Taldom

If you listen to ‘Voice of Russia’ DRM broadcast from Taldom (near Moscow) then this is a photo of the transmitter antenna used.

The antenna system represents the inphase horizontal antenna with an aperiodic reflector element. Various elements in the 4 part antenna system can be switched giving a choice of main lobe direction and lobe width.
Currently the antenna has an azimuth of 240 degrees.

One of the short wave transmitters modified for DRM transmissions. This SSB transmitter provided about 100 kW peak output power using a push-pull PA. After modification the output power was increased to 200-220 kW (approx). Good transmit linearity is required for OFDM broadcasts, when testing the transmitter using the 2 tone method nonlinear products were better than -38 to -42 dB for all RF input levels.

The resulting spectra of the digital signal is shown, the red line represents the ‘spectrum mask’ requirement to meet the ITU DRM specification.

The audio source from Moscow is fed via land line to a Thales DRM encoder-modulator TXW5122D (picture shows a demonstration setup). Followed by the Thales synthesizer TXW5321D, which feeds the transmitter with DRM.

The Taldom site also transmits ‘Radio of Russia’ (Radio Rossii) and ‘Yunost’ (Youth) on long wave, aerial mast is 257 meters high.

On top of one of the ‘Yunost’ radio masts a skydiver is about to jump... (November 2002).

The snow covered building in the top centre of the picture is a radio station.

[thanks to Andrew Shaidurov for the photos and information]