One of the Large Hadron Collider’s 1232 super conducting dipole magnets under construction. mission line and RADIAFLEX radiating cable. According to RFS Regional Sales Manager, Harald Zietz, this unique application demanded an equally unique cabling solution. “We worked with CERN to ensure that the cable was suitably radiation resistant, as quite high radiation levels are achieved in the tunnel during the experiments,” he said. “To this end, the cable jackets were tailormade to CERN’s specific requirements.” To mark the occasion of the positioning of the first superconducting dipole magnet, RFS along with 28 other CERN-supporting companies, participated in a technology exhibition at CERN’s Geneva headquarters. Held during the first week of March, the exhibition— ‘Germany at CERN’—was organized by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). As part of this event, RFS’s Global Product Manager for Wireless Distributed Communications <strong>Systems</strong>, Dr Peter Raabe, presented a paper to CERN executives entitled ‘Wireless distributed communication systems in tunnels and confined areas’. PREVIEW Strumming the HAARP STAY CONNECTED 4th quarter 2005 Deep in the wilds of Alaska stands one of the largest planar antenna arrays on the planet—the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP). Spanning 36 acres (14 hectares) in area, the 180-tower array is used to conduct scientific research into the properties and behaviour of the upper atmosphere, with the view to improving global wireless communications. Since the first towers were erected in 1993, <strong>Radio</strong> <strong>Frequency</strong> <strong>Systems</strong> has been the primary supplier of coaxial transmission line for the HAARP array. Working closely with the array’s designer, builder and operator, BAE <strong>Systems</strong> Advanced Technologies, RFS has developed a customized feeder connector solution to defeat the impact IN TOUCH 19 Brunei TV goes digital <strong>Radio</strong> Television Brunei has promised its audience an enhanced viewing experience by 2006, with the proposed introduction of digital television (DTV). Trials for the new single service broadcasting standard are planned for mid-2005, with <strong>Radio</strong> <strong>Frequency</strong> <strong>Systems</strong> providing the essential broadband UHF dipole array—a four-bay ‘UD’ series dipole array. “For the purpose of the trial the RFS 4UD is the ideal antenna,” said Mick Bennett, RFS Broadcast <strong>Systems</strong> Engineer. “At 100 to 200 W, it’s low power and, importantly, it’s got low wind loading.” In terms of installation, the low wind loading of the RFS 4UD dipole array facilitates installation of the array and integration into the entire DTV system. The RFS UD series dipole array is a vertically polarized antenna that supports the entire UHF band in two models: 470 to 650 MHz and 620 to 860 MHz frequency bands. Available in four-, eight- and 12-bay configurations, the UD series offers nominal mid-band gains of nine to 14 dBd. Constructed in aluminium and housed within a fiberglass radome, the antenna is cyclone-rated, and thus able to resist wind speeds of up to 230 kilometres per hour. “We’ve had a lot of experience with such DTV trial projects around the world,” said Bennett. “So we really understand the system, without needing to complicate or over-engineer the solution.” of Alaska’s inhospitable climate. The latest phase of the installation involves the installation of around 1800 connectors in total—along with over 40,000 feet (12 kilometres) of transmission line. In the next issue of STAY CONNECTED, we’ll take you on a guided tour of Alaska’s HAARP antenna and transmitter system, plus expand on the unique engineering relationship between RFS and BAE <strong>Systems</strong> that makes strumming the HAARP possible.
RADIO FREQUENCY SYSTEMS The Clear Choice Please visit us at www.rfsworld.com
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