Ball reception

The transmitter mast on the Merkur in Baden-Baden can receive a ball directly from the SWR radio station and in turn serve as a source of ball reception for the entire SWR transmitter chain.

VHF ball receiver

Ball receipt referred to in the Broadcasting a special way of supplying radio - and television programs to a transmitter . When the ball is received, the program is received with a receiving system installed on the transmitter from another transmitter location identical to the program (this figuratively plays “the ball”), converted to its own frequency and broadcast locally again on this.

A transmitter that works by receiving a ball is technically similar to a relay station .

use

Large basic network transmitters are usually supplied with the programs to be broadcast in the best quality via dedicated broadband cables or radio links . Here, the ball receiving system serves as a reserve : If the normal signal feed is disturbed, the program automatically switches to ball receiving.

In comparison to cable or radio link, the supply by ball reception offers only a reduced technical quality, on the one hand because of possible atmospheric disturbances, on the other hand because of the additional demodulation of the program signal required in the ball receiver. In spite of this, some of the basic network transmitters of the hr , BR , SWR and WDR are fed exclusively by receiving a ball.

Mainly small local converters work permanently by receiving the ball , for which a supply via cable or radio link would not be economical.