Ecreso Helios FM transmitters have been certified by the FCC for operation by low-power FM stations throughout the United States. The company’s transmitter range has also been accredited by Industry Canada, so it can be deployed throughout North America.
With the newer LPFM criteria from the FCC, the number of licensed stations is expected to increase, after a filing window for new LPFM applications opens in October, the first in over a decade. Possibly hundreds of new stations could be authorized.
Manufacturers providing transmitters to these LPFM stations must receive special certification from the FCC to ensure compliance with the licensing requirements. Ecreso, a division of the WorldCast Systems group, is one of a few to offer certified FM transmitters for this market.
All compact transmitters in Ecreso’s Helios medium power range (350W to 1,000W) are FCC certified.
“With the certification of our compact Helios transmitters, licensed broadcasters now have greater choice when selecting a transmitter …,” said Tony Peterle, manager of WorldCast Systems’ Miami office.
According to the company, the Helios range includes a “direct to frequency” digital modulator for improved audio quality, efficiency of up to 74%, management by transmission control protocol /Internet protocol and simple network management proctocol and integrated functions such as a stereo encoder, FM limiter and radio data system encoder. Helios FM transmitters are equipped with a network interface and the company’s new measurement interface, which offers broadcast engineers a presentation of transmitter performance with a viewing panel displaying the output of onboard instrumentation that includes RF spectrum, MPX spectrum and audio spectrum analyses, as well as peak meters.
