Satnews Daily

Alpha Satcom Antennas Avoids The Chills With Walton De-Ice Systems

Alpha Satcom Inc. (ASI), a provider of satellite Earth station antenna solutions, has selected Walton De-Ice systems for an installation at a major satellite broadcast facility.

Alpha Satcom, Inc. had been selected by a customer to design, fabricate and supply a unique 9.0-meter Ku-band, low-passive, intermodulation (PIM) antenna with especially challenging RF and structural design requirements—Alpha Satcom then, in turn, selected Walton De-Ice as part of Alpha Satcom, Inc.’s total solution.

Headquartered in Longview, Texas, with additional facilities in China, Alpha Satcom Inc. (ASI), provides a wide range of large satellite Earth station antenna solutions in C-, X-, Ku-, DBS, Ka-band and hybrids for commercial and military applications, including special requirements for performance in extreme environments.

Walton’s Hot Air De-Ice systems, including the company’s unique Plenum enclosure installed on the rear of an antenna, provide the most reliable and economic antenna de-icing solutions on the market, offering maximum flexibility with electric, natural gas, and liquid propane gas heater options. Unlike other types of heaters, such as electric pad systems that can cause reflector distortion, Walton Hot Air De-Ice systems heat the entire antenna reflector uniformly, which minimizes reflector distortion that can cause signal problems, even more so at Ku-, and Ka-Band.

During the NAB Show 2016 in Las Vegas, April 18-21, 2016, at Booth OE504, Walton De-Ice will be promoting their latest in gas and electric heated hot-air Plenum systems for large antennas (3.7 to 32 meters), as well as their innovative Ice Quake and Snow Shield solutions for 0.6 to 6.3 meter antennas.

Passive intermodulation (PIM) on antennas can disrupt networks by creating signal interference. Low–PIM antennas minimize this effect. Bill Anton, President/CEO of Alpha Satcom, Inc., said, “The very nature of this type of system not only requires special RF and structural design but also extremely sensitive installation and operational constraints. We understand the critical needs of our customers to have high performance, reliable systems that can receive and transmit a signal cost-effectively under the harshest conditions. By thermally bathing the backup structure and panels in a homogeneous manner, the Walton De-icing will help support Low PIM operation for many years.