With the 2018 NAB Show set to open in Las Vegas on April 9, Maine-based antenna and RF systems manufacturer Dielectric is confident that it has the goods to work with stations impacted by the FCC’s post-spectrum auction repack process.
In fact, the company has issued initial technical proposals to 917 of the 987 repack-affected stations, many of those stations receiving auxiliary as well as main antenna proposals.
Designed with repack-affected broadcasters in mind, Dielectric’s newest UHF and VHF TV antennas cover power levels from 1 kW to 240 kW. At the NAB Show Dielectric will highlight the company’s range of antenna types, including high-power and low-power, broadband, narrow-band, center-fed and end-fed designs.
Products on display include the company’s TFU-WB, a side-mount UHF full band pylon antenna designed for higher voltage handling capabilities that also offers less windload and lower overall weight. Post-repack, TFU-WB antennas can serve as an auxiliary array or in a Single-Frequency Network (SFN). The array is available in either HPOL or EPOL.
A new lightweight aluminum, top-mount version of Dielectric’s TFU-GTH Series UHF slot antenna will also be a focal point for NAB attendees.
Dielectric expects to manufacture and ship more than 1,300 UHF antennas and 80 miles of rigid transmission line over the course of the repack period.
“With the opening of our new 33,000 square foot Lewiston, Maine manufacturing facility, and our freshly optimized engineering, design and production workflow, we’re well positioned to build and deliver whatever custom-designed antenna systems our customers need, ahead of their spectrum repack deadlines,” says Dielectric VP/Sales Jay Martin. “Our message at NAB is that Dielectric has the capacity to accommodate any level of repack business, and without limiting broadcasters to a specific few antenna designs. Our philosophy is to provide broadcasters the optimal antenna solution for their unique market requirements.”
The company also hired 55 new employees, and renegotiated with its key suppliers to ensure that there will be ample supplies of steel and aluminum poles, Invar, Teflon and the 80,000 flanges needed to ensure smooth, high-volume production.
In Las Vegas, Dielectric staff will be on hand to discuss the company’s post-sales support strategy for repack customers.
“We’re committed to making sure that our RF and antenna components offer exceptional performance and ship ahead of schedule so that broadcasters can keep their valuable programming on the air for an uninterrupted broadcast experience,” says Martin.
— Amber Hunt
Dielectric will be at the 2018 NAB Show in space C2613, April 9-12 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
