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Harris Corporation to Showcase High-Power HD Radio Tube Transmitters at NAB Radio


WEBWIRE

Harris Corporation (NYSE: HRS), an international communications and information technology company, will host a comprehensive HD Radio™ transmission display at the NAB Radio 2007 show (September 26-28, Charlotte Convention Center, Booth #311).

The Harris display will feature a variety of HD Radio™ analog FM, high-power AM transmitters, and FlexStar® multicasting products for HD Radio™ broadcasting. The display will highlight the company’s successful HT\HD+ tube transmitter, a lower-cost solution for high-power HD Radio™ installations that is gaining momentum in the United States. Recent sales include public radio stations WKNO-FM in Memphis, Tennessee, and WMFE-FM in Orlando, Florida. Both stations will use the Harris® FlexStar® multicasting technology to broadcast supplementary digital program channels alongside their main channel programming.

Harris unveiled the HT\HD+ common-amplification, single-tube FM/HD Radio™ transmitter at NAB2006, responding to a strong market desire for a high-power HD Radio™ tube transmitter. The transmitter evolved from the proven technology of the Harris® HT Series of FM transmitters and comes outfitted with the FlexStar® HDX exciter, which features Harris real-time adaptive correction (RTAC™) digital technology — the same technology Harris pioneered for digital TV transmitters several years ago.

“The HT\HD+ transmitter fulfilled our requirement for a single-unit, completely integrated transmitter solution from a supplier who could prove a long-term commitment,” said Mike Simmons, director of engineering for WMFE-FM. “The excellent reputation of the FlexStar® exciter makes it harder to ignore. Having the transmitter, exciter, and the other major components made by the same company gives me a high degree of confidence that the system is correctly and efficiently integrated.”

The station will be on air with the new transmitter by September 24 and will add two supplementary digital program streams to the main program service, with plans to eventually transmit a third side channel.

WKNO-FM plans to be on air with its new transmitter by Thanksgiving and will start multicasting right away, said station manager Russ Abernathy. The station was exploring its HD Radio™ broadcasting options at the same time it was looking to replace two 17-year old transmitters.

“We had looked through every possible HD Radio™ configuration that we could look at and none of them left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling,” Abernathy explained. “We actually delayed HD Radio™ transmissions for a year to allow the technology to mature a bit more. The idea of a combined transmitter came together around this time, which nearly eliminates any chance of being entirely off the air.”

Abernathy added that reliability and cost were major factors for purchasing a tube transmitter for high-power HD Radio™ broadcasting, and the decision to buy Harris was due to his confidence in the company’s products and reputation. “Being familiar with Harris products and their service and support gave me a wonderful comfort level, and the price was right,” Abernathy said. “We got the best of both worlds.”

Visitors to the Harris NAB Radio booth can see a complete HT\HD+ transmitter with the FlexStar® HDX-FM exciter. The company also plans to showcase its ZX™ range of low-power FM transmitters with FlexStar® multicasting equipment and its MicroMax FM exciter for a variety of low-cost, low-power analog and HD Radio™ on-air solutions.

Harris also plans to bring a transmitter from its 3DX® range of high-power AM solutions to the show. 3DX® transmitters are available in 25 and 50kW versions for U.S. broadcasters, and higher power versions are available for broadcasters in Latin America, Europe and other international regions that require AM transmission solutions up to 1 MegaWatt.



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