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Oldest west coast 50kw sites
- Thread starter xmtrland
- Start date
jammerdave
Leading Participant
Can't speak for the rest, but my KFBK site has been there since 1948.
https://www.fybush.com/sites/2005/site-051028.html
df
https://www.fybush.com/sites/2005/site-051028.html
df
stewie
Star Participant
How are we defining original?
Originally constructed tower or just the original site?
2 of KGO's towers were destroyed in the 1989 earthquake.
Attachments
stewie
Star Participant
It's gotta be up there in age Dave. Is the structure original from the sign on the date?
Original would include the original towers and transmitter building.
The KIRO transmitter on Vashon signed on the air at 50KW in August of 1941 and has the original towers and transmitter building. Is there anything older than that? The KOMO site also on Vashon, signed on in 1943 if I remember right and is very original down to the original RCA transmitter.
The KIRO transmitter on Vashon signed on the air at 50KW in August of 1941 and has the original towers and transmitter building. Is there anything older than that? The KOMO site also on Vashon, signed on in 1943 if I remember right and is very original down to the original RCA transmitter.
jammerdave
Leading Participant
One of the two franklin towers is not original 1948. It was replaced after an aircraft hit it many many years ago.
stewie
Star Participant
That might be the winner. I've always been impressed with KIRO and KOMO having listened to them growing up here in CA.
EngineeringDog
Regular Participant
Interesting.. I thought the plane struck the tower of 92.5 (in Elverta?), not KFBK. Huh, okay...
Not a West Coat station, but nationwide I vote WLW, which was one of the first 50kW stations after having been operating experimental with 500kW. They are still using the same tower at the original site. As some have pointed out, most of the original stations have had modifications or rebuilt portions.
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If I made a bucket list of AM transmitter sites to visit WLW would top the list.
WCCO would be a close second. They started broadcasting from Coons Rapids on October 2, 1924. So first off a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the WCCO transmitter site. 93 years of broadcast engineering going on at that site and while the original towers are no longer there. That’s because they were removed when upgrades happened, but the tower that’s there now was erected in 1939. The original transmitter building is still there too. I actually just ran across a notebook of letters from George Collier to Bill Reuter about the Western Electric transmitter both stations used.
In a brief research of old transmitter sites there are many worthy of a visit. There is an article from Radio world 2007 by Scott Fybush about old radio towers.
http://www.radioworld.com/miscellaneous/0043/where-are-the-oldest-tower-sites/300008
If I had to assemble a list of am sites to see WLS and WCCO would be at be top. While in Minnesota, I would visit KSTP AM transmitter site. Franklin tower and the directional antenna across the highway! Talk about your Transmitter Olympics running to the far tower across the highway. Then WSM, KDKA.
What others would you add?
WCCO would be a close second. They started broadcasting from Coons Rapids on October 2, 1924. So first off a HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the WCCO transmitter site. 93 years of broadcast engineering going on at that site and while the original towers are no longer there. That’s because they were removed when upgrades happened, but the tower that’s there now was erected in 1939. The original transmitter building is still there too. I actually just ran across a notebook of letters from George Collier to Bill Reuter about the Western Electric transmitter both stations used.
In a brief research of old transmitter sites there are many worthy of a visit. There is an article from Radio world 2007 by Scott Fybush about old radio towers.
http://www.radioworld.com/miscellaneous/0043/where-are-the-oldest-tower-sites/300008
If I had to assemble a list of am sites to see WLS and WCCO would be at be top. While in Minnesota, I would visit KSTP AM transmitter site. Franklin tower and the directional antenna across the highway! Talk about your Transmitter Olympics running to the far tower across the highway. Then WSM, KDKA.
What others would you add?
stewie
Star Participant
Great article by Scott.
This is also a cool article on my old stomping grounds and a site that are very own JammerDave maintains to this day.
With 40's pin up girl pictures in the desk and a giant RCA Ampliphase (which is probably cheaper to keep in place than move), it's an impressive site for sure. Not the oldest, but some good heritage.
https://www.fybush.com/sites/2005/site-051028.html
This is also a cool article on my old stomping grounds and a site that are very own JammerDave maintains to this day.
With 40's pin up girl pictures in the desk and a giant RCA Ampliphase (which is probably cheaper to keep in place than move), it's an impressive site for sure. Not the oldest, but some good heritage.
https://www.fybush.com/sites/2005/site-051028.html
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jammerdave
Leading Participant
- Status