Question about radio feeds!

[Mrtejano]

I think I’m using the right term, but well like here in Houston Tx we have Radio Aleluya. How does a station like them transmit from Houston and replays in Other cities where the original signal doesn’t reach?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

The big time operations (K-Love, Moody, etc) use a satellite uplink and downlink.

In other cases, stations will use a microwave dish link between their transmitter sites. And in others still, an Internet feed is used with a Barix Instreamer or similar equipment. Which one is appropriate is a balance of budget and the sites that need to be linked. Internet has the lowest startup cost.

 

[umfan]

Some also send their feeds over the internet. This is more common where the content can be downloaded first as opposed to being streamed which is less reliable than satellite or microwave transmission. It's far more cost effective than the alternatives.

 

[RadioFan2J3]

In regards to microwave links, how many broadcasters are using microwave systems of more than two links?

I can certainly understand a one hop system, STL style, possibly a two hop system where the STL distance might be too long for a single hop, but what about three hops or even longer?

I worked at one operation which had a seven hop microwave system, but after the satellite distribution network was established, the microwave system went to standby and then dark, when someone took down a passive reflector on an adjacent building, not knowing what it was and we never used the system again.