WYCT FM to Install First Rohde & Schwarz R&S THR9 High-power Transmitter with HD Radio Option in US

Dave Hoxeng, owner of WYCT, plans to install the new Rohde & Schwarz transmitter in late June, after the Nielsen Audio Spring Sweeps end. WYCT recently replaced one of its two aging transmitters with a newer, air-cooled unit, which will serve as a backup once the new R&S THR9 is installed. Hoxeng said the new R&S THR9 transmitter is more compact than any of his station’s other transmitters and generates far less heat than the “fire breathers” currently in use.

Because its liquid-cooled system is so efficient, the R&S THR9 will not require any air conditioning, which translates to substantial capital and operational cost savings for the station. Admittedly reluctant at first, Hoxeng is now a strong proponent of liquid-cooled technology. “Any time you get the heat out by hose rather than by air, it’s more efficient, and less costly,” he noted. “From a physics standpoint, this makes total sense.”

The new Rohde & Schwarz transmitter investment also represents potential audience growth for WYCT. Its 10,000-watt ERP delivers a much stronger digital signal than the station’s current 1,000-watt digital transmitter, which will improve HD Radio™ signal penetration into offices and homes. The R&S THR9 will also allow WYCT to begin multicasting WNRP, its 10,000-watt sister AM news station, and broadcast its signal across more than five times its current geography.

The HD Radio™ Generation 4 component of the transmitter offers some critical improvements over WYCT’s current transmitter, which was installed in 2003. According to Hoxeng, the R&S THR9 delivers faster boot times and is more cost effective, which allowed WYCT to stay on budget while purchasing two new exciters (including one hot spare) and an extra importer/exporter for redundancy.

WYCT is committed to HD Radio™. “I believe as broadcasters it’s our responsibility to take the initiative on solving the chicken-and-the-egg problem,” Hoxeng said. “We need to build our HD Radio infrastructure to help drive more sales and usage of HD receivers.”

Rohde & Schwarz will showcase the R&S THR9 family of high-power FM transmitters at the 2017 NAB Show (Booth SL1205), which runs April 22-27 in Las Vegas, Nev. With an energy efficiency of up to 75 percent, the R&S THR9 makes terrestrial audio broadcasting extremely efficient. Its space-saving, fully redundant liquid-cooled design lowers energy costs, minimizes space requirements, and minimizes maintenance expenses over the entire system lifetime. The R&S THR9 delivers FM output power of up to 40kW per rack, with space for additional system components or even multi-transmitter systems, allowing Rohde & Schwarz to offer the highest power density per rack.