FM broadcast transmitter sites and equipment
I saw this at the WIZN transmitter site in Charlotte, VT:
Somebody went through quite a bit of trouble to chart the transmitter readings from April of 1987 through about February of 1992.
A closer view:
I have not seen this at any other transmitter site, so I thought it was an interesting way to keep a transmitter log. It also seems to be time-consuming and a bit obsessive. Over the years, I have found my fellow broadcast engineers to be a somewhat strange group sometimes.
This is a picture of a surge module taken from an LEA series type surge suppressor:
Looks like it took a pretty significant power hit, enough to explode several MOVs. This site is at the end of a long transmission line that stretches across an entire county. Over the years, the station has made many complaints to the utility company about the quality of their power and the frequency of interruptions encountered at this transmitter site. Occasionally, something will happen. Often times it is the figurative shoulder shrug.
That is why we installed the surge suppressor.
Lately, I have been working at a site in West Orange, NJ connecting various parts and pieces, and thought that this was interesting:
That is the main antenna for WNSH, 94.7 MHz Newark, NJ, aka “Nash-FM.” Below that is the backup antenna for WEPN-FM (98.7 MHz), WQHT (97.1 MHz) and WFAN-FM (101.9 MHz). More on those stations later.
This is the WFME studios, located off of NJ Route 10. It is kind of hard to see the call letters behind all those trees and whatnot. There is an older picture from 1999 floating around, which shows the studio building in better condition. This is a better angle:
I believe WFME is still originating its programming here, now being broadcast on WFME 106.3 MHz, Mount Kisco. I had to use the facilities there, the interior is like a way back 80’s time machine, which is kind of cool. If I owned a radio station, I would go for the 70’s office decor; dark wood paneling, shag carpets, bright blue bathroom tile and avocado green appliances, but hey, that’s just me.
This is the WNSH backup antenna, mounted on top of a UHF slot antenna for WFME-TV. There is an LP TV antenna mounted there also, but I don’ t know who it belongs to. Overall, it is an interesting transmitter site on “First Mountain” in West Orange, NJ. Also located here, WFMU-FM, an old ATT microwave site, now owned by American Tower and several cell carriers. In other words, it is just like most other mountain top transmitter sites, except there is a shopping plaza across the street.
I gave a listen to the NASH while driving there. For where it is, it seems to have a pretty good coverage area. As for the music, well, I am not sure how a Manhattenite will relate to Tracy Byrd’s “I’m from the Country” wherein:
Everybody knows everybody, everybody calls you friend
You don’t need an invitation, kick off your shoes come on in
Yeah, we know how to work and we know how to play
We’re from the country and we like it that way
Being from upstate NY, I get it. Perhaps the Manhattan salary man will too. There are no DJ’s on air quite yet, just music, some commercials and a few “Nash-FM” liners that sound slightly distorted.
Short, but interesting video tour of an FM transmitter site in Germany. The analog transmitters are 10 KW Telefunken solid-state units, 5 main transmitters, and two reserve units into an antenna combiner. At approximately the 35-second mark, the video shows a Rhode & Schartz DAB transmitter. Germany uses DAB+ in band III (174-240 MHz).
It is always interesting to see how others are broadcasting.
