The Gates Air FAX-10, Numero Dos

This is the second Gates Air FAX-10 that I have installed. This one is in the shipping container transmitter site from the previous post of the same name.  In this case, we dispensed with the equipment rack that came with the transmitter and installed it in a standard Middle Atlantic rack.   The Harris rack configuration wastes a lot of space and since space is at a premium, we decided to do it our own way.

Gates Air FAX-10 in Middle Atlantic rack
Gates Air FAX-10 in Middle Atlantic rack

The bottom of the rack has the transmission line dehydrator. The top of the rack has the Dielectric A60000 series 1 5/8 inch coax switch, a Tunwall TRC-1 switch controller, and the Burk ARC-16 remote control.  I cut the rack panel top to accommodate the coax switch.  The racks were removed from an old studio site several years ago and have been in storage since then.

Gates Air FAX-10
Gates Air FAX-10

The Gates Air FAX-10 transmitter on the air, running a sports-talk format.

Dummy load and Broadcast Electronics FM10B transmitter
Dummy load and Broadcast Electronics FM10B transmitter

View from the other side showing the test load and BE FM10-B transmitter.  This transmitter had a problem that I have run into before with BE FM transmitters.  The jumper between the exciter and IPA had the wrong phase rotation causing reflected power.  I added a foot to its length and that problem disappeared.

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3 thoughts on “The Gates Air FAX-10, Numero Dos”

  1. Nice install, Paul!

    One question for you: I’m been looking into the FAX10, especially the “two FAX10’s in one rack” concept they have. I’m a little concerned about cooling, and about access to the innards for repair work down the road. Can you comment at all on either of those?

  2. Aaron, the heat blows straight out of the back of the transmitter. As long as there is adequate clearance behind the transmitter (24-30 inches), it should be fine. Also, the power supplies and RF modules are accessed from the front, the splitter, combiner, directional coupler, etc are accessed from the rear. The “power block” is a little heavy, it took three people to get it into the rack, but if need be, the entire thing can be removed to work on it. There are a bunch of pictures and such in the back of the manual, I can shoot you a copy if you don’t have one.

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