Broadcast and Communication Facilities Turn to Copper to Prevent Outages and Equipment Breakdown

February 9, 2016

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CDA’s Electrical Expert to Address the Importance of Grounding and Lightning Protection System at NAB Show

NEW YORK, NY— Uptime is not optional for communication facilities, especially emergency responders. Yet unless building and facility managers take the necessary steps, response systems often fail when lightning strikes.

David Brender, the National Program Manager for Electrical Applications at the Copper Development Association (CDA), will address broadcast and communication professionals about the proper grounding and bonding techniques for communications facilities, including studios, transmitting sites and towers at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show, in Las Vegas this spring. Brender’s session titled, “Case Histories and Fundamentals in Grounding and Bonding” is scheduled for Tuesday, April 19th in Room S227 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The NAB Show is the world's largest event covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums and draws nearly 100,000 attendees from every sector of the industry, including broadcast, digital media, film, entertainment, telecom, post-production, government and other communication professionals.

During his presentation, Brender will discuss several frequently-found errors in wiring, grounding and bonding, and lightning protection systems that can affect proper operation and result in a facility’s down time. He will also give examples of several communication facilities where grounding and lightning protection were of paramount importance in maintaining system availability. Through these case studies, attendees will be given the necessary steps to prevent outages and protect their property from damages.

“A total systems approach with copper provides the best support for a facility that cannot afford to be taken offline,” Brender said an expert on grounding and bonding with more than 20 years of experience. “Time has proven again and again that a grounding and bonding electrical system, often exceeding code minimums, is an easy and cost-effective solution to ensure proper operation for facilities where lightning does strike more than once.”

Proper wiring and grounding, beyond those minimal requirements of the National Electrical Code (NEC) or R56 parameters, can greatly enhance reliability and reduce down-time at broadcast and public service communication facilities.

By employing these retrofits and design suggestions – usually simple in description and cost effective – radio and TV facilities can avoid equipment damage, and equally or more important, downtime. For more information about grounding systems or to access a variety of CDA's electrical case studies, please visit Power Quality Section.

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