The Society of Broadcast Engineers

The Association for Broadcast and Multimedia Technology Professionals

Applied RF Basics

October 26, 2023

This is a four-part series.

Module 1 – Medium Wave/AM Radio Systems

Originally streamed October 26, 2023
This session furthers the presentations of the Basic RF for IT Series that looked at the individual pieces.  Module 1 and subsequent modules of the Applied RF Series will take a more systemic approach, looking at how the pieces fit together to create the broadcast signal.

Instructors: Jeff Welton, Gary Cavell

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Module 2 – VHF/FM Radio Systems

Originally streamed November 16, 2023
This session looks at the FM signal in more detail, discussing the various exciters and amplifiers, halfwave vs quarter wave cavities, and providing more detail on filters and combiners.  Which combiner to use under what circumstances and how best to minimize spurious signals in complex multi-station transmitter sites is discussed.

Instructors: Jeff Welton, Gary Cavell

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Module 3 – VHF/UHF Television Systems

Originally streamed January 18, 2024
Module three moves into the television spectrum to look at VHF/UHF broadcast. There will also be significant discussion on ATSC 3.0 – but realize there are already plenty of courses about that topic, so, in this webinar we will focus more on the RF aspect such as generating the signal, broadcasting the signal and what can be done to optimize coverage – height versus antenna gain, maximizing MER and what that means and similar topics.

Instructors: Jeff Welton, Cindy Cavell

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Module 4 – UHF and Above – Microwave Systems and Satellite Systems

Originally streamed February 15, 2024
In session four, we go from megahertz to gigahertz and look at the really high frequencies. At this wavelength, a drop of rain can act as an attenuator. In this session, we’ll try to answer: What can be done to maximize reliability? How can redundancy be built in? What are the options for most improved performance?

Instructors: Jeff Welton, Cindy Cavell

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Your Instructors

Jeff WeltonJeff Welton, CPBE, Nautel

Jeff Welton took his training in the Radio College of Canada (RCC) Electronics Engineering Technologist program and a recipient of the NAB Engineering Award for Radio. Jeff has performed component-level repair, field installation and service, technical support and quality assurance roles with various companies and has been with Nautel for more than 30 years, the first 17 of which were spent in field service and technical support positions, as well as assisting engineering with design review of new products and improvement of existing systems. Since moving to sales in 2007, Jeff keeps finding ways to get his hands dirty and can frequently be found assisting in the install of a transmitter he’s sold, as well as performing site inspections and the occasional repair.

Gary CavellGary Cavell, Cavell Mertz & Associates, Inc.

A 40-plus year broadcast veteran, Gary Cavell is a recipient of the NAB Engineering Achievement Award for Radio, and the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society’s Award for Outstanding Broadcast Engineering.  He served as editor-in-chief for the 11th edition of the NAB Engineering Handbook and has published many articles on practical aspects of broadcasting over the years.

Gary has been a lecturer and faculty member of the NAB Educational Foundation’s Broadcast Leadership Training program, has been a lecturer for the NAB Broadcast Technology and Engineering Internship Program, the Voice of America’s/IBB US Technical Training Institute, and was a developer and co-presenter of RF Bootcamp sessions during several NAB conventions.

Gary is a member of several professional organizations including the SBE and is Life Member of both SMPTE and IEEE. He is a past president of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society.  Gary is a Certified Master Thermographer, holds a Drone Aircraft Pilot Certificate, an amateur radio Extra Class operator’s license, an FCC General Radiotelephone Operator’s License, and is an instrument-rated private pilot.

Cindy CavellCindy Cavell, Cavell-Mertz Spectrum Division of Capitol Airspace Group

Cindy Hutter Cavell currently is the Director of the Cavell-Mertz Spectrum Division of Capitol Airspace Group. 

Her career includes spending 15 years at NBC and ABC News, traveling with Presidential press pools throughout the world, and handling three Olympics for ABC television, and managing remotes internationally.

Cindy has been a major market TV station chief engineer for Hearst, Gannett and Fox.  She has also been general manager of the Fox Sports Net Tech Center in Houston, and was the Director of Engineering for the nationwide 2 GHz Relocation Project at Sprint/Nextel.  She has also acted as the engineering project lead for the FCC’s “TV band repack” Fund Administrator.

Cindy has been celebrated with many industry awards and as the winner of the 2019 NAB Television Engineering Achievement Award, being the first woman to receive this honor. She has also won three Emmy Awards, the 2015 TV-News-Check Women in Technology Leadership Award, and the 2007 SBE-AWRT Outstanding Female Engineer award.

SBE Recertification Credit

The completion of a webinar from Webinars by SBE qualifies for 1 credit, identified under Category I of the Recertification Schedule for SBE Certifications.

Registration and Pricing

SBE Members: $62
MemberPlus Members FREE
Non-Members: $92

 

Questions?

If you have questions regarding this course, contact Cathy Orosz via email or by phone at 317-846-9000.

More information about registering using the SBE MemberPlus benefit

All SBE webinars are included at no additional cost for members who upgrade or join using the SBE MemberPlus membership option. You get access to all archived SBE webinars and any new live webinars SBE presents, all for no extra cost.

Access to the SBE webinars through the SBE MemberPlus program is limited to the MemberPlus-purchaser only. You are not permitted to distribute, sell, copy, share, project or otherwise make the webinars available to any other individual or group without express written permission by the SBE.


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