Transmitter building

A transmitter building is a building for housing transmitter equipment.

Transmitter equipment and auxiliary device

The transmitter building houses beside the actual transmitters also the devices necessary for the current supply of the transmitting plant (transformers, emergency power supply and electric rectifier) and the devices necessary for the monitoring of the normal function of the transmitter. For the water cooling of high-power transmitters special mechanisms are installed. Frequently also stockrooms for spare parts and workshops for appropriate repairs belong to transmitter buildings. At transmitters, in which frequently or always staff is, also social rooms are provided. A transmitter building is not to be confused with a studio, because it possesses for this no appropriate mechanisms. For emergency a small studio can be intended, which keeps the broadcasting upright together with an emergency power supply.

Location

At FM- and TV transmitting towers the transmitter buildings are built directly next to the transmitting tower, while at transmitting plants for VLF, long -, medium- and short wave the transmitter building is for radiation-technical reasons built in a distance of 30 to 600 meters away from the transmitting antenna. At radio relay link and FM transmitters the transmitters can be in a room on the tower. In these cases in buildings beside the radio tower only heavy elements such as transformers or emergency power generators are installed. In principle the distance to the transmitting antenna should not be to large however, in order to prevent line losses of the high frequency.

Lines

The program which can be radiated is usually supplied by cable, satellite or radio relay link. As lines coaxial cables are nowadays usually used. In particular at non German transmitting plants for long-, medium- and shortwave one finds occasionally also cage lines for the transmission of the high frequency energy between the transmitting antenna and the transmitter buildings. At FM- and TV transmitters for this in former times also Goubot lines were used.

Fire protection and climatisation

Since transmitter buildings are exposed because of the usually exposed radio tower to increased overvoltage risk, only non-combustible materials should be used for ire security reasons in transmitter buildings. Transmitter buildings should be also air-conditioned and in any case heatable, because large variations in temperature can lead to malfunctionins. The heating of transmitter buildings, which accommodate high power transmitters, via the waste heat of the transmitter.

Architecture

Transmitter buildings are in most cases no matter of architectury. But there are few exceptions as the Muthesius Building in Nauen and the transmitter building of Europe 1 in Felsberg-Berus.