Eight CRP-owned FM channels will share the innovative Dielectric FM antenna and combiner to save space at the overcrowded el Morro Solar tower site, in Lima, Peru
Dielectric is preparing to ship a unique DCBR 20-panel FM antenna and dual-manifold combiner to CRP Medios y Entretenimiento, a privately-held commercial radio station group, based in Lima, Peru.
Considering that the tower site—el Morro Solar in the Chorrillos district of Lima—is one of the most crowded broadcast antenna farms in the world, CRP chose the Dielectric package for its ability to cost-efficiently combine eight FM stations onto a single antenna system while covering the entire target market area.
After carefully evaluating several technical proposals submitted by competing antenna manufacturers, CRP’s Operations Manager Giancarlo Garzon, engineering team; and RF consultant Luis Bordo recommended the purchase of the Dielectric solution to CRP management on the basis of its innovative design, reliability, and price/performance.
“With its total power input of 240kW and dual input array, our antenna system offered CRP the best option for improving their stations’ signal strength, reception, and coverage across the Greater Lima area. In addition to meeting CRP’s expectations about the target coverage pattern, the dual-manifold combiner makes it possible for the company’s eight separate high-power FM channels to share the same antenna,” said Federico d’Avis, Dielectric’s International Sales Manager.
Factors leading to the sale
CRP’s management, engineering team, and third-party consultant were also impressed by the detailed technical presentation given in Lima by Jay Martin, Dielectric’s Vice President of Sales. Martin and d’Avis also invited CRP’s CEO Abraham Zavala to tour Sutro Tower in San Francisco, and to speak with Eric Dausman—the site’s technical operations manager—about the performance of the many Dielectric FM antennas installed at that site.
CRP management was also persuaded by their consultant’s familiarity with several Dielectric-brand antennas that have been in continuous service across Peru for over 20 years. The hilltop site, which is jam-packed with towers, antennas, and transmitter buildings, is a coastal perch overlooking the sea – a location that brings a unique set of operational challenges around performance and longevity.
“Dielectric has antennas that have been installed and fully operational in coastal regions like Florida and the Caribbean for many years,” said d’Avis. “CRP’s engineering team felt confident that the Dielectric antenna and combiner would perform reliably and resist corrosion in the salty sea air and high winds that are prevalent at el Morro Solar.”
An engineering team from CRP visited Dielectric’s Raymond Maine factory in mid-March to inspect their equipment and witness a factory acceptance test of the new system.
Dielectric is now preparing the RF system—including the antenna, combiner, and filters—for shipping to the Lima site this month. “We’re delighted that CRP has placed their trust and confidence in our efficient, economical antenna and combiner system,” said Martin. “We look forward to building a long, rewarding relationship with CRP and standing behind our technology so that it serves them for years to come.”
About Dielectric
Based in Raymond, Maine, Dielectric LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group. Dielectric is a leading provider of innovative broadcast products. Now celebrating its 77th year of operation, the company builds and delivers antennas and RF systems optimized for every TV and FM radio broadcast need since 1942. Dielectric is an innovative, customer-centric organization with a long history of engineering excellence in designing and manufacturing high-quality broadcast solutions. As a trust partner of broadcasters worldwide, Dielectric maintains its legacy of advanced, precision RF solutions while building in features that prepare broadcasters for the future. More information can be accessed at www.dielectric.com
