GatesAir Teams With Durst For 1WTC Tower Move

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GatesAir, working closely with The Durst Organization, has completed the relocation of a New York broadcaster to One World Trade Center nearly four years after its opening.


The undisclosed UHF broadcaster is now on the air with a GatesAir Maxiva ULXTE liquid-cooled transmission system. The complete installation includes two Maxiva ULXTE-80 transmitters (broadcasting at 47.2kW (pre-filter) TPO), each equipped with GatesAir’s Maxiva XTE exciter.

The Durst Organization operates the new dedicated Broadcast Center on the 90th floor of the lower Manhattan landmark tower to manage the installation and commission. The companies have also enacted a full preventative maintenance strategy that covers post-sales support, spare parts delivery and other technical support needs.

The Durst Organization and the Port Authority worked to return New York City broadcasters to the World Trade Center following the events of 9/11. The Broadcast Center has been fully equipped with new RF systems (including signal combiners), antennas, emergency generators and other equipment to support local broadcasters.

The Durst Organization also designed the facility for optimal energy efficiency, including LED lighting and a large water plant. The latter was added to encourage a liquid-cooled architecture for new transmitter installations, with the goal of minimizing air-conditioning loads, power consumption, and related utility costs.

In addition to its liquid-cooled design, the ULXTE incorporates the newest LDMOS RF devices as a way to reduce footprint and weight, and optimize efficiency and power gains.

GatesAir has raised overall ULXTE transmitter efficiency up to 45%, and improved transmitter power by 20%, the company says. “The latter offers a significant operational benefit by allowing broadcasters to drive more power from a smaller transmitter, substantially improving cost per watt,” it says.

John Lyons, Asst. VP and director of broadcast communication for The Durst Organization, said, “Along with our implementation of a liquid-cooled combiner, the ULXTE plays an important role in reducing water flow to the building to support air conditioners, and keeping the Broadcast Center at exactly the same temperature year-round. The compact ULXTE footprint has also been highly valuable for integrating critical equipment into a much smaller space, which opens up more space for expansion as we grow.”

GatesAir CEO Bruce Swail added, “This installation continues our 95-plus year legacy of supporting the world’s largest broadcasters and transmission facilities, and we are proud to support The Durst Organization and their green initiatives to keep operational costs and system maintenance to an absolute minimum.”