GatesAir Ships 300th Repack Transmitter

GatesAir has delivered its 300^th repack transmitter. Cornerstone Television’s WPCB Pittsburgh (DMA 24) took delivery of its new Maxiva ULXTE-50 liquid-cooled transmitter late last week. WPCB has been repacked from ch. 50 to 28, and will transmit at 31.7 kW from its new frequency beginning Aug. 2.

To date, GatesAir has shipped 11,273 power amplifiers, which represents more than 6.4 Megawatts of transmission power. GatesAir says it has “successfully met all shipping deadlines to date thanks to careful staffing and manufacturing initiatives put into place by Vice President of Operations Bryant Burke.”

GatesAir CEO Bruce D. Swail notes that GatesAir has also logged nearly 38 million amplifier in-service hours of repack projects. All GatesAir transmitters are made at the company’s Quincy, Ill., manufacturing center.

“With the most cutting-edge power amplification tech in the market, our Maxiva transmitters have accumulated an impressive number of in-service pallet hours that continues to climb, solidifying our reputation for high performance and unmatched reliability,” said Swail. “Combined with on-time deliveries, transmitter site consultations and unparalleled customer service, GatesAir continues as the leading and most trusted supplier of repack transmitters and services.”

WPCB was granted a power increase for its Phase 4 repack assignment. Steve Johnson, VP operations for Cornerstone Television, points to GatesAir’s customer support and high-efficiency solid-state technology as key deciding factors. According to the company, the transition from tube to solid-state will eliminate costly tube maintenance, and provide a high-efficiency platform to offset utility costs from the station’s power increase.

Johnson also purchased a Maxiva VAXTE-6L air-cooled transmitter for WKBS Altoona-Johnstown, Pa. WKBS, a full satellite of WPCB, will be repacked from UHF ch. 46 to low-band VHF ch. 6 in Phase 6.

“GatesAir is one of the few vendors to offer reliable repack transmitters for low-band VHF, and our engineers can leverage a common user interface to remotely monitor and manage both Maxiva transmitters,” said Johnson. “We are impressed with the strength of their customer service, and the heritage and longevity of the company. Support is always a phone call away in Quincy, which has made a positive and lasting impact. We look forward to a long relationship with GatesAir.