Smoky Hills Pubcaster Goes Digital with Harris

Kansas-based Smoky Hills Public Television is broadcasting a digital signal with Harris' SigmaCD transmitter. SHPTV station KOOD in Hays is operational at 496 kW effective radiated power (ERP) and on March 25 began on-air digital program tests with the transmitter.

The conversion process is still underway at SHPTV stations KSWK and KDCK. SHPTV is currently broadcasting the PBS multicast feed at KOOD; however, the station is removing the first feed and replacing it with a digitized feed of its own analog programming. The station will begin broadcasting HD programming in the evenings once satellite receivers have been obtained.

The SigmaCD features Real-Time Adaptive Correction, which responds to and corrects frequency distortion in the high-power bandpass filter and power amplifier, and uses Diamond Drive LDMOS intermediate power amplifiers to eliminate the need for feed forward circuitry and can include eCDi Ethernet monitoring software. This software provides remote transmitter monitoring systems including transmitter status and control, spectrum measurements, 8-VSB signal analysis and event alarms.