R
RadioDoc
Guest
Re: Not true at all.
> Hey Doc, since you have "blazed the HD trail", any chance of
> posting how you accomlpished this feat with 1 station? Did
> you low or high level combine, separate processors?
> Approximate cost involved to turn one station on. Feel free
> to go into as much detail as possible. I swear, I don't ever
> see us going HD. Some things our owner is just dead set
> against and dropping that much cash on something this new
> isn't something he is willing to do.
> But, in the event he decides it is time, I want to be armed
> with as much info as possible.
>
Well, I can tell you this:
As a Class B, the most common method is high-level combining. The other choices at that power level are another antenna or replacing youu current antenna with a dual-input (interleaved) model. I had considered dual-input antenna, but there are reports of intermod problems with these, so I took a pass. Adding antennas wasn't in the cards either. Soooo...
The two that I've done already, and the next one I'm starting are high level combined. In all cases we are using the Optimod 8500. Since those replace either 8400 or 8200's, I'm using Broadcast Tools switchers to make the old processors "hot backups" in case the 8500 fails.
All of the sites also have a redundant STL, so there is switching ahead of the processing to take care of that as well.
Keep in mind that in most cases with high-level combining, you'll need to update or improve your HVAC system, due to the added heat load from the HD transmitter.
In one case, I had a very large project. Due to space concerns, an older analog backup transmitter had to be removed to make space for the HD rig. In that case, we added a second RF switch to allow the new transmitter (Nautel V10) to do "double duty" as an HD and Analog backup rig. If the main goes down, I can switch the V10 around the injector, and use it as a 12kw analog backup rig, which is about 50% of our normal analog TPO.
Cost-wise, it's very hard to estimate. A large project can run in excess of $250,000, while a small one (read: 3 or 6KW using low-level) can be done for $100,000 or less, depending on need for processing and HVAC work. At the most basic configuration, you buy a Hybrid transmitter and processor, and you're done!
High-level, you'll need at least:
HD transmitter
IBOC Injector
Reject load
Processor
K9EZ can probably add to this. He actually had his on before mine! <P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> Hey Doc, since you have "blazed the HD trail", any chance of
> posting how you accomlpished this feat with 1 station? Did
> you low or high level combine, separate processors?
> Approximate cost involved to turn one station on. Feel free
> to go into as much detail as possible. I swear, I don't ever
> see us going HD. Some things our owner is just dead set
> against and dropping that much cash on something this new
> isn't something he is willing to do.
> But, in the event he decides it is time, I want to be armed
> with as much info as possible.
>
Well, I can tell you this:
As a Class B, the most common method is high-level combining. The other choices at that power level are another antenna or replacing youu current antenna with a dual-input (interleaved) model. I had considered dual-input antenna, but there are reports of intermod problems with these, so I took a pass. Adding antennas wasn't in the cards either. Soooo...
The two that I've done already, and the next one I'm starting are high level combined. In all cases we are using the Optimod 8500. Since those replace either 8400 or 8200's, I'm using Broadcast Tools switchers to make the old processors "hot backups" in case the 8500 fails.
All of the sites also have a redundant STL, so there is switching ahead of the processing to take care of that as well.
Keep in mind that in most cases with high-level combining, you'll need to update or improve your HVAC system, due to the added heat load from the HD transmitter.
In one case, I had a very large project. Due to space concerns, an older analog backup transmitter had to be removed to make space for the HD rig. In that case, we added a second RF switch to allow the new transmitter (Nautel V10) to do "double duty" as an HD and Analog backup rig. If the main goes down, I can switch the V10 around the injector, and use it as a 12kw analog backup rig, which is about 50% of our normal analog TPO.
Cost-wise, it's very hard to estimate. A large project can run in excess of $250,000, while a small one (read: 3 or 6KW using low-level) can be done for $100,000 or less, depending on need for processing and HVAC work. At the most basic configuration, you buy a Hybrid transmitter and processor, and you're done!
High-level, you'll need at least:
HD transmitter
IBOC Injector
Reject load
Processor
K9EZ can probably add to this. He actually had his on before mine! <P ID="signature">______________
</P>