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KSBJ files to move their transmitter site to cover more people

In a nutshell, they are proposing to move to the same tower as KPFT and reduce power to 87kw. This would greatly improve reception in the western and southern parts of the market. Might also compensate for some of the coverage loss of KXBJ due to the new KWWJ translator.

They could possibly seek translators in Huntsville and Livingston to compensate for the reduction/loss of signal in those towns.

I don't think the third adjacency to KUHF is really an issue on modern radios. Wonder if they have already run this by the HPM management?
 
This really is a very substantial "upgrade". I put that in quotes because it is staying a Class C1 and will actually cover less total land than before, but from a point that is far close to the population center of the region. According to KSBJ's application, the move will cause 89.3 to lose 218,195 persons in the 60 dBu signal contour, but will gain a whopping 1,743,501. It's a no-brainer.

The old site was on the other side of the county line in Liberty County. The new site is near the northwest corner of Beltway 8.

See both on the same map... http://www.radiodiscussions.com/sho...e-their-transmitter-site-to-cover-more-people
 
Ryan Williams said:
This really is a very substantial "upgrade". I put that in quotes because it is staying a Class C1 and will actually cover less total land than before, but from a point that is far close to the population center of the region. According to KSBJ's application, the move will cause 89.3 to lose 218,195 persons in the 60 dBu signal contour, but will gain a whopping 1,743,501. It's a no-brainer.

The old site was on the other side of the county line in Liberty County. The new site is near the northwest corner of Beltway 8.

See both on the same map... http://www.radiodiscussions.com/sho...e-their-transmitter-site-to-cover-more-people
Click to expand...

Badly needed - but - will it fly with the FCC?
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
Badly needed - but - will it fly with the FCC?
Click to expand...

The application was prepared by Jeremy Ruck & Associates. That is a well-respected consulting firm. The application does involve a "Raleigh Waiver", but I doubt they would have submitted this application if they did not believe it would likely be approved.
 
Ryan Williams said:
The application was prepared by Jeremy Ruck & Associates. That is a well-respected consulting firm. The application does involve a "Raleigh Waiver", but I doubt they would have submitted this application if they did not believe it would likely be approved.
Click to expand...

I am very concerned about the KPFT tower. It looks seriously overloaded, and appears to be leaning almost a degree.
 
The tower is owned by Pinnacle (Crown Castle). They are a giant tower consolidator. They will require KSBJ to have an engineering and load study done prior to the lease or any installation (perhaps it has already been completed). If it does not pass then the project will either not move forward or they will repair/replace the structure.

KSBJ is proposing an 8-bay antenna and I think KPFT has 12 bays. That's a lot of vertical space. This has very likely all been worked out ahead of KSBJ preparing and filing the application. They need a reasonable assurance that the tower is leaseable and that there is space for what they want where they are proposing to install it.
 
Ryan Williams said:
The tower is owned by Pinnacle (Crown Castle). They are a giant tower consolidator. They will require KSBJ to have an engineering and load study done prior to the lease or any installation (perhaps it has already been completed). If it does not pass then the project will either not move forward or they will repair/replace the structure.

KSBJ is proposing an 8-bay antenna and I think KPFT has 12 bays. That's a lot of vertical space. This has very likely all been worked out ahead of KSBJ preparing and filing the application. They need a reasonable assurance that the tower is leaseable and that there is space for what they want where they are proposing to install it.
Click to expand...

Given KPFT's financial situation, this could literally be a "Godsend" to them. I do notice that the tower has been considerably less loaded in the last few years, perhaps cell sites have been deserting it. KSBJ will probably fix any tower problems prior to installing their bays, nobody wants a tower down across the road.
 
KSBJ announced on air this morning their intentions to move to the new site by next summer. They said the cost will be near 1 million dollars for a new tower. It's sounds like the will rebuild the current tower at the new transmitter site or co-locate a tower right next to the existing one.
 
Fieldtech1 said:
KSBJ announced on air this morning their intentions to move to the new site by next summer. They said the cost will be near 1 million dollars for a new tower. It's sounds like the will rebuild the current tower at the new transmitter site or co-locate a tower right next to the existing one.
Click to expand...

Interesting, but not entirely unexpected. That tower has been there for a long time, and I noticed they have taken a lot off of it. Perhaps KSBJ is saving KPFT the expense, and it is a tremendous windfall for KPFT. There isn't a lot of room on that parcel of land for another tower, unless they go up right beside the existing tower. That isn't unheard of, I think I see two closely spaced towers on Senior road. Still, the proximity of Fairbanks / N. Houston road is a concern for all involved. If it ever went down, it could potentially cross Fairbanks N. Houston, fall into houses, fall into a business, etc. The transmitter shack also looks pretty small, they may have to add on / build their own.
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
If it ever went down, it could potentially cross Fairbanks N. Houston, fall into houses, fall into a business, etc.
Click to expand...

Unlikely. Towers that fall generally collapse or "crumble" rather than falling like a tree. Particularly if they are guyed structures, they will often come down in a radius not much larger than a couple of tower sections. The only "straight falls" I have seen or heard of were intentional fellings where a tower crew cut all of the guys on one side at once or when a controlled detonation was used on a self-supporting tower.

There are likely rare cases of straight falls, but their rarity just shows how unlikely such a fail would be.
 
That tower is an old Allied tower ...Bob Moorman's old company...he has been gone for a couple of years after retirement years ago..had several towers around Houston supporting two way and some broadcast...
Possibly KSBJ could put a new antenna up that KPFT could diplex into...that would reduce loading on the stick...time will tell...an antenna with less bays would require KPFT to increase TPO to compensate but not much and they probably can do that with the current xmtr
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
I do notice that the tower has been considerably less loaded in the last few years, perhaps cell sites have been deserting it.
Click to expand...

I saw a new cell tower that popped up in front of the tower (closer to BW 8) on my last trip to Bush a few months ago.

ContinuousWave said:
an antenna with less bays would require KPFT to increase TPO to compensate but not much and they probably can do that with the current xmtr
Click to expand...

They just replaced their tube transmitter with a transistor-based, all-in-one HD Radio unit a few years ago. Surprisingly, they raised slightly over the goal during that fund drive.
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
Funny how their big update video has a sound clip from the 1960 movie "The Time Machine" at the beginning of their dance party. Given crazy Rocketman Kim over there in NK, I don't think I would want to broadcast a nuclear alert over the air right now.
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Why was rbrucecarter5 banned?
 
Bruce was banned for making religion and ethnic based slurs. I have deleted many of his offensive posts.
 
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