Broadcasting has encountered more technology change over the past thirty years than many of us care to think about. Analog has changed to digital delivery, SD has changed to HD and 4K, and sound is transitioning to deliver higher levels of immersive experience through object and surround sound. But the one consistent technology that has stood the test of time is RF.

RF differs from most other broadcast technology as it’s fundamentally analog. As the laws of physics haven’t changed in the past hundred years, then the underlying rules that govern all RF systems haven’t changed either. But what has changed is how we use RF in the context of modern broadcasting along with our understanding of how waves propagate through the universe.

Broadcasting has always driven technology to its limits, and this is certainly the case with RF. Morse devised the first channel coding system ninety years before Shannon formalized his achievements through information theory. And this in turn led to the development of the highly efficient coding systems that we use in modern broadcasting such as CODFM and 5G-NS.

Our RF understanding is sure to improve for as long as users continue to use mobile devices.

A Practical Guide To RF In Broadcast is a collection of twelve articles presented in four parts. Each part tackles a different theme and there are three articles per part:

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Part 1. History, Modulation & Regulation

AVAILABLE NOW - Download Part 1 HERE

Article 1 : The History Of Broadcast RF

We start at the beginning... Wireless delivery of news, messages and data is older than wire itself!

Article 2 : Broadcast Modulation

Defining the different types of RF modulation, power levels, regulatory standards and licensing for CW, AM, FM, and TV RF transmission.

Article 3 : Government Spectrum Regulation

The regulatory bodies such as the FCC, ITU and national governments, and how RF standards and regulations are set and enforced.

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Part 2. Bands, Designs & Radiation

AVAILABLE NOW - Download Part 2 HERE

Article 1 :  RF Spectrum Bands

What they are used for and why, and RF propagation as it relates to frequency.

Article 2 :  The Fundamentals Of TX & RX

Transmitter and receiver design to block diagram levels.

Article 3 :  The Principles Of RF Radiation

Choices of broadcast TV towers, antennas, feedline and filters, how to determine your needs.

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Part 3.  Planning Tuning & Monitoring

AVAILABLE NOW - Download Part 3 HERE

Article 1 : Transmitter Plant Planning

Broadcast transmitter facility planning, design and construction. What an engineering consultant can help with.

Article 2 : Tuning And Monitoring Transmitters

For legal and standards compliance and performance. During installation and daily operations.

Article 3 : RF System Monitoring

Studio Transmitter Links, remote monitoring, QoS probes, and other OTA signal monitoring solutions. Verifying signal coverage stability.

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Part 4. Codecs, Facilities & The Future

AVAILABLE NOW - Download Part 4 HERE

Article 1 : Codecs & Encoding
Here we look at codecs and encoding for digital RF modulation such as ATSC 3.0, DVB and other digital OTA standards, and Network requirements for encoding and delivering streaming internet video.

Article 2 : Other Radios In TV Stations
Why keeping control of wi-fi and other devices within a broadcast facility to ensure there is no interference with critical devices is essential.

Article 3 : The Future Of OTA TV In The USA
History is usually written by the victors, but at the moment it is far from clear exactly who the winners will be with OTA TV in the US over the next few years.