Sat-Comm refurbish BBC SNG vehicle

Suffolk-based Outside Broadcast (OB) and Satellite News Gathering (SNG) specialists, Sat-Comm Ltd, have completed an extensive refurbishment project on one of the BBC’s fleet of SNG vehicles.
The 7.5 tonne vehicle had already seen long service since its original use as a radio unit, but it has now been transformed into a comprehensively equipped digital television production vehicle.
The vehicle can now be fitted with up to four cameras and comes equipped with a vision mixer, digital audio desk and full monitoring facilities. It also has an enhanced uplink capability and is able to provide up to three MPEG-encoded video uplinks.
As well as the new technical installation, a complete interior refurbishment has taken place, including the installation of additional racks, and numerous external coachwork improvements.
At the other end of the scale, an example of the smallest member of the Sat-Comm SNG vehicle range has recently emerged from the Mildenhall factory.
Dubbed the ‘Cygnus’, this latest creation features their new 1.2m motorised antenna built onto a specially adapted Mercedes Vito 110Cdi, and is destined for a customer in Italy. The diminutive dimensions of this vehicle from the Sat-Comm range belie its capabilities, as this one is to be supplied with a complete redundant Ku-Band uplink.
In keeping with their reputation for innovation solutions, the vehicle features a unique arrangement for providing electrical power. The vehicle derives from it’s own engine both a clean technical power supply, and a separate supply to drive the vehicle’s air-conditioner.
Sat-Comm Ltd, www.sat-comm.com
(GMcG)