How to locate pirate radio and TV stations with PROMAX solutions

PROMAX designs several monitoring and spectrum surveillance systems. The government authorities in charge of the surveillance of the radio-electric spectrum can use the PROWATCH instruments to detect and locate the pirate and irregular broadcast stations of radio and TV.

MONITORING SYSTEMS: THREE FORMATS, ONE SOUL

PROMAX designs and customizes monitoring solutions integrated into portable TV & Spectrum analyzers, Rack spectrum analyzers and Massive 24/7 monitoring systems. All three solutions are built around RANGER Neo platform, the most popular field strength meters in the market.

By combining the use of PROMAX solutions, the authorities in charge of ensuring the integrity of the radio-electric spectrum can locate illegal broadcasting stations.

24/7/365 PERMANENT MONITORING NETWORKS: THE FIRST STEP TO DETECT AN ILLEGAL TRANSMITTER

PROWATCH Neo is the PROMAX integral solution for the authorities in charge of guaranteeing the legitimate use of the radio-electric spectrum. The system consists of several automated measurement points distributed over a geographical area, interconnected via the Internet and managed from a centralized control station.

When one or more PROWATCH Neo measurement points detect an irregular station has turned up, this anomaly is logged in the control station and an alarm is sent out via e-mail to one or more technicians in charge. The alert system is flexible and it also allows the surveillance of the appropriate signal levels of all the radio and TV stations.

Identifying the area where an illegal broadcasting is taking place

PROWATCH Neo can be integrated into NMS networks, and they are compatible with SNMP and data mining solutions such as Dataminer. They are built around the RANGER Neo platform, the most popular professional spectrum analyzers for television, FM radio, DAB+ digital radio, cable, satellite, IPTV, OTT and optical fibre.

PROWATCH NEO MONITORING SYSTEM 

HOW TO DELIMIT THE ORIGIN OF THE ILLEGAL BROADCASTING WITH PROMAX SPECTRUM ANALYZERS

PROMAX TV and Spectrum analyzers have a number of measurement and data processing tools that can help to estimate where is located the antenna that is broadcasting illegal or irregular signal.

For example the signal coverage (drive test) tool allows taking measurements, georeference them via GPS, draw them on a 3D map and estimate where could be located an illegal broadcasting centre.

Delimiting the zone there the illegal antenna is located by generating signal coverage maps.

This method can be carried out using RANGER Neo rack spectrum analyzers installed in the drive test vehicle. Or also by using portable RANGER Neo spectrum analyzers that can be taken out from the vehicle to perform additional tests.

RANGER Neo rack are TV and Spectrum analyzers built in rack format to enable setting them up in drive test vehicles or television OB Vans. They have functions for signal monitoring, data exporting and Internet remote control.

DIRECTIVE ANTENNAS: AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD

Another method to estimate the location of an illegal antenna is using the spectrum analyzer built-in in the TV Analyzer in tandem with a directive antenna.

Just move the antenna, always seeking for the direction that allows receiving the maximum signal power. Then, move in this direction and take measurements again. This way, the physical source point of the signal is being reached gradually to take the appropriate legal actions.

Estimate the location of an illegal antenna with a RANGER Neo spectrum analyzer from PROMAX

Since the RANGER Neo portable TV and Spectrum analyzers are designed to run for more than four hours in battery operated mode (according to model) and they allow RF-supplying the antennas, they are perfect for this kind of field work. And they are lighter than the antenna itself!

RANGER Neo portable field strength meters have the same features that the rack versions, with all the comfort that give a 2 kg device and (according to version) 4 hours of battery operation time.