Price: $9.95
Don also spent some of that time writing for Broadcast Engineering magazine. Over 25 years, Don Markley merged his expertise about broadcast RF systems with his gift of communication and provided Broadcast Engineering readers with hundreds of columns on television RF system installation and maintenance.
Whether readers needed to know about tuning transmission lines, predicting coverage patterns or troubleshooting, Don's columns were touch-point tutorials. Don performed these tasks in his daily life as a consultant, so it was easy for him to teach others to do so. "Been there, done that" describes Don Markley's teaching style.
While Don's no longer around to update his tutorials, we've packaged some of his best and most fitting RF tutorials into this teaching eBook. This 91-page instructional eBook covers some of the last 10 years of Don's writing. The eBook examines four general areas of RF systems: antennas, transmission lines, towers and RF system maintenance.
The eBook's first chapter focuses on antennas. It reviews key antenna types, failure modes, tests and preventive maintenance. Because broadcast TV antennas are probably the least well understood component in a TV station's equipment portfolio, this is the longest chapter in the eBook.
The second chapter reviews transmission lines. Readers will learn about types of lines, maintenance issues, example failure modes and, most important, how to prevent them. Also covered is the selection and use of waveguide. This chapter concludes with a tutorial on identifying hot spots in transmission lines through the use of IR and heat-detecting equipment.
Chapter three focuses on antenna patterns and field strength. Readers will learn about selecting the proper test equipment, making site readings, and how to combine point field strength measurements into accurate representative antenna patterns.
Chapter four reviews broadcast towers. Engineers will learn about tower siting, size, height and loading and they will learn about the risk of ice, preventative maintenance and the importance of security systems. Finally, readers will find tips to predicting coverage holes and identifying factors that cause ghosting that often result in viewer complaints.
Whether you are new to the RF side of TV broadcast engineering or have years of experience, this eBook tutorial will provide useful information.
One caveat: Because these tutorials are based on his previous columns, some of the FCC rules and standards may have changed since these documents were written. Readers are cautioned to verify all current local, state and federal regulations that may apply to tower sighting, antennas or other rules as appropriate.
Even so, basic RF principles apply to all transmission systems, and the physics and electronics of RF transmission haven't changed. Learn well the basics, and you can troubleshoot, maintain and operate modern DTV installation with ease. In addition, Don brings to this eBook his 40 years of training and experience.
One of Don's favorite phrases was: Laissez les bons temps roule - let the good times roll. So, read on. You're about to be tutored by one of the finest consulting engineers to work in the television industry.
