RF Design & Services

Overview
Tower Engineering Professionals newest addition to its line-up of services, RF Design & Services adds an extra dimension to the vast array of offerings to both civilian and military sectors.
Beginning in January 2021 and located in Kinston, NC, our talented team of engineers and technicians began providing the services described below and within the next 12-18 months, we plan to enhance our services with Distributed Antenna System design and installation as well as RF shielding for financial centers, laboratories, military facilities, and anywhere an RF secure environment is required.
FCC §1.300000-300002 Compliance
With the tremendous growth in communications services, the number of new communications towers continues to increase. The placing of a new tower in close proximity to an AM radio station’s transmitter facility may cause the station’s licensed radiation pattern to become distorted. These patterns are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and tightly controlled by the radio station itself.

TEP’s RF Design & Services Division, through on-site measurement and Method of Moments (MoM) computer analysis, can quickly determine if the new tower will cause any detrimental effects. If the new tower will cause pattern distortion, remedial activities can be performed using TEP designed equipment and installed by TEP’s Design/Build Division.
Inter-Modulation Studies
Most communication towers today host several different clients. These clients may be wireless carriers, public safety systems, wireless internet providers, and the list goes on. With the vast array of different frequencies in use at the site, it is important to determine if any interference will be caused to one or more of the tenant’s operations by another one or combination of the other tenants.

This is a complex issue that can only be determined by the latest software programs and experienced RF engineers. TEP’s RF Design & Services Division uses the latest industry standard, and FCC accepted software and methods to determine if any harmful inter-modulation interference will be generated and to what extent it will affect the site’s tenants.
Radio Frequency (RF) Safety and Training
An important segment of today’s communications infrastructure is ensuring the safety not only to the general public but the engineers and technicians that maintain it. Part of this is to ensure that no one is exposed to dangerously high RF fields. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) along with the Occupational Safety & Health Association (OSHA) regulate and enforce RF exposure limits for the occupational personnel as well as the general public. The RF Design & Services Division can determine if a location meets RF exposure guidelines by using computer modeling or actual field measurement activity. Our field personnel have on-site experience providing measurement activities in schools, manufacturing facilities, and resort properties just to name a few. Our engineering staff are also able to provide mitigation services where RF levels exceed maximum limits.

Training personnel in the field of RF safety is essential to a complete and comprehensive safety training program. All TEP “new hire” employees are required to attend an in-house training session to become certified in RF safety and re-certify every two years. The RF Design & Services Division provides this training, and can also provide training for a client’s personnel at a TEP location or on-site at a client’s facility.
Expert Witness
TEP’s RF Design & Services engineers have represented numerous clients at zoning hearings, homeowners associations, and various other organizations throughout the United States. Expert witness testimony has included RF safety issues, zoning approvals for wireless carriers, as well as radio and TV broadcasters.
Microwave Radio Path Design and Analysis
Whether used for wireless backhaul, broadcast STL/TSL, or SCADA Net systems, RF Design & Services can provide our clients with reliable microwave communications systems. Using the latest evaluation and design software, USGS databases, and NOAA climate data, our experienced engineers are able to provide system designs to meet today’s challenging communications demands. In conjunction with TEP’s Design/Build Division, we can provide a complete turnkey approach to meet the client’s requirements.
Navigational TelEx (NAVTEX) and Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS)
RF Design & Services engineers have vast experience in the design and construction of NAVTEX and DGPS systems for both the US Navy and Coast Guard. In conjunction with the Design/Build Division, NAVTEX systems have been designed and constructed from Alaska to as far away as Guam. DGPS systems for the Coast Guard have been serviced in the Carolinas and Virginia.
Broadcast Services
RF Design & Services engineers have many years of both commercial and non-commercial broadcasting experience. The Divisions engineers specialize in AM and Shortwave facilities. Repairing and upgrading facilities is just one of the services we offer.

As obtaining permits for new communications towers is growing more difficult, especially in urban areas, co-locating on existing AM radio towers has become a viable alternative. The division has many years of experience in the design and construction of co-location facilities. Working in tandem with the Design/Build Division, TEP offers a turnkey solution for the client’s co-location needs.

Developing Service Lines

As the RF Design & Services Division moves forward during its first 12-18 months, we plan to offer the following additional services:

Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)

These are multi antenna systems used where coverage or capacity from one antenna will not provide adequate service.  Some examples are large arenas, subways, tunnels, etc.

Citizen’s Broadband Radio Service (CBRS)

CBRS is a new service which occupies the frequency band of 3.5 GHz-3.7GHz, primarily used for naval radar systems.  This service has several service levels and is tightly controlled.  All installers/programmers must complete an in-depth training  program and become certified after successfully completing an examining process.  Four of our staff are CBRS certified.

RF Shielding

Another growth area is RF shielding.  As today’s world becomes more electronic, the more RF interference can disrupt our daily lives.  Shielding data centers, manufacturing facilities, and communications distribution centers, just to name a few, has become a large market segment.  Another aspect of RF shielding is not only keeping unwanted RF signals from getting into your facility but keeping sensitive data from leaking to the outside.  Industrial espionage and corporate security are major concerns in today’s business world as well.

Our staff has extensive knowledge in RF shielding methods and procedures and have completed projects for several manufacturing facilities as well as the Department of Homeland Security.

Staff Biographies

Michael W. Hayden NCE CPBE CBNT AMD CPI

Director of RF Design & Services

Michael brings over thirty years of practicing engineering before the FCC to TEP. After completing a successful career in the U.S. Navy where he was active in Anti-submarine Warfare Operations and participated in the Anti-Submarine Warfare development program for the DD-962 (Spruance Class) destroyer program in Pascagoula, Mississippi, Michael entered the Broadcast Engineering Community. During his career in Broadcasting, he has held several corporate level positions.

Holding the position of Adjunct Professor in the State of Illinois Community College System, he has developed several curricula pertaining to computer and network systems. During this time, he was also an advisor on the Education Advisory Board of the Chicago Public School System.

He holds a Ship Radar endorsed General Radio Telephone Operator License issued by the FCC, is certified as a Professional Broadcast Engineer and Broadcast Network Technologist by the Society of Broadcast Engineers, Master Engineer by the International Association for Radio, Telecommunications and Electromagnetics, and is a CBRS Certified Professional Installer. He holds security credentials issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, as well as the Secure Works Access Consortium for work with the Port Authority of NY & NJ. He also holds numerous industry certifications in RF systems engineering as well as personnel and construction site safety.

 

Mike Britner

Business Development Manager

Mike’s career in technology began in the United States Air Force where he supervised and maintained nuclear warhead ICBMs and their associated facilities throughout the Midwest. After departing the Air Force, Mike has played significant roles in international satellite communications and wireless systems deployment for U.S. Cellular and COMSAT Corp, and holds a General Radio Telephone License issued by the FCC. Mike has also provided assistance in local area development for several communities as well as non-profit organizations. Mike brings to TEP not only technical experience and knowledge but expertise in technical sales and marketing thus being able to develop solutions for customer’s unique and challenging requirements.

Clients