TPT’s transmission system will be undergoing maintenance and upgrading from April 1 to May 15. In order to accommodate the installation of our new transmitter system and to provide a safe working environment for our engineers, our broadcast signal may be interrupted or reduced in power causing channel outages for brief periods.
Why Now?
TPT’s transmitters have reached “end of life” status with the manufacturer. Because of this, repair parts are becoming more and more difficult to obtain. Many of these transmitters will still remain on the air around the country for a few more years. We are happy to say that Iowa PBS will receive our old units in order to maintain an inventory of spare parts for their aging transmitters.
Efficiency:
The transmitters currently in use are very inefficient compared to the newer versions. In fact, the new technology is almost twice as efficient, which translates into power savings each month.
Additionally, the older style transmitters are air-cooled and require tremendous amounts of room climate control to keep them happy. Our new transmitters will be liquid cooled — taking the heat that is generated during transmitter operation and sending it to an outdoor “heat exchanger,” which acts very much like the radiator in a car. This allows us to greatly reduce the amount of climate control needed which translates into even more power savings.
Future Proof:
Our new transmitters will be able to take advantage of newer transmission technologies just over the horizon.
While this won’t affect all viewers, we want to apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
© Twin Cities Public Television - 2021. All rights reserved.
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