Starting in 2007, WIGE, based in Cologne, Germany, greatly enhanced the viewers’ racing experiences by placing cameras in the race cars, pit lanes and antenna receiver boxes around the track. Previously, WIGE used helicopters to relay video and audio feeds. This limited the system’s flexibility and proved very costly both in refueling expenses and vulnerability to adverse weather. Now viewers can enjoy more awesome coverage of pulsating cars, cheering crowds, and crunching crashes as DTM races into a new season.

With Link’s cutting edge wireless microwave technology using a fiber base and remote unit, WIGE could reduce the equipment needs, time and money for each kit. “The biggest savings was equipment and time to set up,” said Mark Anderson, Sales and Marketing Manager for Link Research headquartered in Watford, England. “Fischer’s 1053 helped make this possible because of its HD fiber component. It proved very successful and reliable in all weather conditions.” This was also echoed by Newland Warden, Link’s United States Product Manager, who said, “When using Fischer’s connectors, deployment of this system can be done without worry even in harsh conditions.”

Broadcasting the DTM series requires enormous amounts of fiber based cables, so interoperability between WIGE’s cameras, Link’s Fiber Optic Extender System, and Fischer’s fiber-based connectors was imperative. Fortunately, WIGE was already using the Fischer 1053 connector on its Thomson LDK6000 cameras so the interoperability was already realized. “They are great connectors and work well on our cameras. We started with Fischer many years ago for the ruggedness and robustness of its products,” stated Tobias Vees, Executive Vice President Technology and Development.

About Fischer fiber-optic HDTV Broadcast Camera Connector

Fischer's 1053™ HDTV broadcast camera connectors are designed to offer a lower total installation cost and solve the problem facing many camera manufacturers, mobile truck providers, production centers and broadcast studios who have been waiting to make an effortless transition to fiber-based HDTV cameras.

In many outside broadcast environments, camera down time has to be minimized. At a major sporting event, a broadcaster simply cannot afford the time to send a camera back to a repair centre to fix its connector. This technology now makes it both practical and economical to field-assemble and field-repair HDTV camera connectors with simple mechanical tools anywhere, even in harsh, dusty conditions. The connector’s design eliminates the difficult procedure of precisely polishing fiber-optic elements as well as preparing and using special epoxies. A key factor is that the connector enables field installation or field repairs to be made in only 15 to 30 minutes, at least 50 percent faster than currently available products.

Co-developed in an exclusive partnership with Corning®, the 1053™ Series combines the field-tested reliability of Fischer's established broadcast triax connectors with proven technology such as Corning’s UniCam® 'No epoxy - No polish' fiber-optic contacts that have been successfully employed in many broadcast industry venues, as well as in high volumes for years by the telecommunications industry.

The low optical loss HDTV connector incorporates the Corning’s reliable UniCam® contacts within Fischer's field proven 1051 triax connector body. The triax connector range has been a leading standard for the international camera broadcast market for decades and has been offering proven performance for decades. Testing on the 1053™ connector shows that its fully sealed and strong connector body provides outstanding resistance to rough field shooting conditions such as extreme climate, or weight and tensions that cables could undergo.

SMPTE signal-compliant, the 1053™ HDTV camera connector features two single-mode fiber contacts, two high voltage contacts, and two low voltage signal contacts, eliminating unnecessary optical connections throughout the signal path results in fewer contacts to clean and a lower signal loss. For more information, visit us at IBC (stand 11.E61) and/or log on to www.fischer-1053.com

For more than 50 years, Fischer Connectors has been designing, manufacturing and distributing high-performance connectors and cable assembly solutions. Known for their reliability, precision, and resistance to demanding environments, its products are commonly used in high end electronic equipment such as medical apparatus, scientific or instrumentation devices, broadcast, defense and security systems. Primary design and manufacturing facilities are located in Switzerland, with subsidiaries and distributors located worldwide.

¹ Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft