN capability and digital adaptive precorrection to maximize power amplifier efficiency. The company will also show its Tyger wideband DVB-S2/S2X modulator with a baudrate up to 480 Mbaud, 256 APSK and time-slicing.
ANTENNAS
DIELECTRIC will unveil several new TV products, including its ATSC 3.0-ready APT panel antenna. Designed to help broadcasters offer new services to traditional and mobile receivers, its flexibile master antenna array improves the probability of reaching mobile viewers.
ALIVE TELECOM will show its UHF elliptically polarized cavity slot antenna, a wide-band system that allows variable elliptical polarization. Available with either a single- or dual-input feed, the antenna is configurable to produce various azimuth and elevation patterns.
RADIO FREQUENCY SYSTEMS (RFS) will spotlight its RFStar UHF slotted-array antenna, which features cylindrical radomes for minimal wind load and work for both single and adjacent-channel applications.
ABE ELETTRONICA’S LB series of broadband antenna panels are built for extreme weather conditions and can be used as building blocks for complex antenna systems. At the show, the company will discuss how its LB antenna panels are broadband, will cover the entire VHF or UHF band and can accept input powers up to 2 kW per panel.
JAMPRO will feature its range of RF components and antennas, including the JA-SS super-slot medium-power broadband UHF antenna. The lightweight JA-SS has low wind load and requires a less massive tower structure.
RF COMPONENTS
DELTA MECCANICA will show a new 7.5 kW VHF DTV bandpass filter with eight cavities and an elliptical response. This bandpass filter provides a sharp cutoff and has a VSWR of 1:1. The company also has an improved DPDT motorized coaxial switch that can handle power up to 150W.
ELECTRONICS RESEAR CH INC. (ERI) will highlight a 35 kW UHF tunable bandpass filter for DTV applications. ERI will also focus on its VDM monitoring system that displays, monitors, records and communicates broadcast system operational information.
MYAT will feature its SpectraGuide EWG1800, a high-power elliptical waveguide for UHF channels 14-36. The company will also show a new high-power mask filter and coax switches.
V-SOFT COMMUNICATIONS will demo its Probe 4 propagation analysis system for Windows, which integrates high-resolution terrain and population databases with precise polygon-mapping to produce atlas-like coverage and interference maps for TV and FM.
TOWERS AND STRUCTURES
DAVICOM will highlight its DVLC-1 lightning strike counter that works with the company’s DVLD-1 Lightning Detector. Together, the two products allow Davicom remote control units to safely detect and count the actual lightning strikes sustained by a transmission tower.
SABRE TOWERS & POLES will feature its manufacturing and installation services. In addition to new towers and monopoles, Sabre provides engineering and materials for existing tower modifications, and complete turnkey systems including antenna and transmission line.
INTERNATIONAL TOWER LIGHTING will feature its range of lighting products and controllers. ITL has LED, incandescent and xenon lighting systems, and recently announced a solar-powered temporary tower light for emergency applications and construction safety.
STAINLESS TOWERS, now owned by FDH Velocitel, will discuss its engineering services for the ongoing television channel repack. The company has a long broadcast history in the U.S. and can use its original engineering documents to provide faster and more precise upgrades and reinforcements.
