This is a file photo of a 1604-foot tall guyed tower that is owned by American Tower Corporation and was erected in 2007. The 12-foot face tower includes a three-arm Candelabra with a top of steel of 1464-feet above ground level. At the time this photo was taken the antennas had not yet been installed but they soon will be. The tower supports a 12-bay COGWHEEL® Master FM Antenna and Tyler Media’s KTUZ-TV, a Telemundo affiliate. KTUZ-TV transmits with an ERI TRASAR® UHF Television Antenna.
WIBN, 98 GOLD, serves Lafayette and surrounding area in Indiana and Illinois. The photo was taken as the ERI tower crew was finalizing the installation of this 295-foot guyed tower at the end of July 2010. The top 74-feet of the tower is an ERI LAMBDA® Optimized FM Antenna Mounting System and it supports an ERI Model LPX-6C FM antenna. The tower, antenna, transmission line and installation were all supplied to WIBN by ERI. The station had the misfortune it original tower brought down by an accident with heavy farm equipment. The tower was erected at the original location and work started as soon as the insurance settlement was reached. You can read more details on the accident and the aftermath at the Radio World web site.
This RF system provides mask filter and channel combiner for two Low Power DTV facilities which will operate on RF Channels 16 and 18. The filters are 6-section UF3000-63 and each filter input includes a Model DC3011-2 dual port, adjustable directional coupler. The system also includes a DC3012-3 3-port adjustable directional coupler at the combined output, which is not shown. The combined output will be fed to an ERI AL PLUS™ 12-bay elliptically polarized UHF television antenna.
Join ERI at NABSHOW Express for FREE! NAB’s online digital experience being held May 13 and 14. The event will feature premium curated content and a marketplace which includes product information, announcements and demonstrations.
You can register for this event here.
This is a broadband ERI HY0246 3.98 dB high band VHF hybrid power combiner which is just out of the paint booth and heading to shipping. The hybrid will be integrated into a system with an ERI HY0247 4.77 dB high band VHF hybrid. A 10 kW and 5 kW transmitter cabinets will be combined by the HY0247 and it combined output will be fed to the HY0246 will combine that 15 kW with another 10 kW transmitter cabinet for a total output transmitter power output of 25 kW.
A new broadband directional UHF television antenna that is part of a distributed transmission system antenna has just completed testing and the power divider and feed system have been disassembled and are being packed for shipment. The panel elements and support pole will be shipped in two (2) pieces each in a fitted support cradles and reassembled on site by the ERI installation crew.
This is a three (3) channel FM combiner built with 938A 3-section FM bandpass filters. Each convection-cooled filter is rated for up to 3.5 kW average power, if optional forced air-cooling is added power handling increases to 7.0 kW. The combined output is 1-5/8-inch EIA flanged and includes a dual port direction coupler. This system is also equipped with optional floor stand to support the filters.
This is one antenna element of a new broadband high band VHF television antenna destined for a Phase 10 FCC repack project. The horizontally polarized antenna element is one part of a four-element array which will be configured as a nondirectional antenna. ERI is also providing the transmission line to feed the antenna and the services required to install the antenna.
Many US cities, counties and states are implementing orders to limit physical contact between people including ordering non-essential businesses to close, all as a part of the effort to reduce the number of individuals infected by the Coronavirus. ERI is recognized as part of the US critical infrastructure communications industry and as such will maintain primary operations. On March 16th the President issued updated Coronavirus Guidance for America. This guidance states that:
“If you work in a critical infrastructure industry, as defined by the Department of Homeland Security, you have a special responsibility to maintain your normal work schedule.”
Consistent with this guidance Electronics Research, Inc. will remain open and operating at a capacity level necessary to make currently scheduled shipments, to respond to new orders and customer support requests. This exception for Critical Infrastructure businesses, which includes ERI, is included in Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb’s Stay at Home Order which became effective at 11:59 pm Tuesday March 24th until 11:59 pm April 7th and was extended to April 21st. Some of our workers are operating remotely but those working from home have access to the tools needed to perform their normal duties and ERI’s facilities are staffed and remain open to fill the needs of the radio and television stations that are performing the vital functions of delivering news, important safety information and providing entertainment to the audiences and communities they serve.
Your ERI Account Managers, Customer Service and Technical Service personnel are working their normal work schedules and are available to provide support to ERI’s installed base and also to work on new projects to improve your transmission facilities. Of course, ERI is adhering to all federal, state and local authority directives and recommendations that are currently in place to limit the spread of COVID-19, and ERI will take the steps necessary to comply with government requirements that may be put in place in the future.
ERI is here to provide support to the important work of broadcaster’s during these challenging times we are here to talk with broadcasters, manufacture our products, provide installation services for those products services and support our customers, as we always have. All of us at ERI extend our best wishes for safety and good health for you and the ones close to you during these challenging times.
The Staff and Management of ERI
April 9, 2020
This is part of the 16-bay, half wave bay to bay spaced array, RF Channel 6 antenna belonging to the University of Alabama. It’s one of two (2) Full Service Commercial Television Station in the US owned by an institution of higher learning. The station has a paid professional staff, along with University students who fill on-air, production and sales assistant roles. The station is a THISTV affiliate and operates as a satellite of co-owned WVUA-CD which is a Class A DTV station licensed to Tuscaloosa. This full power antenna extends its reach to cover the Birmingham-Tuscaloosa-Anniston market. ERI provided this antenna and performed installation in 2009. ERI also has other Low Band VHF television versions of its reliable and field proven ROTOTILLER® FM antenna. For a complete list of ERI’s antenna product line, click here: https://www.eriinc.com/catalog/antennas/
Photo courtesy of Westley Humphryes
