Thomson Broadcast installed a customized anti-fading antenna for the national AM radio service or Qatar Radio (????? ???), improving the quality and coverage of AM and DRM30 transmissions the Al ?Arish station in the north of Qatar.

Working with system integrators Mansour Trading and Qatar Media Corp., Thomson Broadcast engineers developed a custom-designed 222-meter anti-fading antenna with a 430-meter-long 9-inch outdoor feeder line supported on concrete pillars to overcome the particular challenges posed by the site and terrain. Factors affecting the construction and operation of the antenna included high soil acidity, extreme climatic conditions and underground saltwater sources.

Thomson computer simulation systems were used to develop the highly optimized solution and to achieve the best possible combination of efficiency, reliability, and bandwidth. A half-lambda antenna was used to create a radiation pattern that overcomes “fading zones,” and special attention was given to an innovative grounding system.

“Thomson’s solution exactly matched our requirements, and its team was prepared to go the extra mile to deliver the customization we needed,” said Abdul Wahab Aman Alkuwari, controller of transmitters at Qatar Media Corp.

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