CAI Distance Learning Course – SMATV and IRS Networks

City and Guilds Course 3456-1

One of my customers told me a while ago that one of my competitors in the aerial and satellite installation business in Suffolk (he will rename nameless) told him that there was no such thing as a City and Guild qualification in the aerial and satellite industry. As I  advertise the fact that I have this qualification and gained a distinction in the course, I thought I’d post this for my more ‘inquisitive’ customers who may be sad enough to wonder “What is the SMATV and IRS Networks course?"

Well first to explain the different acronyms: 

MATV – Master Antenna TeleVision.

In other words one aerial delivering just terrestrial based signals to a multitude of points via a network, possibly in a block of flats or even a housing estate. Many CATV (Cable networks) are in fact very large MATV systems. 

SMATV – Satellite Master Antenna TeleVision.

As above, but with the addition of selected locally modulated signals, usually from satellite but could be from DTT or video recorders etc. This is the type of system normally associated with hotels etc., but could even be a CATV.

IRS – Integrated Reception System.

This is now the preferred method to deliver signals in multiple dwelling units. It gives subscribers access to all terrestrial and satellite signals as if they were connected to their own dish and aerial. The headend (all the electronics etc) is totally transparent to the consumer. 

Synopsis of course.

The course consists of ten units spread over a six-month period. Attached to each unit is a tutor marked assignment (TMA). At the end of the course, there is an exam to sit. I had to do some practical assessments at the CAI offices. It is a condition of the course that before you can take the final exam that you have obtained a minimum mark of 50% in your TMAs and have completed the practical days.

Many of my fellow students on my course never reached this far; in fact most of the employees form a large national company had dropped out long before this stage! Although you have to pass the TMAs and practicals, the final mark is purely on the exam result.

The practical assessments are generally based around making and recording measurements in different scenarios that you have to set up. The assessments not only check that you are capable of doing the work, but they also compliment what is learned in your coursework. One of the practical assessments involves designing a small system to take all off-air UHF channels and four locally modulated channels and planning the system to deliver adequate signals for all channels to multiple outlets.

Although the course is about systems design and build, much of the work involves the reasons behind why things are done rather than ‘This is how to do it’. Quite a large proportion involves the use of mathematical formulae and this is where most of the failures drop out.

CAI training programme is structured for people to follow through the courses consecutively with the distance-learning course being the most advanced. The CAI state this is not an easy course! I’d agree, but I did not find it particularly taxing either.

The ten units of study are:

·         Unit 1 Propagation of Radio Waves

·         Unit 2 Cables & Transmission Lines

·         Unit 3 Signal Generation & Broadcasting, including digital broadcasting

·         Unit 4 Principles of Aerials

·         Unit 5 Test Equipment, including the latest test methods

·         Unit 6 Satellite Reception, including digital

·         Unit 7 IRS Networks, including 5 and 9 wire

·         Unit 8 Choice of Antenna, Installation and Maintenance, including benchmarking

·         Unit 9 Signal Combining and Splitting

·         Unit 10 SMATV Networks, including digital reception