Dielectric Partners With Pippin Technical Service

Dielectric has amplified its presence in the Canadian broadcast market through a new partnership with Pippin Technical Service (PTS) that will introduce Dielectric's antenna and RF systems to a much broader customer base.

PTS will initially represent Dielectric throughout Western Canada, covering four provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia) as well as Yukon and Northwest Territories to the north, with an emphasis on increasing Dielectric’s brand recognition and market share for FM radio.

Founded in 1980, PTS has evolved from an RF specialist to a turnkey service provider over its nearly 45 years in business. The company today offers a full range of systems design, integration and engineering services for the broadcast, telecommunications and AV industries, further supported through a diverse brand portfolio that includes leading technology innovators across all relevant industries.

Dielectric is the latest manufacturer to join PTS' brand portfolio, adding a wide range of broadcast antennas (FM and TV), filters, combiners and transmission line, among other RF support products. That includes RFHAWKEYE and Apollo, two key innovations from Dielectric's growing range of RF monitoring and analytical solutions. For PTS President and CEO Tyler Everitt, Dielectric's product depth signals new opportunities for everyone involved — including the broadcasters that both companies work together to serve.

"We see a lot of opportunity for the FM replacement market in our immediate future," said Everitt. "These projects typically begin with the transmitter and soon extend into the rest of the RF infrastructure. That means new combiners, filters and antennas, as well as the opportunities to modularly build onto existing systems as new frequencies are added. We are actively working on some of these projects and have more on the horizon. What makes Dielectric innovative is how they find new ways of applying RF technology in both TV and radio, which has long been a somewhat static part of the broadcast industry. The physics haven’t changed, but the opportunities have certainly evolved."

On the physics side, Everitt points to Dielectric's ability to produce higher antenna gains through varied wavelength spacings as one example, resulting in stronger signals for improved over-the-air coverage. For new opportunities, he’s especially bullish about how RFHAWKEYE's ease of use can spark simple transitions to IP-based RF monitoring. He also points to how Dielectric’s Powerlite™ series can open doors to new low-power FM and TV projects.

"ATSC 3.0 is causing some renewed interest in digital TV opportunities throughout Canada," said Everitt. "The City of Calgary has considered implementing ATSC 3.0 services as part of their smart city initiative, and Dielectric has a complete family of high-power and low-power antennas for building out ATSC 3.0 networks, including SFNs. RFHAWKEYE elevates Dielectric’s ATSC 3.0 value proposition through its ability to monitor RF performance and identify concerning trends and problems over the network."

Everitt says that PTS' initial strategy includes developing presentations that will breed familiarity with the Dielectric brand and its range of products. Beyond sales and marketing, PTS's turnkey services for Dielectric will include RF site planning, system design, integration, commissioning, and post-sales technical support and maintenance. This full suite of services, along with PTS’ RF expertise, territorial reach and long-standing industry relationships, make PTS the ideal Canadian partner for Dielectric.

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