GatesAir recently announced that it is providing its over-the-air technology and RF service expertise to broadcasters testing over-the-air TV coverage from New York's One World Trade Center. The company has supplied its latest high-efficiency Maxiva UHF and VHF transmitters for the tests, which will determine how broadcasters can maximize coverage across the nation’s largest broadcast market from the new building.

The testing of the One World Trade Center antenna system, positioned at 1700 feet above ground, will allow broadcasters to perform a complete market coverage analysis as they consider relocation to the new site. The designated RF facility on the 89th floor has capacity for as many as 11 TV and 21 radio stations serving the New York City market.

GatesAir to provide on-site support

GatesAir will aid in installation, commissioning and onsite training to ensure that broadcasters and engineers from The Durst Organization, which manages and leases space at One World Trade Center, are familiar with the design and operation of the transmitters. The GatesAir service team will additionally undergo performance tests in advance of installation, including verification of pre-shipping tests conducted from its Quincy, Illinois manufacturing facility; and calibration of total UHF and VHF system power. Results are expected in February.

At 1,776 feet tall, One World Trade Center is the fourth-tallest building in the world, and has the greatest height of any skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. The turnkey UHF and VHF systems will include GatesAir transmitters, exciters and real-time adaptive correction software to accurately verify signal quality, compliance, receiving levels and other performance parameters across the entire region.

GatesAir will also use the tests to measure transmitter efficiency parameters, providing a reference point for customers interested in the long-term, cost-reducing benefits of Maxiva high-efficiency transmitters. The GatesAir service team will monitor reductions in energy consumption through GatesAir’s innovative PowerSmart 3D broadband transmitter architecture, among other performance measurements. In addition to green energy-saving benefits, PowerSmart 3D also reduces transmitter size and weight—an important consideration in shared transmitter facilities like One World Trade Center—and simplifies operations from in-the-field channel changes to long-term maintenance.