Events

Summer Time, and the living is.....

Blog Author — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 09:12:09 GMT

With The Wedding out of the way, it’s time to sit back and relax here at JFMG, since it all gone quiet now. In our dreams. No sooner have the PSC crews flown home and the bunting come down, when the next series of events come along.

May through July are peak months for outdoor events. Crowds of folk gather in all sorts of locations - a patch of grass in north-west London, an air-field in Northants or a muddy farm in Somerset. And all these locations attract more than their fair share of wireless users who rely heavily of JFMG’s pot of frequencies and more, either as part of the event itself, or for TV and radio coverage.

Wembley Stadium was firstly host to the FA Cup Final; followed in short order by the UEFA Champions’ League Final. The former may be an annual event, but the demands of Hi-Def and 3D means spectrum demand moves upward every year. The UEFA game attracted a large contingent of visiting broadcasters, and placed an even greater demand on frequencies, with huge demand for talk-back, mics and cameras. This event also attracted on-site support; myself and Beverley were there alongside staff from Ofcom, with whom we worked in partnership to ensure frequency plans were adhered to and technical issues were addressed before it all (literally) kicked off.

Glastonbury was another event where JFMG set up shop. Simon was fortunate to be given some office space, so he could deal with the inevitable last minute requests. He also reports scurrying under the main stage to assist in resolving technical issues whilst one of the main acts pranced around above him and was there monitoring the spectrum when a popular beat-combo from Dublin were doing their bit.

Silverstone – as Bernie Ecclestone once described it “a country fair masquerading as a world class venue”. With £27 million spent on the new pits & paddock complex – AKA The Wing, the circuit is becoming a bit more polished. And the new layout means the teams and broadcasters have all relocated. For JFMG this means a going through a learning process as we get to grips with differences in coverage and interactions as a result of the changes. The first meeting this year was the FIA GT, which is relatively low key spectrum wise but wireless usage builds with the MotoGP and goes through the roof by the time the F1 comes to town (er, village?). The Moto allowed me to get both Antonios and Tristan out of the office and into the field to translate licensing and coordination activities into applied wireless use. At the F1, Jay was ‘embedded’, thankfully with an office and was joined by members of the Front Line team meeting our customer requirements right up until qualifying.

In a nutshell, site work allows us to get to appreciate physical deployment of systems, focus on meeting customer requirements right up to the point when it goes live and make sure it all works....but then, it’s also nice to get out of the office.

Royal Knees Up!

Blog Author — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 08:01:09 GMT

Big hats and tearful aunties, bulk catering and Dad’s dancing. All features of the Great British wedding that we know and love. But how about having a large flock of TV cameras pointing at your front door?? I refer of course to the world’s media on the doorstep of Buckingham Palace. Who inevitably had wireless devices coming out of their ears (in the case of IFB, quite literally).

The event provided an unprecedented challenge for JFMG. We had met with members of the broadcasting community shortly after Wills had popped the question. This gave us – JFMG and customers – and idea of likely demand, where frequencies would be required, and allowed us to target dates for applications and licensing.

Then it was all hands to the pump. Our front line staff had to sift through the mountain of applications, field an ever increasing volume of calls and of course extract payment. Then the technical team had to juggle the finite pot of frequencies in an attempt to keep all our customers’ needs met. And having created the frequency plan, we were also out there in the field making sure it all worked.

The numbers of frequencies assigned was a staggering 1058. The majority of these were required in key hot-spots between Westminster and Buckingham Palace.

During the week leading up to the Royal Wedding a number of last minute additions to the plan had to be met. Meanwhile staff in the field set up a monitoring vehicle in the main broadcast compound and helped resolve any technical issues, ensuring everyone was operating according to plan. But we didn’t just sit on our laurels, we also got out amongst the crowd where we identified a number of visiting news crews who were operating unlicensed wireless microphones in PMSE spectrum. As a result of collaborative working between ourselves and Ofcom a number of pieces of unlicensed equipment were seized.

On the day of the wedding, a greater degree of cable use was evident, compared to earlier in the week. We heard from one (non-licensed) crew that they’d heard rumours of equipment confiscation, and were opting to use cable on the big day.

Breaking Out The Bunting

Blog Author — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:29:24 GMT

I’m reliably informed by my colleagues that we’re going through the ‘quiet season’ right now. It may just be me, only it doesn’t seem as quiet as my first two winters at JFMG. Maybe it’s just that this spring is bringing a couple of extra events into the calendar, both of which look like they could be unprecedented in terms of spectrum demand. I am of course referring to two subjects close to the hearts and minds of the British public – The Royal Family and football (and you thought I was referring to curry & chips....)

The Royal Wedding is putting a huge focus around the whole of Westminster & The Palace, plus all points in-between and with Hyde Park thrown in for good measure. The UEFA Champions league is also putting a huge focus around Wembley Stadium, with Hyde Park thrown in for good measure. A very large space, smack bang in the middle of London – you can imagine how well that keeps RF contained.

With both events, we’ve been able to engage the main spectrum users well in advance of the events, holding meetings to get a full picture of where the demand lies, understanding what’s likely to dry up first; and how we can mitigate. It’s on occasions like these, flexibility is the key. The 16 channels programmed in your talkback may serve you well most of the year; but now’s the time to look for that programming lead. Got a 3GHz camera at the back of the warehouse?? How about blowing the dust off the lens and getting the battery on charge. Oh, and has anybody got VHF gear lurking about.....

Seriously though, both events have shown how JFMG & our customers can all work together in partnership, with the aim of making a finite resource (that’ll be spectrum) work to everyone’s benefit. And we’ll be sharing the pleasure (or pain??) on event days; on hand to resolve any unexpected issues, and if necessary tracking down any rogues. Both events will have Ofcom support – so please double check your frequencies; confiscation of that vital wireless mic during a piece to camera could be embarrassing.

I personally will be found close to the OB areas at both events. So if you see a harassed Field Engineer hunched over a spectrum analyser, offer him tea with milk, no sugar – oh, and a chocolate hob-nob.

Down By The River

Blog Author — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Before 2010 started, we had to see the New Year in. And for those not out partying, the celebrations were well covered on TV & radio. A particular hot-spot radio-wise was the Thames embankment, just below Charing Cross station – the location of the London New Year firework display. Before it all kicked off (and thus you couldn’t move) I paid a visit to some of our customers on location. There was a busy OB being set up so those of us living out of town could see the display from the warmth of our own homes. And along the embankment, a diverse range of PMSE spectrum was being used – covering everything from the main event communications, sound distribution to keep the public entertained, and even a live feed of the bells of Big Ben as they chimed the New Year in.

NFL

Blog Author — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 13:57:40 GMT

NFL In London. A football game at Wembley, nothing new there you’d think. But, on 25^th October this year, and for the third year running, the National Stadium played host to the National Football League for the American version of the beautiful game. And this was for no mere demonstration game. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the home side to the New England Patriots for a regular season game in the NFL’s 2009 season.

As well as a sporting event, this was to be a big wireless event. Demands for spectrum came from domestic and US television & radio, sound specialists, a film crew making a documentary about the event, and there was a significant requirement from the NFL themselves.

The NFL requirement may seem surprising; but radio communications are used by the teams as well as the referee & game officials. No longer are plays passed from the sideline to the quarterback by a team member running to and fro. The coach on the side line relays the play over an encrypted radio to the quarterback’s in-helmet receiver. Oh, and to stop the coach from cheating, by directing the quarterback real-time, NFL officials cut the radio link once the ball is in play.

Initial Work. Back in mid-July JFMG engaged with the Manager of NFL Frequency Organization Group, and the Group’s Chief Coordinator. In effect the NFL has its very own JFMG looking after all of the games played every year in the USA. In fact there’s a ‘Game Day Coordinator’ or GDC assigned to each team. The NFL guys knew which organisations from the USA were likely to be bringing wireless equipment to the game. They circulated information detailing licensing requirements in the UK, and directed the American organisations towards JFMG.

From mid-August applications started to arrive. As a ‘Major Event’ frequencies were not assigned first-come first-served, as soon as they were received. Instead requests were held until the overall demand was clear; and I took the overall responsibility of coordinating and issuing all licenses for the event. Whilst our established UK licensees were familiar with our process, for many of the US users this was their first foray this side of the pond. A few trans-Atlantic phone calls helped me understand their exact requirements, and some technical aspects such as the all-important tuning range.

Coordination. In the talk-back bands I had to fit in a number of outside broadcast customers plus the NFL. The NFL’s helmet radios were crystal controlled. Hard to believe in this digitally synthesised age. But these devices need to be small, light & robust; and be waterproof. It’s hot and sweaty in those helmets. Thus the receivers are encapsulated meaning they couldn’t be frequency shifted. Thus I had to fit the OB users around these fixed frequencies and maintain a plan free from intermodulation. Fortunately one of the OB crews was able to retune their base stations, allowing me to spread usage and keep spectrum clean.

In-band, there was a need to find over 100 frequencies that could co-exist with one another and be kept away from the high-power television broadcasts coming from Crystal Palace. Fortunately, equipment differences meant the applications from the USA were for areas of spectrum not usually occupied by UK users, reducing congestion.

With barely a week to go before the game, final applications were received and the last of the licenses issued. Pressure off?? No chance. Now my attention turned to on-site activities at the event itself. All zones accreditation was provided by the NFL, who, as with all games had their own Game Day Coordinators on-site. Ordinarily, the GDC's would come over from each team, but on this occasion it was the Manager & Chief Coordinator of the NFL Frequency Organization Group instead.

On-Site. Saturday was set up day, with most of the radio frequency users busy assembling and testing their equipment. I was able to visit a number of the crews from the OB and sound companies. I also met with Wembley IT staff, who were responsible for the stadium’s in-house radio communications facilities, and are keen to ensure visitor’s systems can co-exist with theirs.

Touring the technical areas I was also able to ensure compliance to frequency plans, and take a look at some of the antenna installations.

On Sunday, match day, there was activity on site from around 9 am, despite kick-off being some 8 hrs away. Almost immediately I found an uncoordinated (and thus unlicensed) frequency being used. This was simply down to a programming error on a radio mic, and the ‘offender’ (who shall remain nameless!) was quickly found and encouraged to retune to their correct frequency.

My approach in these instances tends to be the ‘carrot’–coordination is in the interest of all spectrum users in ensuring the event passes without spectrum problems. The NFL Coordinators have a “stick” - a low tolerance policy towards uncoordinated radio frequency use at their games. Penalties include eviction from the game and confiscation of equipment (see below). They have security guys the size of some of the players, and, I am told, have evicted NFL staff from their own events. I’m not even remotely jealous of their powers; honestly.

Game-time. As the match got closer there was concern over interference to the microphones being used for the National Anthems, with so many coordinated users moving around the touchline. The risk was small but real; so as Toni Braxton started belting out the Star Spangled Banner, I found myself by Wembley’s hallowed turf, spectrum analyser in hand, adjacent to the microphone receive point. The aim was to provide a ‘cordon sanitaire’ around the antennas. And to move any users who encroached the antennas during this time - in the event this wasn’t necessary.

Anthems over, game time. Working with the NFL Coordinators, we kept an eye on all spectrum use, with attention given to the coach – quarterback frequencies. The NFL was at pains to ensure that these ran interference free, since they’re key to the success of the game; and I’m happy to report there were no problems at all. The fact that we were given a ‘base’ in the press area meant we had some of the best seats in the house. And unusually for me, I actually got to see some of the event. Mind you, as a rugby fan, I can’t say I fully understood the game.

After the final whistle, the press conference areas were the next port of call, since they’re known locations where unlicensed equipment can suddenly appear; though luckily not at this game. After this it was a matter of collecting up my test equipment, and joining the queue to get out of the car park, as the NFL leaves Wembley for another 12 months. In fact NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that a second game could be added for the 2010 season – so I could be doing this twice next year….