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WFHK 1430 Pell City Tower Collapses

R

rtc

Frequent Participant
Item from zach's site:

"A tip from a website contributor just came in regarding WFHK 1430 in Pell City. While doing work to get their FM translator at 94.9 ready, the AM's tower collapsed. The reader says they were doing a "sway test" after mounting the FM translator's antenna and were just about ready to sign the FM on. The FM is now off indefinitely, while the AM is on with a longwire backup antenna."
 
duncanalausa said:
they need to go get the tower from wlph. it is sitting there fallow.
Click to expand...

HUH?
 
rtc said:
Item from zach's site:

"A tip from a website contributor just came in regarding WFHK 1430 in Pell City. While doing work to get their FM translator at 94.9 ready, the AM's tower collapsed. The reader says they were doing a "sway test" after mounting the FM translator's antenna and were just about ready to sign the FM on. The FM is now off indefinitely, while the AM is on with a longwire backup antenna."
Click to expand...

What is a "sway test"? What exactly where they doing at AM 1430?
 
The old WLPH was purchased by a Catholic group some
years ago and is now WQOH:

http://queenofheavenradio.com/index.html

and

http://www.radio-locator.com/info/WQOH-AM

They have a new ground system and (presumably)
transmitter and a new coat of paint on the tower.

1480 hasn't sounded this good in a long time.
They appear to carry programming right off the
EWTN shortwave in Irondale.


The "sway test" is a mystery...if you look at the data
for the translator it says the antenna is non directional.
The height allowed implies they were installing it right up
at the top of the tower since a vertical type Tx antenna
could be used for the translator.

(Always thought translators used directional yagi antennas.)
 
duncanalausa said:
drove by the old us 78 site Thursday and there was nothing coming off THAT tower
Click to expand...

You mean WFHK?

They haven't filed an STA last I looked and no mention whatsoever has been made of the tower collapse on WFHK's Facebook page.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
duncanalausa said:
drove by the old us 78 site Thursday and there was nothing coming off THAT tower
Click to expand...

You mean WFHK?

They haven't filed an STA last I looked and no mention whatsoever has been made of the tower collapse on WFHK's Facebook page.
Click to expand...

no I mean WLPH on old 78 in irondale. I worked there in the late 80s for about three years. the building is empty and the transmitter, if it is still there, is off completely.
 
If 1480 in Irondale is off, that's the first I'm hearing about it. It was on the last time I was in town a few months ago IIRC.

As for WFHK I'm just reporting what I was told by one of my more reliable contributors. I've had two reports that 1430 is on but weaker than usual but no one's been by the studio on Hwy 78 just west of Pell City to see if the tower has physically fallen or what. I have no idea what a "sway test" is, either.
 
Never hear of the term "sway test" but on guyed towers the guy wires have to have enough flexibility to handle cold temperatures with out contracting and breaking while still not sagging during hot weather and allowing the tower to "wobble" in high winds. A good tower contractor can get this right. Most towers that were properly installed have a wind loading and weight documentations on file or these limits can be retrieved from figuring out who manufacturer the towers segments. If I am reading this tread correctly, they were putting cell equipment on an AM tower. My best guess they had to put extra guy-wires or upgraded guy-wires on the tower to handle the increased wind load from the cell antennas. Any time one is messing around with guy-wires, there is a chance of something bad happening even with a good tower crew.
 
Zach said:
If 1480 in Irondale is off, that's the first I'm hearing about it. It was on the last time I was in town a few months ago IIRC.
Click to expand...

this was mid day during the week. when I passed by I flipped the radio over to am to see what was on and it was silent. I then pulled up in front of the building and knocked (no cars in the lot either) with no answer. I know at some time in the recent past they were not using the building as a studio, seems to my recollection the studio was in a Trussville strip mall, but the transmitter and old studio was still in use. this day neither was in use.
 
went by Monday evening about 5 and the station (wlph) was broadcasting but at a very low power. usually that 5k transmitter washes every other am out when you drive by on 78. still no one in the building though so I am sure they are either running the program remotely or running a complete satellite feed. I had weak wapi am running and it did not wash out at all even parked in the wlph lot.
 
duncanalausa said:
went by Monday evening about 5 and the station (wlph) was broadcasting but at a very low power. usually that 5k transmitter washes every other am out when you drive by on 78. still no one in the building though so I am sure they are either running the program remotely or running a complete satellite feed. I had weak wapi am running and it did not wash out at all even parked in the wlph lot.
Click to expand...

I dont believe they run a satelitte feed, i think they do local programming in the morning and other news related stuff.. but i think theyre locally automated the rest of the day.

Their studio is at 22 Cogswell Ave in Pell City.
 
duncanalausa said:
SomeRadioGuy. please read my post again I was talking 100% about WLPH and said so twice.
Click to expand...

OOPS! I saw the mention of 5KW and thought of WFHK!
 
duncanalausa said:
went by Monday evening about 5 and the station (wlph) was broadcasting but at a very low power. usually that 5k transmitter washes every other am out when you drive by on 78. still no one in the building though so I am sure they are either running the program remotely or running a complete satellite feed. I had weak wapi am running and it did not wash out at all even parked in the wlph lot.
Click to expand...

They were probably on night power - 28 watts. Back in the WLPH days I actually caught them going to night power before sunset, so maybe they still do that. The calls are now WQOH and as far as I can tell it's just a relay for EWTN so no one is at the studio much.

As for the OP subject (WFHK 1430 Pell City) I did get confirmation that the tower's down, no injuries. RTC was able to sleuth out the details.
 
Update:

WFHK-FM 94.9 "The River" is now on the air from the Coosa Cable tower
on "water tank hill".
 
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