HD Radio Implementation

A complete field guide for the radio engineer converting a radio station to HD Radio.

Thomas R. Ray, III started his career with Buckley stations WDRC and WDRC-FM in Hartford, Connecticut, while a Senior in High School in 1977. He has been Chief Engineer of several stations in the Hartford area, such as WTIC AM and FM, has worked as producer/engineer for the Hartford Whalers Hockey organization, and has built numerous radio stations in the Northeast and the Caribbean. He came home to Buckley and WOR in 1997, working his way up to Vice President in 2005. He is one of the leading proponents of the HD Radio system in the United States, and has considerable experience with transmission, studio construction, and data, which culminated in the rebuilding of the WOR studio facility, which is primarily a data based facility. He converted WOR in New York City to HD Radio in 2002, and quite possibly has the most hands on experience with the hybrid AM HD Radio system in the country.

Part 1:Requirements Common to AM and FM for HD Radio Implementation- Studio Equipment- STL systems- The Audio Chain- Do I Really Need Internet Access at the Transmitter?- What do I Really Need to Change to Put HD On The Air?
Part 2:Requirements Pertaining to AM HD Only- Requirements of the Transmitter- Requirements of the Antenna System- Required Equipment Needed to Transmit an HD Signal- Power and Air Conditioning Loads at the Transmitter- Facts and Fallacies Relating to HD Installation
Part 3:Requirements Pertaining to FM HD Only- Requirements of the Transmitter- Requirements of the Antenna System- Required Equipment Needed to Transmit an HD Signal- Power and Air Conditioning Loads at the Transmitter- Facts and Fallacies Relating to HD Installation
Part 4:Implementing AM HD Radio- Interfacing to the Transmitter- Audio Connections and Dealing with AES Data- The Importance of Installing a Bypass Device- Remote Control Connections, What Test Equipment is Required?- Adjustments for Best Performance- Meeting the NRSC Mask- Importance of and How to Adjust the Analog Delay- Implementing Title and Artist Data- How to Set Up and Use VNC
Part 5:Implementing FM HD Radio- High Level Combining-Mid Level Combining-Common Amplification-How to Decide Which is Best for Your Facility- Interfacing to the Transmitter- Audio Connections and Dealing with AES Data- Implementing Multichannel HD Transmission- The Importance of Installing a Bypass Device- Remote Control Connections, What Test Equipment is Required?- Adjustments for Best Performance- Meeting the NRSC Mask- How to Adjust the Analog Delay- Implementing Title and Artist Data- How to Set Up and Use VNC
Appendicies:- Dealing with the Inherent Delay at the Studio and on Remote- A Listing of Equipment Manufacturers and "For More Information"