Harris Corp. is introducing a new family of FM HD Radio and analog FM transmission products at the upcoming NAB Show as radio stations launch more data services related to HD Radio and look to improve the efficiency of their air chain and transmission infrastructure.
The Flexiva air-cooled FM transmitter is first in a line of next-gen FM transmitter products, said Tim Anderson, Harris Broadcast manager of strategic radio market and product development. At 16 rack units tall, the Flexiva is more compact and has a smaller footprint than any 10 kW FM transmitter, according to the supplier. That’s important as transmitter rooms become smaller and more crowded, he said.
It uses new RF amplifier technology that costs less to operate and maintain the transmitter as well, said Anderson. “Everybody wants lower power costs these days,” he said, noting that in Europe, power costs are more than double what they are in the U.S.
Harris Multi-System Controller Quad-mode operation supports FM, FM+HD Radio, HD Radio-only or DRM+ digital broadcasting.
Harris will display the Flexiva FAX10, 10 kW and FAX20, 20 kW transmitters; the Flexiva family offers FM power levels from 50 watts up to 20 kilowatts.
Also new for Harris is the FlexStar HDI-200 HD Radio Importer, responsible for accepting, managing and multiplexing HD Radio advanced applications services, including main and supplemental program audio channels. The new importer is now a one-rack unit size, half the size of the existing importer. Anderson said the HDI-200 Importer provides better reliability, lower power consumption and a quicker start-up than previous generation systems.
The Harris Multi-System Controller is also new. The next-generation control platform extends a transmitter’s redundancy and power range by enhancing the functionality and control of two or more transmitters, according to the supplier. The MSC is configurable across applications such as main/alternate, N+1 and dual transmitters. An optional I/O module supports most legacy and, for the first time, other vendors’ transmitters in N+1 systems.
NAB Show Booth: N2502
Info:www.broadcast.harris.com
