Broadcast engineering and commercial AV solutions provider Technical Services Group (TSG) has installed new transmitters in the Rohde & Schwarz Training Center in Columbia, Maryland, in the United States. Although the transmitters are not on the air, they are fully functional and allow students hands-on training within a typical broadcast setup.
“Rohde & Schwarz approached us about updating their training center to include the latest models,” explains Bo Hoover, CEO of TSG. “We basically designed a system that is very similar to what any broadcaster would find at their transmitter site. We mirrored a typical infrastructure – but it’s in a showroom.”
TSG began the project by removing the older systems to make room for the newest R&S®THR9evo liquid-cooled FM radio and R&S®TMU9evo air-cooled UHF transmitters. Originally conceived as a showroom, since the upgrade, the space is now used primarily for customer training.
During the two-day training program, students troubleshoot potential issues and get hands-on experience with the transmission systems. “The upgrade to the facility really made these transmitters more ‘real world,’ as if they’re at a customer’s location,” Hoover says.
“We’re known for our detailed, high-quality work in the field, but we weren’t working at a dirty old transmitter site”
Bo Hoover, CEO of TSG
TSG says installing operational transmission systems in a corporate office was a challenge. Hoover said much of TSG’s work involved hiding parts of the infrastructure. The cooling lines, for example, were run above the finished ceilings. TSG also installed the heat exchanger infrastructure in a way that was well-hidden from visitors and corporate personnel.
“We’re known for our detailed, high-quality work in the field, but we weren’t working at a dirty old transmitter site,” Hoover added. “The finished product had to be showroom grade. We’re proud that Rohde & Schwarz trusted TSG for this high-profile project.”
“When it was time to update our showroom, we decided to turn the space into a training center, complete with some of our newest transmitter solutions,” explains Glen Hurst, a transmission system engineer at Rohde & Schwarz. “The trick was creating a space with fully-functional transmitters without compromising the aesthetic of our corporate headquarters. TSG did a great job balancing function and appearance.”