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Dielectric has launched the RingMaster Series of broadband FM antennas, developed to reduce system costs and complexity while maintaining full FM bandwidth. The company announced the series at its Radiovana event in June and says the first installations are already operational. A second innovation in the series, focused on FM master antenna systems, will be announced later this year.
Cutting down to size
RingMaster builds on Dielectric’s DCR side-mounted ring antennas. The new design offers five models tailored to different power requirements. It introduces streamlined construction, which, according to the company, utilizes up to 33% fewer components by reducing the number of radiating elements. This also lessens tower load — a key concern for broadcasters balancing technical requirements with structural limits.
The technical development addresses a long-standing tradeoff in FM broadcasting between cost and audio performance. Traditionally, achieving the full FM audio bandwidth required half-wave spacing, which doubled the number of antenna bays and increased weight and expense. Many stations instead opt for full-wave spacing, which reduces complexity but narrows the frequency response.
Finding the right balance
Dielectric says RingMaster combines both approaches by using half-wave spaced arrays in key parts of the system, then transitioning to full-wave spacing at a precise point. “Half-wave bays are spaced closer together and behave as a single bay, which enables full FM bandwidth,” said Keith Pelletier, president of Dielectric. “The RingMaster design uses half-wave spaced arrays in key areas of the system to achieve full FM bandwidth. The breakthrough comes with a transition to full-wave spacing at a very precise point, maintaining full FM bandwidth through the remainder of the system with fewer parts.”
Another focus of the series is control. Dielectric notes that RingMaster provides customers with more options to shape elevation patterns, thereby improving vertical shaping and eliminating the need for traditional methods to maintain uniform radiating phases across a coverage area. This flexibility, the company says, allows broadcasters to tailor transmissions more precisely to market requirements.
A new ring to it
Pelletier emphasized the scale of the development. “With decades since the last technological advancement in this field, the RingMaster Series sets a new standard for the future of FM antenna systems,” he said. “It empowers broadcasters to deliver superior transmissions while maximizing efficiency.”
Dielectric has not yet disclosed early customer names but says announcements are forthcoming, along with details on the second planned advance in the RingMaster family, which the company describes as a significant step forward in FM master system design.
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