1 / 47

Fixed and Portable Services in Broadcast Microwave Bands

Explore broadcast microwave bands, fixed & portable services, types of stations, trends in equipment, and sharing considerations. Presented by Dan Ryson, Cavell Mertz & Associates Inc., and SBE National Frequency Coordination Committee.

bostwick
Download Presentation

Fixed and Portable Services in Broadcast Microwave Bands

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Fixed and Portable Servicesin Broadcast Microwave Bands

  2. Presented By… Dan Ryson, Cavell Mertz & Associates, Inc. With Assistance and Photos From… Joe Snelson, Craig Strom, & Ray Benedict SBE National Frequency Coordination Committee Additional Photos Provided By… Cindy Cavell, Jeremy Lewis, Gary Nadler, & Mike Rhodes Broadcast Microwave

  3. What is Broadcast Microwave? • How broadcasters use BAS bands • Fixed point-to-point • News coverage • Sports coverage • Trends in equipment used by broadcasters • Considerations in sharing 7 & 13 GHz • SBE Frequency Coordinators Broadcast MicrowaveIntroduction

  4. Broadcast Microwave is: • A bit unusual • Associated with broadcast licenses • Renewed with broadcast license • Expiration concurrent with broadcast license • Originally administered by Media Bureau What is Broadcast Microwave?

  5. Types of Broadcast Microwave Stations What is Broadcast Microwave?

  6. Types of Broadcast Microwave Stations • Aural Broadcast Auxiliary Stations • Issued to AM, FM, LPFM, some FM translator, FM booster, and TV stations. • Aural studio transmitter link stations • Aural broadcast intercity relay stations • Aural broadcast microwave booster stations What is Broadcast Microwave?

  7. Types of Broadcast Microwave Stations • Television Broadcast Auxiliary Stations (§74.601) • Issued to a TV, Class A TV, LPTV, or TV translator stations and TV network entities. • Television pickup stations • TV studio transmitter link stations • TV relay stations • TV microwave booster stations • TV translator relay stations What is Broadcast Microwave?

  8. Aural Broadcast STL Stations • Radio Service code “AS” • Fixed stations for the transmission of aural program material between the studio and the transmitter of a broadcasting station. • ULS universe: 10,800 or 42.9% (as of May 2012) • There are far more Aural STLs than any other BAS Radio Service. What is Broadcast Microwave?

  9. Aural Broadcast STL Stations (cont’d.) • Typically licensed by radio stations • High Reliability Vital • Previously coordinated by local (often SBE) frequency coordination committees. • Now coordinated using Part 101 and PCN procedures What is Broadcast Microwave?

  10. Aural Broadcast Intercity Relay Stations • Radio Service code “AI” • Fixed stations for the transmission of aural program material to other radio stations, FM booster stations and FM translator stations, or other purposes per §74.531. • ULS universe: 6,419 or 25.5% (as of May 2012) What is Broadcast Microwave?

  11. Aural Intercity Relay Stations (cont’d) • Use same frequencies as Aural STLs • Typically licensed by radio stations • High reliability often required What is Broadcast Microwave?

  12. Aural Broadcast Microwave Booster Stations • Radio Service code “AB” • A fixed station in the broadcast auxiliary service that receives and amplifies signals of an aural broadcast STL or intercity relay station and retransmits them on the same frequency. • ULS universe: 7 or 0.03% (as of May 2012) • Same frequencies as Aural STL/ICRs What is Broadcast Microwave?

  13. TV Studio Transmitter Link Stations • Radio Service code “TS” • Fixed station that transmits TV program material and related communications from the studio to the transmitter of a TV, Class A or LPTV station or other purposes per §74.631. • ULS universe: 3,112 or 12.4% (as of May 2012) • There are more TV STLs than other TV services What is Broadcast Microwave?

  14. Television Pickup Stations • Radio Service code “TP” • Land mobile stations for transmission of TV program material and related communications from scenes of events to TV or LPTV stations or other purposes per §74.631. • ULS universe: 2,616 or 10.4% (as of May 2012) • Because they’re unusual, we’ll focus on TV Pickup Stations in today’s presentation. What is Broadcast Microwave?

  15. TV Relay Stations • Radio Service code “TI” • Commonly known as “ICR” (InterCity Relay) • A fixed station for transmission of TV program material and related communications for use by TV, Class A or LPTV stations or other purposes as per §74.631. • ULS universe: 6,419 or 25.5% (as of May 2012) What is Broadcast Microwave?

  16. TV Microwave Booster Stations • Radio Service code “TM” • A fixed station in the TV broadcast auxiliary service that receives and amplifies signals of a TV pickup, TV STL, TV relay, or TV translator relay station and retransmits them on the same frequency. • ULS universe: 9 or 0.04% (as of May 2012) What is Broadcast Microwave?

  17. TV Translator Relay Stations • Radio Service code “TT” • A fixed station used for relaying programs and signals of TV broadcast or Class A TV stations to Class A TV, LPTV, TV translator, and to other communications facilities that the Commission may authorize or for other purposes as permitted by §74.631. • ULS universe: 574 or 2.3% (as of May 2012) What is Broadcast Microwave?

  18. Common Terms • BAS – Broadcast Auxiliary Service • ENG – Electronic News Gathering • ENG Truck – A vehicle (typically a van) equipped with a mast, transmitter & antenna • Portable – Temporary fixed links, sometimes used on building rooftops or mountains and deployed from the trunk of a car. What is Broadcast Microwave?

  19. Common Terms • Mobile – Transmissions from a vehicle in motion or aircraft • Backhaul link – A fixed link used to transmit program material to the studio What is Broadcast Microwave?

  20. Broadcast Auxiliary Microwave Bands • Aural • 944–952 MHz • 18 GHz BAS band – 18.76 to 18.82 GHz and 19.10 to 19.16 (legacy)* • * Shared with other services What is Broadcast Microwave?

  21. Broadcast Auxiliary Microwave Bands • ENG, STL, ICR, Television Translator Relay • 2 GHz BAS band – 2,025 to 2,110 MHz • 2.5 GHz BAS band – 2,450 to 2,483.5 MHz* • 7 GHz BAS band – 6875 to 7125 MHz* • 13 GHz BAS band – 12.70 to 13.25 GHz* • 18 GHz BAS band – 17.70 to 18.58 GHz and 19.26 to 19.70* • * Shared with other services What is Broadcast Microwave?

  22. Broadcast Auxiliary Microwave Bands • Mobile Only • 6.5 GHz BAS band – 6,425 to 6,525 MHz* • * Shared with other services What is Broadcast Microwave?

  23. Studio Transmitter Link (STL) – Transmits program material from the studio to the main transmitter How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  24. Intercity Relay (ICR) – Feed program material back to the studio such as: • TV Network programs from off-site satellite receivers • Remote news bureaus • ENG receive sites • Studio programming to other TV stations How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  25. Television Pick-Up • Sports: • Camera back operation inside a stadium How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  26. Television Pick-Up • Sports (cont’d): • Television remotes such as parades and sporting events How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  27. Television Pick-Up • Sports (cont’d): • Multiple non-directional receive antennas were located throughout the NASCAR track. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  28. Television Pick-Up • Sports (cont’d): • Golf coverage is particularly challenging • This temporary transmitter site is for a multiple golf course event. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  29. Television Pick-Up • Sports (cont’d): • This is the temporary receive site for the same multi-course broadcast. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  30. Television Pick-Up • Sports (cont’d): • Some sports coverage requires Herculean effort. • This is 1 of 6 7GHz microwave relays from Mount Everest to Kathmandu, Nepal. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  31. Television Pick-Up • News: • Temporary, transmit equipment for live news coverage of the 2009 inauguration. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  32. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • Rooftop Receive Equipment for live news coverage of the 2009 inauguration. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  33. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • This is the WLS-TV, Chicago newsroom. • Journalists pick the news stories that deserve coverage. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  34. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • The WLS-TV Assignment Desk monitors and dispatches news crews How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  35. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • Based on the story and the location, the Assignment Desk may deploy an ENG truck. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  36. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • The ENG truck is equipped with AC and generator controls, UHF communications, a digital editor, and ENG/SNG modulators and power amplifiers. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  37. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • They may also deploy the WLS-TV helicopter, known as Chopper 7HD. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  38. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • ENG signals are received by a steerable antenna atop Willis Tower, the tallest building in the USA. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  39. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • From such a tall rooftop, one might think ENG coverage with low antennas wouldn’t be a challenge. Still, “bounce” shots are often necessary. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  40. Television Pick-Up • News (cont’d): • At the studio, Transmission is responsible for remote control of the Central Receive antennas. How Broadcasters Use BAS Bands

  41. Lower Antenna Gain and Height. • Will-Burt “Night Scan” mast doesn’t require any interior vehicle space. Only extends ~15 ft. BAS Microwave Equipment Trends

  42. Combination of ENG and Satellite Technology. • In some cases, ENG is used for “first mile” and satellite is used to backhaul video to a distant city. BAS Microwave Equipment Trends

  43. Wireless Camera-back Transmitter • Often used for short “hop” to the ENG truck or in lieu of long cable runs in buildings. BAS Microwave Equipment Trends

  44. 3G, 4G, WiFi, Microwave Combo • Claimed to go where ENG and satellite signals are impractical. • Shared with public, can be problematic. BAS Microwave Equipment Trends

  45. Fixed and Mobile in the Same Band: • News crews are often in a rush to get to a news event and quickly establish video. • STLs must have high reliability – or broadcast stations go off the air. • Having these diametrically opposed needs within the same band can be problematic, even among fellow broadcasters. • New FCC Rules preclude FS in markets with 7 & 13 GHz ENG. It’s a good move. Sharing 7 & 13 GHz – Possible Issues

  46. Most coordinators are unpaid volunteers • Many are familiar with the nuances of broadcasting and news – in their region. • They typically do not assign frequencies • Primarily a facilitator to provide contact and predominant use information • May not know precise, day-to-day usage by every broadcaster in his region. • There are a few incorporated coordination committees SBE Frequency Coordination

  47. Questions Fixed and Portable Servicesin Broadcast Microwave Bands

More Related