Re: Armstrong's Alpine tower

[dan.strassberg@att.net]

I don't know where WNYU transmits from, but when the 
station first went on the air, I remember that its 
studios and TX were at NYU's now abandoned University 
Heights campus in the west Bronx. (I have no idea what's 
now at University Heights--Bronx Community College 
maybe?) It's hard to believe that the campus would have 
been completely abandoned because part of it was the 
Hall of Fame, which was (is?) a major New York City 
landmark.

Anyhow, I think there is a clear line of sight from 
University Heights to the Alpine tower. If WFDU is 
already on the Alpine tower and WNYU hasn't moved, WNYU 
should be using the WFDU transmitting faciliies. A 
shared TX sure wouldn't be anything close to a first for 
stations that share time. 

I believe that the Alpine tower, sitting, as it does, 
high atop the Palasaides, is the tallest structure 
between the George Washington and Tappan Zee bridges. In 
fact, with all of the problems that WFUV 90.7 has had 
constructing a tower near the Bronx Park, I wonder why 
the trustees of Fordham U apparently haven't thought of 
moving WFUV to the Alpine tower.

In the early days of FM, W2XEA/WFMN sure put out a great 
signal from that tower, and I think that after WFMN went 
off the air and WPAT-FM took over 93.1 in the New York 
area, WPAT-FM used the tower for at least a short while. 
Those cross arms ought to provide enough space for 20 
FMs with no multiplexing.

I grew up in the northwest Bronx (a few miles north of 
NYU) in plain sight of the Alpine tower, but I have 
never visited the tower. Is there anything there, such 
as an Armstrong museum, to mark the site's significance? 
There must be at least a historical marker, but that can 
hardly do justice to the history of the place.

> The one on the Armstrong tower is WFDU (89.1), licensed to Teaneck and
> operated by Fairleigh Dickinson University, share-time with WNYU at
> New York University.
> 
> The Armstrong site is a must visit for anyone heading to the NYC area!