ABC affiliate KTBS, in Shreveport, LA, has purchased a new antenna, transmission line, and tower modifications from Dielectric Communications that enabled partner station KPXJ, a UPN affiliate, to share its tower for greater cost efficiency and to improve its reception. Dielectric engineers a combiner and splitter that allow the stations to share a single 8in transmission line, which helped minimize tower modification requirements.
According to Lauren Ostendorff, president of KPXJ, the work completed by Dielectric turned a cost-prohibitive DTV challenge into a cost-effective, high-performance solution.
For KPXJ, the project accomplished several objectives. The station replaced its former analog antenna with a digital UHF antenna, and with the move to the much-taller KTBS tower, the new antenna was elevated from 450ft to 1600ft, greatly increasing KPXJ's coverage area.
KPXJ purchased Dielectric's TFU-30DSC-R S180 antenna, which provides an average power rating of 40kW. The side-mount TFU-series antenna was installed on the existing tower with only minor modifications.
For more information, visit www.dielectric.com.