Satellite Update: XM Wants Repeater at PGA Events

By Doug Lung
published

XM Radio requested special temporary authority (STA) to operate a 2 kW EIRP terrestrial repeater at various PGA tour events throughout the United States from July 23 through Oct. 12, 2008 using the 2332.5 to 2345 MHz band allocated for the Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service (SDARS).

XM Radio sells and rents handheld satellite radios to spectators at PGA Tour events. XM stated the repeater is necessary to overcome heavy foliage and other obstructions on the golf courses that block direct reception of the satellite signal. From FCC Report SAT-00527.

PanAmSat Licensee Corp. was given STA to operate its conventional C- and Ku-band Galaxy 17 and to conduct telemetry, tracking and command operations on multiple C-band frequencies to effect Galaxy 17’s operation at the 122.9 degrees west longitude orbital location. The STA applied to operation between May 4 and June 2. In another action, the FCC extended this STA for one week, from June 2 through June 9.

XM Radio withdrew its application for STA to operate a very-low-power terrestrial repeater at an XM office site in Vienna, Va. This information is from FCC Report SAT-00528.

Doug Lung
Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.