White-space test about to start in North Carolina, USA

[Jim Feeley]

Hey, Michael McQueen, Jeff Babb, and anyone else who might work around Clayton and Wilmington, N.C, please let us know what you experience and learn during these tests:

 

 

 

WRAL-TV and Carlson Wireless Test White-Fi

Station granted STA

WASHINGTON — WRAL-TV has been granted special temporary authority to test TV white-space technology in areas of North Carolina. The STA application says WRAL will be working with Carlson Wireless on the pursuit. 

[snip]

The project will employ 30-meter antennas, each with a 15-mile radius, in Clayton and Wilmington, N.C. Both will use 470-608 MHz (TV Chs. 14-36) and 614-698 MHz (Chs. 38-51). Both list effective radiated power at 4 Watts using a QPSK signal modulation scheme. 

[snip]

WRAL’s STA was granted June 21. Operations will commence June 30 and conclude Dec. 1, 2013. 

 

Rest of the fairly brief article:

http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/wral-tv-and-carlson-wireless-test-white-fi/220074

 

 

Good luck!

[Philip Perkins]

Hey, Michael McQueen, Jeff Babb, and anyone else who might work around Clayton and Wilmington, N.C, please let us know what you experience and learn during these tests:

 

 

 

WRAL-TV and Carlson Wireless Test White-Fi

Station granted STA

WASHINGTON — WRAL-TV has been granted special temporary authority to test TV white-space technology in areas of North Carolina. The STA application says WRAL will be working with Carlson Wireless on the pursuit. 

[snip]

The project will employ 30-meter antennas, each with a 15-mile radius, in Clayton and Wilmington, N.C. Both will use 470-608 MHz (TV Chs. 14-36) and 614-698 MHz (Chs. 38-51). Both list effective radiated power at 4 Watts using a QPSK signal modulation scheme. 

[snip]

WRAL’s STA was granted June 21. Operations will commence June 30 and conclude Dec. 1, 2013. 

 

Rest of the fairly brief article:

http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/wral-tv-and-carlson-wireless-test-white-fi/220074

 

 

Good luck!

Doesn't WRAL use any wireless mics, in studio or for ENG etc?  From this it looks like they are carpet bombing the entire UHF spectrum--that can't be correct.  Aren't there other broadcasters operating there as well?

 

philp

[ChrisH]

this is fucked up thats our entire spectrum! time to start wiring people with comteks

[geordi]

Dude - chill. They aren't wideband spamming the range, that is just the possible ranges of the bandwidth for the devices. The individual devices (for example a wireless internet portal) will be able to tune dynamically through that band to get a clear channel for itself. It probably only wants about 6mHz or less of clear space. Good luck however!

 

The real question is - will the devices ACTUALLY use a database, or will it become (as I have heard some scary noises about) that EVERYTHING will just be part 15 and we can kiss our air goodbye, should the scanning-and-database deal not work. We really should plan on everything becoming part 15, as that is the worst case scenario and at the same time, the manufacturers have enough money to buy science that will allow them to whine to the FCC that this database system is 'not technically possible' so they shouldn't need to do it at all.

 

What I'm curious about - 4 watts? Thats it? Even on a 30 meter antenna, the radiated power of a Lectrosonics will be able to shout over that at <150 foot range to the receiver. Unless you are standing right next to the transmitter tower, we may not be as bad off as we thought if the actual production TX power levels are so low. 

 

Think about it - many of the mainline TV licenses are for 15 kW and more, and that is considered "low power" for a TV station! I hope the power levels stay that low!