Antenna designer and manufacturer Radio Frequency Systems is expanding its manufacturing capacity at its Meriden, Conn. headquarters in preparation for the TV spectrum repack following the spectrum auction this year.
The company says it will add indoor and outdoor space to produce and test products.
CTO of RFS Broadcast Division Nick Wymant says the company is “substantially” increasing its U.S.-based team and making a “significant” investment in new equipment to ensure the company has the engineering and manufacturing capabilities in Meridian for when broadcast owners need to switch channels.
RFS sells frequency and polarization agile antennas from its SBS series of wideband slot antennas, PEP Lite antennas and PEP master antennas. The SBB and PEP Lite antennas provide low wind-load and allow operation on any channel within the UHF band.
Combined with the recently introduced, fully tunable high power mask filters that can be re-tuned to any channel in a matter of hours, a system can be installed that allows operation on both pre-repack and post-repack channels ahead of the transition date, according to RFS. A rapid and simple frequency change to the new channel is then possible when the switch-over date occurs.
In addition to the new antenna products, RFS will continue to manufacture the traditional slotted pole (pylon) antenna types, however advanced design, testing and production methods will allow shorter than typical lead times for single channel pylon products, promises the manufacturer.
