Blimps Help Transmit Video at Events
Broadband Antenna Tracking Systems has created a rapidly-deployable system for high-speed transmission of video and other data from blimps to a ground station.??
The blimp is a commonly recognized entity at a range of sporting events, from baseball to football games. Sports broadcasters and marketing agencies often use blimps to capture action footage of sporting events and stream live video feeds to communication stations located on the ground.
Broadband Antenna Tracking Systems (BATS) has developed a solution that provides a significant improvement in data transmission capabilities for ?blimp-to-ground wireless communications.?? During trials in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the BATS Service and Support team integrated two BTS-2500 systems with Motorola PTP 600 series radios. One BTS system was located in the cockpit of the blimp and the second was located at a ground station. The BTS-2500 system used in the test is a self-aligning and tracking antenna. Each system includes a modular-computer-controlled Positioning Unit (PU) and a BATS Rack Mount Control Unit (RMCU). The BTS-2500 requires minimal technological skill from users in order to optimize wireless broadband applications.
After establishing and maintaining a data link between the blimp and the ground station, the system successfully achieved high-speed data transmission. The aggregate link capacity of the transmissions exceeded 252 Mbps. The system can now be deployed in blimps at sporting events across the country to provide an affordable solution that meets broadcasting companies’ need for high-speed and large capacity data transmission.
