High power solid state FM transmitter offers up to 44 kW at an affordable cost;  50 kW AM transmitter sets new standards for high power AM transmission; advanced user interface brings unmatched instrumentation and control to both products.

April 14, 2008 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Las Vegas, Nevada, NAB Booth N7116 – Nautel Limited has introduced two new high power transmitters for AM and FM broadcasters, shattering industry standards with capabilities not previously seen for these power levels.

The new NV40 offers the highest single cabinet power output of any FM transmitter available with a maximum analog power output of 44 kW. For the first time, an HD ready Solid State FM transmitter has been introduced that challenges the cost efficiency of tube type HD transmitters. It offers three modes of operation: HD, Hybrid and Analog. The NV40 has an integral digital exciter which supports adaptive pre-correction, and offers a plug-in upgrade to the HD Radio^TM Exgine. Nautel designed the product to occupy a footprint as much as 60% less than comparable solid state and tube transmitters, provides advanced instrumentation and management tools, and optionally offers Nautel’s new HD Power Boost technology for more IBOC power. The NV40’s maximum power outputs are 44 kW in Analog mode, 32 kW in Hybrid mode and 12 kW in HD mode.

For high power AM broadcasting, the new NX50 is the next generation of the company’s 50 kW transmitter. The NX50 supports all HD Radio or DRM^® modes with an internal DRM or Exgine IBOC generator. The NX50 provides adaptive precorrection, 2.7 MHz Direct Digital Modulation, and 88% efficiency, the best in the industry.

Both products feature Nautel’s new Advanced User Interface (AUI), a 17 inch color LCD screen with a wide range of configurable displays. The AUI includes real time locus measurement; an instrument grade spectrum analyzer; an IBOC modulation analyzer; module-level monitoring and control and logging of all functions. The AUI can be controlled by touch screen or via a mouse and keyboard. In addition, users have 100% remote access to transmitters via a web browser.

“These products represent the next generation in high power transmission, bringing advanced technologies to users at affordable prices and with traditional Nautel high reliability,” said Peter Conlon, Nautel president and CEO. “Our engineers continue to push the limits of transmitter design, and they will bring the industry the best digital transmission choices for years to come. With Nautel, you can truly expect more.”

About Nautel

Nautel is a global leader in the design, manufacture, sales and support of high power Radio Frequency (“RF”) products for AM and FM broadcast, navigation, industrial and space-based applications. With a long history of creating highly innovative products, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for the digital radio broadcast revolution. Thousands of customers in more than 170 countries have discovered that Nautel delivers world class RF solutions – systems that meet stringent quality standards at its ISO-registered manufacturing facilities.

# # #

For more information please contact:

John Whyte
Marketing Manager
902-823-3900 ext. 174
902-802-1281 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Radio Work.

www.nautel.com

Multimillion dollar contract awarded to Nautel for transmitters for the Turkish Radio – Television Corporation (TRT).

January 15, 2009 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia Canada – Nautel Ltd. today announced that the company has been awarded the contract for 133 FM transmitters ranging in size from 1kW to 20kW. The digital capable transmitters will be used to modernize Turkey’s national FM Radio infrastructure and will be deployed by Turkish Radio – Television Corporation (TRT). Nautel had previously announced that it is also supplying multiple 300kW transmitters to be used to modernize Turkey’s medium wave broadcast capability.

Turkey boasts a world class public service broadcaster in TRT. Based in Ankara, TRT provides one local, eight regional and four national radio services. In addition, Voice of Turkey provides programming in 27 languages including Turkish on shortwave. TRT radio is available on internet, satellite and cable as well as terrestrial services.

Nautel transmitters are designed to provide maximum on-air continuity with ease of service by utilizing hot-pluggable RF power modules and power supply modules. The company’s transmitters show a consistent track record of robust operation through deployments in harsh environments in over 176 countries around the world. Current Nautel designs boast industry leading efficiency plus state of the art user interfaces and remote management over the web. This advanced control capability will allow TRT to manage all remote sites from their central operations center in Ankara.

“This win in the face of extensive competition confirms Nautel’s position as one of the worlds largest suppliers of radio broadcast transmitters, and we are pleased to partner with TRT on such a significant project for their country,” said Peter Conlon, Nautel President and CEO. “The continued endorsement of Nautel’s transmitter solutions by customers such as TRT confirms that our ongoing investments in engineering and product support are resulting in the solutions that worldwide customers are seeking.”

More information on TRT may be found at http://www.trt.net.tr.

About Nautel

Nautel is a global leader in the design, manufacture, sales and support of high power Radio Frequency (“RF”) products for AM and FM broadcast, navigation, industrial and space-based applications. With a long history of creating highly innovative products, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for the digital radio broadcast revolution. Thousands of customers in more than 176 countries have discovered that Nautel delivers world class RF solutions – systems that meet stringent quality standards at its ISO-registered manufacturing facilities.

# # #

For more information please contact:

John Whyte
Marketing Manager
902-823-3900 ext. 174
902-802-1281 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Radio Work.

www.nautel.com



New product designed to simplify multicasting operations with more compact and robust Importer solution.

April 20, 2009

NAB 2009, Booth N7016 – Building upon Nautel’s reputation for digital radio innovation, the company has introduced the Importer Plus, a compact and reliable solution that can be used by broadcasters to add up to two additional programming channels and other supplemental audio and data services to their HD Radio transmission.

An optional component of HD Radio systems, the Nautel Importer Plus codes the secondary program services of an IBOC transmission including digital channels two and three. A convenient user interface permits the selection of IBOC service modes and partitioning of IBOC signal bandwidth for a variety of audio and data services including multicasting.

The company says its design philosophy behind the Importer Plus is similar to the approach taken by the NAB on the highly successful embedded exporter project that resulted in Nautel’s award winning Exporter Plus. Both the Exporter Plus and the new Importer Plus offer broadcasters more reliable and easier to deploy solutions for HD Radio broadcasting. The Importer Plus is housed in an ultra compact 1 RU enclosure and is the first implementation of an HD Radio Importer to use reliable solid state storage instead of a traditional hard drive. The result is dramatically faster boot times of approximately 20 seconds along with outstanding reliability. The Importer Plus uses a dual core processor to achieve twice the performance of its predecessor. Nautel also offers remote troubleshooting of the Importer Plus via the company’s Remote View service.

“Over the past few years, Nautel has been leading the way in development of HD Radio transmission products, focusing on reliable and robust solutions for any operating environment,” said Peter Conlon, Nautel President and CEO. “With the Importer Plus, Nautel makes it easy for broadcasters to bring additional audio and data services into their HD programming.”

About Nautel

Nautel is a global leader in the design, manufacture, sales and support of high power Radio Frequency (“RF”) products for AM and FM broadcast, navigation, industrial and space-based applications. With a long history of creating highly innovative products, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for the digital radio broadcast revolution. Thousands of customers in more than 170 countries have discovered that Nautel delivers world class RF solutions – systems that meet stringent quality standards at its ISO-registered manufacturing facilities.

# # #

For more information please contact:

John Whyte
Marketing Manager
902-823-5174
902-802-1281 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Radio Work.

www.nautel.com

A full suite of HD Radio™ and DRM / DRM+ solutions are now available including Asymmetrical Sideband and HD PowerBoost™ capabilities.

NAB 2011, Booth C1314

Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia — Nautel Limited demonstrated the company’s full suite of digital radio transmission technologies at NAB 2011.

In 2009, Nautel became the first vendor to move all of its digital components off unreliable PC platforms and onto dedicated solid state designs with RAM based storage. Products introduced since then include the Importer Plus, Exporter Plus, AM IBOC, HD PowerBoost and Nautel’s exclusive Asymmetrical Sideband method of protecting adjacent channel broadcasters while optimizing the HD Radio™ signal. Another technology from Nautel is HD Reliable Transport, which helps ensure reliable studio-to-transmitter HD Radio communications and reduces the bandwidth requirements for STLs.

Nautel has also partnered with the DRM Consortium to bring the industry’s first DRM+ transmitters to market. Nautel transmitters have been featured at numerous DRM+ trials including the largest one now occurring in Edinburgh, Scotland.

“Our engineers have led the way in addressing specific digital transmission needs for customers all over the world,” said Peter Conlon, Nautel President and CEO. “As more stations deploy digital transmission technologies, we will continue to listen to their suggestions and work to develop technologies that will make digital operations both easy and reliable. It’s another reason why you can Expect More with Nautel.”

About Nautel

Nautel is a global leader in the design, manufacture, sales and support of high power Radio Frequency (“RF”) products for AM and FM broadcast, navigation, industrial and space-based applications. With more than 10,000 transmitters deployed since 1970 for AM and FM broadcast, communication systems, navigation applications and industrial RF systems, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting and other applications. Thousands of customers in more than 177 countries have discovered that Nautel delivers world class RF solutions – systems that meet stringent quality standards at its ISO 9001-2008 registered manufacturing facilities.

# # #

For more information please contact:

John Whyte
Marketing Manager
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com
Making Digital Radio Work.
www.nautel.com

Radio World, 10.05.2011, by Bill Eisenhamer

http://www.radioworld.com/article/goldilocks-transmitters-serve-san-diego/23457

SAN DIEGO — In 2008 KBZT(FM) and KIFM(FM) were slated for their HD Radio installations. Having a couple of years under our belts with our third station, we thought we knew where we were headed. As it turned out, 2008 became a very interesting and complex year for our facilities.

We’d just finished a rushed but successful studio remodel and completed a studio move. Now we had to plan for our HD installations. To add insult to injury we were in the middle of rebuilding an AM tower that had come down during a storm at the end of 2004.

Squeak in a Class A station HD installation for KSOQ, and we had a handful.

Plans

The planning began with the location.

The KBZT and KIFM transmitter site was nice but the room was small and space was limited. Each Class B station runs a TPO of 10 kW and each must maintain a full-power auxiliary transmitter. The power level created the main headache as the transmitter had to be sized to maintain this analog output level and produce the required power for the digital.

The year began with us considering a handful of transmitters that were either too large as a single box or too large when combined, essentially requiring four transmitters to replace two.

Mounds of drawing configurations piled up. April arrived and the NAB convention gave us an opportunity to see what some of these beasts looked like and what they did.

Wandering the NAB floor for a specific goal was interesting. The typical reacquaintance session occurred whilst looking at the various transmitters.

Our company had a meeting with Nautel to see their latest and greatest. Jeff Welton, Nautel sales manager for Central USA, told us about the new NV40 solid-state transmitter. Being the assistant at the time, I hung near the rear of the group to allow the others (decision makers) to ogle the NV40 closely.

As Jeff’s presentation continued, I began to size up the box. Power-wise it was too much for our needs. Physically it was still a bit too large. Yet the presentation was intriguing. As it wound down I commented from the rear of the crowd, “Cut that in half and I may buy one.”

The year progressed, more plans were configured, and a decision had to be made. I received information regarding the new NV20 transmitter from Nautel. Because I was doing the drawings and space planning, the dimensions were directed to me. Two NV20s were a perfect physical fit, plus the price was right.

I reported back to Nautel that if they could be delivered within our required time schedule, they would fit our needs perfectly.

As the year moved into the third quarter the drive to install ramped up. I found myself promoted to chief engineer. Now the project was fully in my hands, along with the AM tower construction and our Class A station HD Radio installation.

I called up Jeff to find out what we’d recently submitted for purchase and what our timeline was, because until my promotion, I hadn’t been in the loop regarding final purchase once planning and drawings had been completed. Jeff gave me the rundown and I supplied the required information for the transmitters. As it turns out we also purchased a Nautel V1-D for the Class A station. The price was right, the size was right.

Now the delivery had to be right. All the equipment was required on site no later than Dec. 31. We were assured that it would be, including the V1-D.

Like champs

December 2008 became quite busy. The construction of the AM tower was in full swing. Storms were delaying everything.

We took delivery of the V1-D well ahead of schedule from Nautel on Dec. 10 and had it on the air by Dec. 19. Now we turned our attention to the NV20s.

The old transmitters were removed on Dec. 22 and we took delivery of the new ones on Christmas Eve late in the afternoon. J.R. Rogers, director of technical services and IT manager for Lincoln Financial Media, and I sat waiting for the truck for nearly six hours in what had to be the coldest day in San Diego in years.

As typical with delivery companies, no tools to move the transmitters properly were available. By 4 p.m. we finally had the transmitters in place. The first two production models of the NV20 in the United States, serial numbers H103 and H104, sat in our transmitter room.

After a well-deserved weekend, we began installation of the transmitters. Working with e-mailed copies of a manual in progress, I had the first transmitter plumbed and running into a RF load on Dec. 31. Mind you it was FM-only, but it was running.

The second transmitter was plumbed and running, FM-only, into a load by the end of the second week of January 2009. We were ready to have Nautel come out and commission the boxes. I had great support from the Nautel technical staff and Scott Marchand, FM project leader. Any question was answered in a timely manner.

The first NV20 was on the air Jan. 28, 2009. One of Nautel’s customer service technicians, Nelson Bohorquez, was on-site for commissioning.

J.R. and I both learned much about the nuances of creating the HD during this exercise. We also impressed Nelson on our ability to diagnose and troubleshoot the untested network during this time.

The second transmitter aired on Jan. 29. Due to some interesting issues with the second transmitter it took until Feb. 13 to go on air in full FM + HD. As with any new product we experienced minor issues, but nothing that threatened the on-air performance. Bohorquez was there for the on-air debut; Marchand and the rest of the Nautel crew were at the ready. It was a big deal. I appreciate all the help from the staff.

Since installation, we have performed a number of software updates that were easy to perform, some of which were intermediate to final releases. A beta test site, if you will. Actually, a “reality” test site, as it turned out.

We monitored the transmitters closely and reported anything that may need attention. We gave suggestions.

In our curiosity we experimented on access to the Exgine of one exciter. We clicked on the “wrong” answer and crashed the card. A timely repair from Nautel corrected the issue.

We experienced a loss of phase one night, as the local power company blew a fuse leading to the site. When I arrived, both transmitters were still on air and running at reduced power. The auxiliary transmitters were dead. I was shocked.

I love the Nautel AUI and remote accessibility; it is a great tool. With VPN and Web access, I can monitor the transmitters anywhere. The logging keeps me informed of any potential issues.

Two years later the Nautel NV20s are running like champs. We upgraded our HVAC to accommodate the heat load. We continue to monitor the transmitters. They work. Thanks for the support, Nautel.

The author is chief engineer for Lincoln Financial Media Co. of California.

For information, contact Chuck Kelly at Nautel in Nova Scotia at (902) 823-2233 or visit www.nautel.com.

Underlining Nautel’s Commitment to digital radio, DRM Inside™, the industry’s most integrated DRM Modulator/content server, will provide an easy to manage and integrated approach for Digital Radio Mondial transmission.

IBC, Amsterdam, stand 8.C61 — Nautel Limited has announced “DRM Inside”, a simplified approach to DRM broadcasting using an integrated DRM Modulator and content server for its NX Series. Integration results in a cost effective and simplified DRM deployment. Users can achieve local or remote configuration, operation and monitoring using just one user interface, Nautel’s award winning Advanced User Interface (AUI). The full function DRM solution will be supported in all NX Series MW and LW transmitters with available outputs of 25 kW to 2000 kW. Existing NX Series customers will have an option to upgrade to DRM Inside by way of an internal PCB card and an easy AUI software update.

“DRM Inside is one more demonstration of Nautel’s focus on ‘Making Digital Radio Work’,” said Peter Conlon, Nautel President and CEO. “Customers have been excited as our engineers place more intelligence and capability inside our transmitters such as Orban Inside for audio processing, IP Audio I/O, automation features or in this case DRM.”

Developed in conjunction with RFmondial and Fraunhofer IIS of Germany, Nautel’s DRM Inside consists of software enhancements to the Nautel AUI, a compact embedded modulator with integrated Fraunhofer DRM ContentServer™, as well as redundant MDI inputs from external DRM ContentServers. The Nautel Advanced User Interface provides presets, logging, diagnostics, and local/remote control of all transmitter functions. The AUI also incorporates an instrument-grade audio analyzer and modulation monitor with display screens that are easy to set up and read. “It is the integration with Nautel’s AUI that unleashes the full power of DRM Inside,” commented Hal Kneller, Nautel Sales Manager Europe. “DRM modes and settings will be controlled within the AUI and can take advantage of presets and the ability to monitor the DRM spectrum remotely.”

DRM Inside has projected availability of Q2 2012. Nautel will be hosting live demonstrations of a DRM Inside prototype and its NX Series transmitters at IBC stand 8.C61. DRM+ is also being demonstrated on Nautel’s award winning NV and VS Series FM transmitters with outputs of 300 W to 88 kW.

About Nautel

Nautel has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters. With more than 10,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Marketing Manager
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Radio Work.
www.nautel.com

Radio World Engineering Extra, October 17, 2012, by Stephen Rutherford

Read the full article online >

Learn more about VS Series transmitters >

Radio Magazine, July 1, 2013, By Doug Irwin

Read the full article with photos and illustrations at radiomagonline.com >

In February 2010, iBiquity released a paper on techniques for measuring the quality of IBOC transmissions. A quality-metric known as MER (Modulation Error Ratio) was introduced by the National Radio Systems Committee as a standard. If you don’t read the entire document, it’s important to note that stakeholders in the United States have agreed to this methodology.

After three years we are now seeing the introduction of MER metering for IBOC transmitters. Nautel recently made this available for its NV and NX series transmitters; Continental also has MER metering in its current HD Radio exciter, the 802Ex FM/HD. Nautel recently presented a webinar on its MER techniques rel=”nofollow”>

According to information presented in the webinar, Nautel has implemented the FM MER technique described in the iBiquity paper in its NV series transmitters. There’s no standard for AM, however, so Nautel has implemented what it refers to as a textbook standard methodology for its AM transmitters MER measurement.

So what are the implications of a low MER value, and how is MER measured? Conceptually (at least) it’s pretty straightforward. Recall that the IBOC subcarriers are in groups (or partitions) consisting of both QPSK (for the data) and BPSK for the reference carriers. See Figure 1.
[Figure 1. The FM HD Radio spectrum.]

In an ideal situation, when QPSK carriers are demodulated the result would be perfect placement inside the constellation, resulting in easy error-free detection, (Figure 2). In the real world though, when the QPSK carriers are demodulated they show up close to the right (reference) spot, but not exactly right on.
[Figure 2. The QPSK constellation showing error-free detection.]

MER measures how off the actual readings are from the reference points, as Q1 through Q4 show in Figure 3 after demodulation.
MER example. [Figure 3. MER example]

The farther off the readings, the more difficult it is for the receiver to correctly detect the signal. If they are too far off then they can’t be detected well, resulting in bit errors. Too many bit errors leads to a total failure of the demodulation and decoding process.

It is interesting to note that peak-to-average power reduction actually generates noise in the constellation, but that particular noise ultimately has little effect on the ability of the receiver to properly demodulate the data. David Hershberger, senior scientist for Continental Electronics, wrote in his paper “IBOC Signal Quality Measurements” that “Peak-to-average (PAR) reduction algorithms may introduce enough deliberate distortion to digital signals that the effects of a transmitter on MER are obscured. Special measurement methods can separate the effects of a transmitter from that of PAPR reduction.” And further: “The PA(P)R reduction noise is large compared to other OFDM systems. A textbook evaluation of MER … will result in the PA(P)R reduction noise dominating the measurement. For this reason NRSC has proposed several modified MER measurements which result in metrics which are closer to the true system performance.” Both the Continental and Nautel implementations of MER effectively subtract noise generated by PAR from the measurement results.

The Nautel implementation of MER uses an RF sample from the transmitter output to derive the MER. (It’s the same sample used for the adaptive pre-distortion.) The measurement is fairly granular in that it allows you to see the MER of each partition (or group of subcarriers) and therefore how each partition is being affected by some external influence. Some examples will demonstrate this.

In Figure 4, we see a partition fairly far removed from the center frequency, with a high MER.
[Figure 4.]

In Figure 5, we see a partition closer in, with somewhat of a lower MER.
[Figure 5.]

Low MER can actually decrease the coverage area of the IBOC transmissions, and especially for AM (according to the webinar) it can make the receivers in the field take longer to lock on the IBOC data, as Table 1 shows. Interference from MER and noise add linearly at the receiver. A standard Exgine signal has MER of 17-18dB using iBiquity PAR.
[Table 1. The effects of MER on FM reception.]

An MER of 14dB or better is the standard for what is considered acceptable by iBiquity.

The MER of the inner partitions can be negatively affected (i.e., reduced) by components in the analog transmission as well. Stations using the MP3 mode (which you would use to broadcast HD3 for example) could inadvertently have their HD coverage compromised to some extent by the inclusion of high frequency SCAs. Figure 6 shows this.
[Figure 6. Effects of increased modulation index.]

Note that the MER for the inner partitions degrades as the baseband is loaded with more signals. A stereo subcarrier alone will affect IBOC quality. Traditional subcarriers primarily affect the MP3 partition, but can affect the MP1 as well… Continue reading at radiomagonline.com >

Learn more about MER Instrumentation for HD Radio rel=”nofollow”>

Digital Production Middle East, March 11, 2014

Read the article at www.digitalproductionme.com >

One of the world’s largest broadcast transmitter manufacturers, Nautel, gave CABSAT visitors a look at its latest technologies today.

Nautel’s John Macdonald (left) and Wendell Lonergan (right) at CABSAT 2014.

Speaking at the event, Wendell Lonergan, Head of Broadcast Sales said: “We come to CABSAT every year and we do all the major shows in the world. Over the last seven years, we have completely changed our portfolio and become the largest supplier of both AM and FM transmitters, we have new technologies in both AM and FM this year, it’s all about making digital broadcast better.”

“The Middle East Market is good, there is a lot of activity in Saudi, Oman and Kuwait. We are doing business in all of these countries as well as the Emirates.”

According to Wendell, a recent project in India saw the largest roll out of DRM medium wave equipment on the planet; 27 medium wave DRM-enabled transmitters and other equipment were sent to India as part of All India Radio’s transition to digital broadcasting, possibly the world’s largest digital radio initiative to date. 100kW, 200 kW and 300 kW transmitters were placed throughout the country, all configured for DRM30 transmission.

On the FM side, Nautel is promoting Omnia Direct which is one of its newest features in collaboration with Omnia. It is a fully digital transmission chain which doesn’t sacrifice loudness. A single AES-EBU cable between the Omnia.11 and a Nautel NV transmitter carries the baseband signal in digital form.

Also, new this year is AUI (Advanced User Interface), the latest generation of transmitters designed to give engineers more control even if they are far away from the transmitter. The aim is to ensure fast diagnosis of transmission related issues, provide information that allows engineers to be more proactive in their work and ultimately avoid trips to the transmitter site, all resulting in time and financial savings. The AUI can be accessed locally with a user provided laptop and remotely using the internet.

As Nautel is fairly well established now, it is using CABSAT as an opportunity for relationship management, a chance to sit down with clients, show new features and bring clients up to date with what Nautel are doing.

The Oracle, Innes Corporation, March 2014

Postcards from Perth

Love is… a new Nautel NV10! Greg Hateley, Chief Engineer, 6PR and 96FM.

Dan Jackson with his new NV10 at the Carmel transmitter site. Two NV10′s were installed at Perth’s 94.5FM and 92.9 stations.

November 14, 2006 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nautel and Kintronic Labs conducted full-day technical seminars on ‘AM and FM Digital HD Radio Systems and Solutions’ in Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico, on November 7th and 9^th.

Managers and engineers attended from many stations, including the major networks: Radiorama, Radio Formula, Radiopolis, Imagen, Grupo Acir, ORM, IMER, Multimedios Estrella de Oro, NRM Comunicaciones, and Radio Neuvo Leon.

Nautel technical presentations included “HD Radio Next Generation Architecture,” “Studio to Transmitter HD Content Delivery in the G3 System,” and “Digital Radio Systems Solutions.” Kintronic Labs presentations centered on “Implementation of IBOC Compatible AM Antenna Systems.”

Nautel – Background

Nautel is a global leader in the manufacture of medium wave AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters, navigational radio beacons, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) transmitters, medium frequency (MF) telegraph and NAVTEX transmitters, and high frequency (HF) amplifiers for dielectric heating applications. Thousands of customers in more than 170 countries have discovered that Nautel makes simply the best engineered transmitters – systems that meet stringent quality standards at its ISO-certified manufacturing facilities.

Kintronic Labs – Background

Kintronic Labs is a world leader in the design and manufacture digital-ready AM/Medium Wave non-directional, directional and multiplexed terrestrial radio broadcast antenna systems for both fixed sites ranging in input power rating from 1 kW to in excess of 1,000 kW and for frequency agile mobile applications for transmitter input powers from 5 kW to 100 kW. Kintronic Labs offers a full array of services starting with groundwave and skywave propagation studies, to transmitter and antenna specification development based on the desired target coverage area, to site planning, to IBOC- or DRM-compatible RF feed system designs, to installation supervision and final commissioning. With equipment in all 50 states and over 100 countries, Kintronic Labs has over 50 years of experience in the design of AM/Medium Wave antenna systems that enables us to address the most challenging customer demands with innovative solutions.

# # #

For further information, contact:

Gary Manteuffel

gmanteuffel@nautel.com
direct ph: (902) 823 – 3900, ext. 112
www.nautel.com

Tom F. King

tking@kintronic.comrel="nofollow">
direct ph: (423) 878-3141, ext. 12
www.kintronic.comrel="nofollow">

Nautel transmitters used in inaugural HD Radio multicasting broadcast application.

May 24, 2007 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Radio Mindanao Network has announced the commencement of HD Radio™ Multicast broadcasting in the Philippines, using a Nautel HD Radio FM transmitter. Station iFM 93.9 DWKC in Manila became the first commercial station in the country to broadcast with HD Radio technology as a limited test in 2006.

This month, the station added another first when they expanded to full power broadcasting three digital audio channels in its current single frequency, using HD Radio multicasting capabilities, in addition to their traditional analog signal.
DWKC is operating their facility in hybrid mode, using their existing 35kW transmitter for the analog signal and a new Nautel 1kW HD Radio transmitter for the digital signal. The system includes Nautel’s M50 digital exciter as well as Importer and Exporter. Design and installation was provided by Broadcast World Philippines, one of the country’s most respected and experienced system integrators.
Three channels of digital programming are being broadcast by RMN in their HD Radio multicast operation. “We are excited and proud to be the first broadcaster in the Philippines to offer this advanced technology to our listeners,” said Engr. Charley S. Canoy, Vice-President for Engineering of RMN. “Our HD Radio multicast gives RMN listeners even more choices in radio entertainment and information. We look forward to incorporating this technology throughout our network in the coming months and years.”
“Radio Mindanao Network has a long and honored position in the Philippines of leading the industry, and Nautel is pleased to be part of their landmark achievement,” said Peter Conlon, President and CEO of Nautel Ltd. “We look forward to working with RMN in the future as they continue the advancement of broadcast technology in their country.”
“The leadership demonstrated by Radio Mindanao Network in their adoption of HD Radio multicasting is a boost not only for digital radio, but for the broadcasting business in the Philippines, Asia and around the world,” said Perry Priestley, Director, International Broadcast Business Development at iBiquity Digital Corporation. “Creative, dedicated broadcasters who are investing in revolutionary technology are good for continued healthy growth of HD Radio broadcasting and the radio industry in general.”
The Radio Mindanao Network was founded by Henry R. Canoy in 1952. The group, which will celebrate its 55^th anniversary on-air in August 2007, owns and operates more than 50 AM, FM and TV stations throughout the Philippines.

About Nautel

Nautel Ltd., located in Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia and Bangor, Maine, is a global leader in the manufacture of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters, navigational radio beacons, Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) transmitters, medium frequency (MF) telegraph and NAVTEX transmitters, and high frequency (HF) amplifiers for dielectric heating applications. The latest innovation in broadcasting is digital radio. HD Radio and Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) are the greatest revolution in radio broadcasting since the introduction of FM. Nautel is a key player in this latest phase of radio broadcast technology, producing transmitters that are fully compatible with all digital transmission methods. Thousands of customers in more than 170 countries have discovered that Nautel delivers world class digital radio solutions – systems that meet stringent quality standards at its ISO-registered manufacturing facilities.

# # #

For more information please contact:

John Whyte
Marketing Manager
902-823-3900 ext. 174
902-802-1281 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Radio Work.

www.nautel.com
The HD Radio logo and the HD logo are registered trademarks of iBiquity Digital Corporation. HD Radio^TM is a trademark of iBiquity Digital Corporation.

New concept in HD multicasting enables up to 15 independent stations within 600 kHz of signal bandwidth and 9 within 400 kHz.

Nautel’s Philipp Schmid conducts a live demonstration of Nautel HD Multiplex at the annual Nautel User Group (NUG) meeting in Las Vegas.

The technology allows the combination of multiple independent IBOC exgine modulators into a single HD PowerBoost crest factor reduction engine, permitting 2 or more IBOC stations to be amplified using a single transmitter and subsequent antenna system. (Nautel’s HD PowerBoost uses an intelligent peak to average power ratio – PAPR – to increase HD Radio™ power output while at the same time increasing efficiency.) The all-digital IBOC configuration is capable of carrying up to 3 times the standard IBOC content. The methodology also maintains backward compatibility with existing receivers by ensuring the standard sideband channel separation within the multiplexed signal.

A transmitter operating in HD Multiplex mode could provide coverage comparable to a higher-powered hybrid analog/digital transmitter. Through modification of the established IBOC crest factor reduction, Nautel’s HD PowerBoost could operate on all of the independent stations transmitted using HD Multiplex.

“This technology opens up some exciting opportunities for broadcasters,” said Kevin Rodgers, Nautel President and CEO. “A station considering HD conversion could test the waters by leasing an audio stream on the multiplex. AM stations could be moved to the FM band, as proposed by some countries. Netcasters could place their most popular streams on an over-the-air signal. In many cases, this could provide new revenue for broadcasters through leases or ad insertion in the various streams. Further, small markets could have a broad variety of diverse formats served by a single low-cost station.”

Nautel demonstrated a working prototype of HD Multiplex at NAB 2015 to foster discussion within the broadcast community. Based on feedback from broadcasters, Nautel will determine the appropriate path for further development of the technology and application for regulatory approvals.

Learn more about Nautel’s HD Radio solutions >>

About Nautel
Nautel has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of broadcast transmitters. With more than 14,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

Nautel and DaySequerra have announced a cooperation for managing analog/HD delay issues in broadcast transmissions

President of DaySequerra, David Day, with Kevin Rodgers of Nautel.

DaySequerra’s M4.2 TimeLock is designed to receive the AM/FM off-air broadcast, with its proprietary TimeLock™ algorithm measuring the timing difference between the HD Radio analog and HD-1 program streams with accuracy to one audio sample. Out-of-tolerance conditions are reported via email, rear panel tallies and via its built-in web server using any browser on a broadcaster’s network. The M4.2 TimeLock unit will directly stream time corrections to the Nautel Exporter Plus using TCP/IP protocol. Delay adjustments will be implemented in the digital audio chain in the Exporter Plus.

“Proper diversity delay synchronization is critical to a listener’s HD Radio experience,” said David Day, president of DaySequerra. “We’re happy to partner with Nautel to solve this problem for our mutual customers.”

“This partnership with DaySequerra will once again improve the quality of HD Radio,” said Kevin Rodgers, Nautel President and CEO. “Listener experience is paramount and this is an example of how HD Radio is continually improving. Nautel is proud to be a partner in this important step.”

Learn more about Nautel’s HD Radio solutions >>

About DaySequerra
DaySequerra provides high-performance audio solutions for radio, TV and Internet broadcasters. Technology applications include loudness measurement and loudness control, transmitting multichannel surround audio over stereo, and digital radio processing and monitoring. DaySequerra’s technology partners include DTS and iBiquity Digital. DaySequerra’s state-of-the-art products are marketed and sold under ATI Audio and DaySequerra brands with well over 100,000 units installed in racks worldwide. www.daysequerra.com

About Nautel
Nautel has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of broadcast transmitters. With more than 14,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

Awards presented from Radio World and Radio Magazine honor new NX transmitters, HD Multiplex technology.

Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia – Nautel Limited was presented with three industry awards at NAB 2015. The “Best of Show” awards, presented by New Bay Media publications Radio World and Radio Magazine, were earned for the new NX5/NX10 transmitters and for Nautel HD Multiplex, a technology that will enable the placement of up to 15 audio streams or stations within 600 kHz of signal bandwidth or up to 9 audio streams in 400 kHz of signal bandwidth.

Earning “Best of Show” from Radio Magazine, the new NX Series AM transmitters operate at 5 and 10 kW of analog power and bring high efficiency (86% AC to RF) and a large suite of operational features to mid-power AM operations. The NX5 and NX10 include AM precorrection with unmatched linearity; 1.8 MHz direct digital modulation and Nautel’s signature Advanced User Interface. For more information on the NX5 and NX10, visit www.nautel.com/nx.

Nautel HD Multiplex was presented “Best of Show” awards from both Radio Magazine and Radio World. This experimental technology allows the combination of multiple independent IBOC exgine modulators into a single HD PowerBoost crest factor reduction engine, permitting 2 or more IBOC stations to be amplified using a single transmitter and subsequent antenna system. The all-digital IBOC configuration is capable of carrying up to 3 times the standard IBOC content. The methodology also maintains backward compatibility with existing receivers by ensuring the standard sideband channel separation within the multiplexed signal. Utilizing an active demonstration at the Nautel NAB booth, HD Multiplex drew the attention of many attendees. Nautel’s intent in showing HD Multiplex was to generate dialogue within the industry and to determine the future path for this new technology.

“We are pleased and honored to receive these awards,” said Kevin Rodgers, Nautel President and CEO. “To be selected not just once, but three times, by the broadcast engineers and industry experts who judged the many entries is exciting. We’re very proud of the engineering team here at Nautel who have spent countless hours working on these new products and technologies along with continuous improvement of the entire Nautel line.”

“Recognition with an award at the NAB show from NewBay Media’s Broadcast & Video Group is a strong vote of confidence and admiration from our leading industry publications,” said NewBay Media Broadcast & Video Group Vice President & Group Publisher Eric Trabb.

Learn more about Nautel’s HD Radio solutions >>
Learn more about Nautel’s NX5 and NX10 >>.

About Nautel
Nautel has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of broadcast transmitters. With more than 14,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

Nautel creates a new category of HD components incorporating HD Importer/Exporter functionality at half the cost of prior equipment; radio stations now have a simple, expandable and affordable way to provide HD Radio to listeners.

NAB 2017, Booth N8324 – Nautel has introduced the HD MultiCast+ Importer/Exporter, a new product that combines an HD Radio Importer and Exporter into one unit. The first product of its type to include DTS’ Gen 4 HD code, this 2 RU unit includes a built-in multi-channel audio card, GPS receiver, Nautel Reliable HD Transport, software, and station logo support.

“This new product slashes the cost of HD Radio components in half, making HD Radio operation more affordable for stations,” said Kevin Rodgers, Nautel President and CEO, “but it’s more than a combined Importer and Exporter; it’s a comprehensive HD Radio services platform. The HD MultiCast+ has the potential to support services such as multichannel audio processing and audio codecs.”

The HD MultiCast+ platform is versatile, allowing its use as an all-in-one product or separately as an Importer or Exporter. The Importer codes the secondary program services of an IBOC transmission, which can include digital channels, two, three, four, and multiple data channels. The Exporter combines the digital version of the main audio stream with the secondary audio and data services from the Importer.

Nautel also announced reduced pricing for its proven Exporter+ and a new generation stand-alone Importer, the HD Multiplex+ Importer.

“Nautel is committed to making digital broadcasting simple and effective both for current users and future adopters of the technology,” said Rodgers. “With the new HD MultiCast+ platform, our HD upgrade path for our value-priced NVLT transmitters and our engineers’ work on seamless HD SFNs, we continue to look to the future of HD Radio and other digital technologies.”

About Nautel
Nautel is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters. With more than 15,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970 and more than 7,000 deployments of AUI-enabled transmitters, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

The post Nautel Introduces Expandable HD MultiCast+ Platform appeared first on Nautel Broadcast.

Nautel innovations and technology demonstrations underscore the company’s commitment to the future of digital broadcasting.

NAB 2017, Booth N8324 – Nautel has unveiled a number of HD Radio- related products and technologies at NAB 2017.

New to the Nautel line is the the HD MultiCast+ Importer/Exporter, which combines an HD Radio Importer and Exporter into one unit. The first product of its type to include DTS’ Gen 4 HD code, this 2 RU unit includes a built-in multi-channel audio card, GPS receiver, Nautel Reliable HD Transport, software, and station logo support. Operation of the HD MultiCast+ platform is versatile, allowing its use as an all-in-one product or separately as an Importer or Exporter. (Full details are available in a separate press release.)

Nautel also brought leading-edge HD technologies to the forefront at the show, with a demonstration of an HD SFN (Single Frequency Network) method that enables seamless transition between separate HD transmitters on an SFN. (Full details are available in a separate press release.)

Updates allowing an easy path to digital operation were announced for the company’s NVLT Series of value-priced high-power FM transmitters. This latest HD upgrade enhancement to the line joins prior updates to the NVLT series over the past few years including simple site control, PS scrolling functionality for RDS, an oscilloscope function and more. (Full details are available in a separate press release.)

Also updated for enhanced HD operation were Nautel’s VS Series of low-power FM transmitters. Already the most feature-packed low-power FM transmitters on the market, VS Series transmitters can easily be converted to digital operation with the optional VSHD Digital Exciter. Now customers will receive Nautel’s award winning HD PowerBoost GEN4 at no extra cost allowing even more HD power and efficiency.

“These products underscore our commitment to keeping HD Radio viable, affordable and easy for broadcasters to adopt,” said Kevin Rodgers, Nautel President and CEO.

About Nautel
Nautel is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters. With more than 15,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970 and more than 7,000 deployments of AUI-enabled transmitters, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

The post New Nautel Technologies at NAB Focus on HD Radio™ appeared first on Nautel Broadcast.

New system developed by Nautel helps to ensure consistent signal coverage for HD Radio transmission.

NAB 2017, Booth N8324 – Nautel has announced a new solution for Single Frequency Networks (SFN) for HD Radio. The new method enables two or more transmitters to work together to provide consistent, seamless coverage of HD signals throughout a region, even in areas with challenging terrain. A paper on this topic, presented at the 2017 NAB BEITC, earned “best paper” recognition at the conference for Nautel Research Engineer Philipp Schmid.

“Stations are increasingly looking to SFNs to maximize their coverage, where multiple transmitters on the same frequency hand off the signal to one another. However, traditional analog SFN approaches can create overlapping coverage and result in poor to unacceptable reception,” said Schmid. “Digital radio transmission, on the other hand, maintains good audio quality unless the signal is lost entirely. With Nautel’s technology, broadcasters can achieve a seamless HD Radio transmission hand-off from one transmitter to the next.”

Schmid said Nautel’s HD SFN has two key elements: a hybrid FM+IBOC booster installation that minimizes on-channel interference; and a method to achieve precise input-to-output time synchronization for both FM and IBOC across multiple HD Radio transmitters. The Nautel HD SFN method has been proven in field trials at KUSC, just north of Los Angeles, which demonstrated successful HD Radio coverage extension even in difficult mountainous terrain. Schmid’s award-winning BEITC paper addressed the challenges and outcomes of these field trials.

About Nautel
Nautel is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters. With more than 15,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970 and more than 7,000 deployments of AUI-enabled transmitters, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

The post Nautel Unveils SFN Option for HD Radio™ appeared first on Nautel Broadcast.

All India Radio adds to massive digital radio deployment with four 100 kW and two 200 kW NX transmitters.

Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia – Nautel Limited has shipped six additional high-power DRM-enabled MW transmitters for deployment at All India Radio, the largest digital broadcasting system in the world. Four 100 kW NX100 and two 200 kW NX200 transmitters were shipped to India in July 2017 for installation in six cities. The transmitters will be commissioned by Nautel’s in-country partner Comcon in association with India’s Prasar Bharati.

The July, 2017 shipment of 6 NX transmitters complements the 27 NX transmitters which are already on air with DRM transmission throughout India. The massive project has the goal of bringing digital radio to nearly a billion residents of the country. The new transmitters will be installed at All India Radio (AIR) facilities in Hyderabad, Jagdalpur, Vishakhapatnam, Bhawanipatna, Jeypore and Sambalpur. All 33 transmitters in the AIR project are configured for DRM30 operation.

Nautel NX high power transmitters occupy a very small footprint and offer the industry’s highest efficiency (90%) along with AM precorrection, unmatched linearity and Nautel’s exclusive, award-winning Advanced User Interface which provides commercial grade instrumentation, spectrum analyzer, logging, presets, local and remote transmitter control, email notifications and enhanced support services.

“Nautel is excited to partner with Comcon and Prasar Bharati on this extensive project,” said Kevin Rodgers, Nautel President and CEO. “With this system fully deployed in all parts of India, AIR is uniquely positioned to serve the different dialects and regional needs of its billion listeners. It’s a shining example of the capabilities digital broadcasting can provide throughout the world.”

Nautel MW and FM transmitters will be demonstrated at the upcoming IBC show in Amsterdam on stand 8.C49. For more information on the All India Radio project, visit http://www.nautel.com/AIR.

About Nautel
Nautel has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters. With more than 15,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970 and more than 7,000 deployments of AUI-enabled transmitters, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

The post Largest DRM Deployment in the World Expanded with Six More Nautel Transmitters appeared first on Nautel Broadcast.

“Building for a Billion” project covers most of the country with DRM30 transmission.

Hackett’s Cove, Nova Scotia – Nautel has announced receipt of final acceptance on a large transmitter project involving the commissioning of 27 digital-equipped medium wave transmitters throughout the country of India. The project, which was initiated in 2013 by Prasar Bharati for All India Radio (AIR), has been titled “Building for a Billion,” with the goal of bringing digital radio broadcasting to more than a billion residents of the country.

AIR’s digital broadcasting system, the largest in the world, uses high-power (100 – 300 kW) Nautel MW transmitters, each equipped for DRM30 transmission, at 27 separate sites throughout the country. (Nautel has shipped another order of six transmitters to AIR, which will further expand the reach of their digital network across 33 sites). Nautel deployed the transmitters in association with its in-country partner Comcon along with Altronic, providing RF test loads, Digidia, providing DRM modulators/content servers and Kintronic Labs, supplying matching systems for the project.

Additional information on the AIR project is available via a recent Nautel Webinar, which may be found on the Nautel website. To access the Webinar, visit http://www.nautel.com/webinar/building-for-a-billion/.

About Nautel
Nautel has emerged as one of the world’s largest manufacturers of AM and FM radio broadcast transmitters. With more than 15,000 transmitters deployed in over 177 countries since 1970 and more than 7,500 deployments of AUI-enabled transmitters, Nautel continues to lead the way in providing valuable new solutions for digital radio broadcasting and other applications.

# # #

For more information please contact:
John Whyte
Director of Marketing
902-823-5174
902-802-0813 (mobile)
John.Whyte@nautel.com

Making Digital Broadcasting Work.
www.nautel.com

The post Nautel Completes Major Transmitter Project in India appeared first on Nautel Broadcast.