Dielectric Engineers Cut Their Teeth on the Cutting Edge

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Dielectric has a proud history of employing innovators that move the RF antenna industry forward, according to Jay Martin, VP Sales at Dielectric. “We’ve trained a lot of engineering entrepreneurs who have gone on to start their own businesses,” Martin said. “I like to call it Dielectric University.” For example, radio pioneer Ed Shively began Shively Labs, and Spencer Smith started Passive Power Products.

The history of Dielectric spans back to 1942, when Dr. Charles Brown, a University of Maine graduate began Dielectric Products Corporation in Littleton, NJ to develop radar for the U.S. involvement in World War II. After the war, Dielectric moved to Maine and provided components for Radio Corporation of America (RCA) to supplement its transmitter and antenna product lines, including feed systems for antennas, transmission lines, and diplexers.

Today, Dielectric’s focus is on television and radio broadcasts. It has a strong domestic foothold but Dielectric also works across the world, from South America to Asia.

Broadcast RF Systems Made to Order

There are very few, if any, broadcast RF systems that are identical from site to site or from customer to customer. Each site’s requirements are unique from TIA-EIA load criteria, ERP levels, pattern characteristics, polarization ratios and the list goes on. In addition, each broadcaster has their own preferences from an engineering standpoint.

What sets Dielectric apart is its ability to design antennas and RF systems that are optimized for the needs of each individual TV and FM radio broadcaster. Dielectric’s goal is to be a one-stop shop for all its customers’ passive RF needs.

“We are not simply a manufacturing organization; we’re primarily an engineering organization that also excels at manufacturing,” Martin said. The engineers at Dielectric can design a customized broadcasting antenna solution with only preliminary information from the customer including the effective radiated power (ERP), desired coverage area, mounting configuration and their desired transmitter size.

“You can come to us with a blank sheet of paper and tell us what you want to do, and we will develop a solution for you that maximizes performance based on your unique needs,” Martin said. “We like to design a system that’s going to be optimal for that specific site, that specific customer.”

Driving the TV Repacks

Dielectric played an instrumental role in the TV broadcasting industry’s conversion from analog to digital. It has completed 1,338 digital television antennas for the North American market since the TV repack began in 2017.

“The FCC asked us if the repack could be completed in 36 months and we said absolutely,” Martin explained. To meet the tight deadlines set by the FCC, Dielectric automated the design process using High Frequency Simulation Software (HFSS). This eliminated the single layer data process that historically took four to six weeks to complete and replaced it with a process that allows for results to be generated overnight.

“In 24 to 48 hours, we would have the electrical results from the HFSS simulation which we would hand over to mechanical engineers and then to the designers. It was very efficient,” Martin said. “The technology we leveraged transformed the way we do business and allows for much more flexibility. We will never look back.”

Pushing Into Radio Broadcasting

For decades, Dielectric has produced an exceptional line of radio antennas, offering a full range of products, including multi-station, HD, and broadband.

“Our greatest strength is engineering-integrated multi-channel FM systems, including combiners and transmission lines, as well as antennas,” Martin said. “But, with our commercial focus on television broadcasting we never quite had the bandwidth to get in front of all the potential customers in the radio industry.”

To increase its penetration into the radio broadcasting market, Dielectric has given SCMS exclusive rights to distribute its FM radio antenna products and systems in the U.S. The new partnership marks Dielectric’s first exclusive distribution agreement for the domestic FM radio market.

“SCMS will aggressively market Dielectric radio antennas, filters/combiners, components and RF systems to FM customers seeking to replace, upgrade or add to existing infrastructure,” Martin said. “The radio market has many more touch points and SCMS has the relationships with the various radio groups, big and small. With 16 salespeople, we are leveraging the SCMS team’s relationships and scale to get our message to the radio market.”

Antenna Deployments in the Future

A number of trends are afoot in the broadcasting industry. TV broadcasters are now demanding antenna systems with elliptical polarization to transmit to mobile devices, and Martin is seeing a UHF frequency preference for NextGenTV (ATSC 3.0). The digital TV standard is the world’s first IP-based over-the-air broadcast service.

In markets where frequency congestion is not an issue, VHF stations are relocating to a UHF channel for NextGenTV. Dielectric has completed a number of VHF to UHF conversions over the past few years.

There is still plenty of work. Of the 2,048 high power TV stations in the U.S., 987 were repacked leaving over 1,000 that have not been upgraded. This remaining TV antenna infrastructure is aging. Three of the oldest antennas Dielectric has in service are 70 years old. Two of these stations are due to be converted from VHF to UHF in 2024. Several hundred more antennas are 30+ years old.

“The antenna replacement market and VHF and UHF conversions are very strong right now,” Martin said. “If those broadcasters want to continue doing what they’re doing and embrace the future, they come to us to optimize a system that will allow delivery to a mobile device.”

Introducing New Products at NAB

Dielectric will exhibit several new products at the NAB Show 2024 April 13 -17 in the West Hall, booth 3333. One product, the OptiLoad, delivers safety and efficiency for maintaining your transmission system. Also being introduced is the new DCR-E antenna, which is available in up to 12 bays with an input power rating up to 12 kW.

Dielectric’s OptiLoad

Other products that will be featured at NAB include the RFHAWKEYE, a real-time transmission line degradation and spark monitoring system and a graphical user interface for the RFHAWKEYE, known as Apollo.

RFHAWKEYE introduction video

A Future Full of Promise

Over the past few years, Dielectric has attracted a number of new young engineers, who complement their more experienced staffers. Together, they will make continued innovation possible in the future, according to Martin.

“We’ve got a very unique team,” Martin said. “We’ve got some great mentors in place with 30 to 40 years plus of service. And then we’ve got the younger generation that are like sponges soaking up their knowledge while bringing a new and encouraging perspective to the team.”

Engaging employees in a constantly questioning atmosphere, Dielectric continues to push the state of the art of antennas. School is always in session at Dielectric University.

More information can be accessed at www.dielectric.com or email Jay Martin at jay.martin@dielectric.com.

By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor

 

 

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