Hitachi-Comark Unveils E-Compact VHF Band 3 DTV Transmitters

Hitachi-Comark E-Compact VHF Band 3 DTV Transmitter
(Image credit: Hitachi-Comark)

SOUTHWICK, Mass.—Hitachi Kokusai Electric Comark has introduced the EC600HP-BB3 VHF Band 3 E-Compact series high-efficiency, air-cooled solid-state DTV transmitters.    

The EC600HP-BB3 product line is available with up to 4x power amplifiers (PAs) in parallel, producing from 1150W to up to 4.6kW, respectively. These output power levels are measured after the mask filter. The new VHF band 3 E-Compact delivers the same features as the UHF version, including:

  • EXACT-V2 digital TV exciter licensed for ATSC 1.0 and optional license for ATSC 3.0.
  • Hot-swappable rectifiers accessible from the front panel of the PA chassis.
  • Dual commercial off-the-shelf GE AC-to-DC rectifiers per PA in load share mode.
  • Single drive exciter & controller or optional dual drive with auto switching.
  • Newly improved system controller with a simpler Graphical User Interface (GUI).
  • Built-in surge protection devices (SPD) to minimize power grid overvoltage.
  • Optional front panel touchscreen for easier user access to the control/monitoring GUI.

The EC600HP-BB3 features the latest broadband Doherty LDMOS RF power amplifiers with efficiency of up to 40%. The air-cooled PA design includes automatic cooling fan speed control that provides lower acoustic noise levels during operation while extending the life span of these fans. Each 3RU PA features a rear-panel plug-in design for easy installation and maintenance. Multiple RF amplifiers are combined with an insulated RF combiner enabling hot swap of the PAs, the company said.

The transmitters use a built-in embedded web server that provides control and management of the transmitter through a web-GUI (via PC or mobile phone standard browser) without the need for any external software or drivers. SNMP for transmitter remote control and monitoring is also available, it said.  

The E-Compact features the EXACT-V2 IP-optimized DTV exciters with DualCast technology and is easily upgraded from ATSC 1.0 to 3.0. EXACT-V2 delivers an ATSC compliant, on-channel RF output and performs RF precorrection of both linear and non-linear distortion via Digital Adaptive Precorrection (DAP) technology, it said.

DAP automatically corrects both the linear and non-linear system distortions inherent to all DTV systems. The use of DAP provides the lowest cost of operation with very high system efficiency and RF SNR performance, it said.

The E-Compact family is compact and rugged, well-suited for broadcasters looking to replace their older and less efficient equipment or for future ATSC 3.0 SFN systems. 

More information is available on the company’s website.

Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.