This course is designed specifically as follow-up instruction to Course K2-XXX, Spectrum Management in the Civil Sector. It is for those with particular interest in radio monitoring and measuring techniques and equipment. Course K2-XXX is a prerequisite for this course.

Course Description

Course participants will receive instruction at a fully functional, modern monitoring facility of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and at the Watkins-Johnson electronics manufacturing plant. The participants will receive a one-week introduction on spectrum monitoring and related measurement techniques, hands-on experience at operational electronic equipment positions, and an understanding of the practicality of assembly lines which produce monitoring hardware. At the FCC training facility, the class will be separated into small working teams to rotate through the four electronic monitoring and measuring positions: (1) Fixed monitoring and HF direction finding; (2) VHF/UHF mobile and remote monitoring; (3) engineering measurements including AM, FM, television, and microwave monitoring equipment; and (4) satellite monitoring from an equipped satellite console using a large Cassegrain feed parabolic antenna. The participants will meet each morning for classroom instruction related to each of the four working positions. There will be an initial tour of the FCC Columbia Operations Center (COC), Columbia, Maryland, facilities and the associated antenna fields, including the ultra modern Interferometer direction finding array. Afternoons will be spent in small groups of no more that five participants, each receiving hands-on experience with the specialized electronic equipment in the four areas (fixed/VHF/UHF mobile and remote, engineering measurements, and satellite). Each group will spend one session at each of the four areas. At the electronics manufacturing plant, the class will receive instruction in diverse and modern monitoring, measuring and direction finder theory and then review the requirements of assembly lines that manufacture monitoring/direction finding equipment. The assembly line review includes chassis harness wiring, mobile testing, final assembly, and post-production maintenance.

To obtain a working understanding of: (1) spectrum management techniques related to enforcement of national and international radio regulations, and apply them practically at a fully equipped monitoring position; (2) signal recognition, and how the signals are received through correlation between available publications and observed/measured signal characteristics; (3) how received signals are processed through receivers, monitors, oscilloscopes, DSP techniques, and spectrum analyzers to establish transmission parameters; (4) how special engineering measurement equipment is applied against microwave, television, and satellite systems to understand the basis for their complex monitoring results; (5) how direction finding (DF) bearings are collected remotely from FCC Interferometer sites throughout the United States, and then how rapidly and accurately transmitter locations are fixed; (6) how radio interference observations problems are resolved or appropriately reported through the Centralizing Office to the International Telecommunication Union in Geneva, Switzerland; (7) the complexities of modern monitoring, measuring and direction finding theory; and (8) appreciate the requirements of manufacturing monitoring, measuring and direction finding equipment.

Managerial and technical with technical emphasis

April 14, 2000

April 17-21, 2000

Columbia, Maryland and Gaithersburg, Maryland (Washington, DC area)

K2-103, K2-106, K2-110, K2-111