WERU Tower hit by lightning

[rjoc@webtv.net (Rod O'Connor)]

According to an article in yesterday's (Thurs. July 18) Bangor Daily
News. Lightning hit the tower of local non-commercial/community station
WERU 89.7 Blue Hill ME. earlier this week.

Power output has been cut to 50 watts, from the normal 15,000. The
signal remains drastically diminished. It is only barely receivable here
in SW Harbor, 20 miles SE of the transmitter site, atop 950 foot Blue
Hill.
Repairs are being effected, as I type this.

You can see the article at www.bangornews.com, but now the BDN is
requiring registration for access to their web-site, so it might not be
worth the hassle.

It's the second FM station zapped by lightning problems over the past
few weeks. In late June WGUY 102.1 Dexter/Bangor was off the air due to
problems after a severe thunderstorm in the area.

Thunderstorms seem to be quite severe over Eastern and Central Maine
this summer. It seems like hardly a few days go by without severe
T'Storm warnings are issued, even here along the coast. We even had a
Tornado watch two weeks ago, nearly unheard of Down-East.

Maine Public Radio's EAS system has been getting quite a workout
recently.  Even the present Summer On-AIr Pledge drive is not immune to
interruption by the NWS computerized alerts!! Many a pitch has been cut
off by the squawks and tones of the EAS!

 
Rod O'Connor
Southwest Harbor, Maine
(45 miles SE of Bangor, 75 miles SW of Meddybemps)