Structure of DTV Networks and Transmitting Stations - Digital Video and Audio Broadcasting Technology - page 523

31 Structure of DTV Networks and Transmitting
Stations
This chapter is intended to provide the practical engineer with an overview
of the configuration of TV transmitting stations and of the structure of sin-
gle-frequency DVB-T networks, using as examples the DVB-T SFN net-
works of Southern and Eastern Bavaria with some TV transmitting stations
of the Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) and T-Systems/Deutsche Telekom. The
author has been able to experience the commissioning of both networks at
close quarters, both during the initial training of some of the operating per-
sonnel, during visits in the installation phase, and when the networks were
being switched on. He was even granted the privilege of experiencing the
"flight" of the antenna by helicopter at the Olympic Tower, Munich, and at
the Mt. Wendelstein transmitter during the installation. In addition, both
networks are located in the region in which the author has grown up and is
still living. And all the TV transmitting stations are completely equipped
throughout with "Bavarian Technology" by the companies
Rohde&Schwarz, Spinner and Kathrein. Beginning with the playout cen-
ter, the entire feed link of the single-frequency networks (SFN) and espe-
cially the transmitting stations themselves, from the mask filter and the
combiner to the transmitting antenna will be described in this chapter.
31.1 The DVBT SFNs Southern and Eastern Bavaria
The DVB-T single-frequency networks (SFNs) used as the example are
networks in the South of Germany, in Germany's largest federal state
which has a geography of high (Alps) and low mountain ranges and in-
cludes the gentle foothills. This topography was of the greatest signifi-
cance in the planning of the networks.
The Southern Bavaria DVB-T network consists of the two transmitters
Olympic Tower Munich and Mt. Wendelstein. The Olympic Tower is a
typical telecommunications tower to the North-West of Munich with a
height of 292 m at about 450 m above sea level. It was originally used as
microwave tower for telephoning and was built in 1968. Microwave has