Tower hunter (cont'd)

[Doug Drown]

Wow.  Thanks!  Where'd you get all this information?
-Doug

P.S.:  Still no word on the oldest.  I'm still thinking WFEA, though WZON
(nee WLBZ) is a possibility too.  It sticks in my mind that WZON's major
tower (affectionately called "Bertha," I'm told,) was built when the station
moved from Dover-Foxcroft to Bangor in 1929.



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dan Strassberg" <dan.strassberg@att.net>
To: "Doug Drown" <revdoug1@verizon.net>; "Boston Radio Interest Board"
<boston-radio-interest@rolinin.BostonRadio.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2006 2:55 PM
Subject: Re: Tower hunter (cont'd)


> My guess is WVAA 1390 in Burlington VT. Despite the station's
> high-on-the-dial frequency, its 5/8-wave tower, at 442', is about 10'
taller
> than the three 87-degree towers of nearby WDEV 550. WFEA's Blaw-Knox tower
> at 175.5 degrees is only about 360' tall. It may once have been taller.
Many
> of those old Blaw-Knox towers went up before the optimal electrical length
> of medium-wave towers had been determined. Blaw-Knox equipped these with
> adjustable-height flagpoles at the top. I checked WGAN; its 71-degree
towers
> aren't even close, nor are WEZE's ~340-footers. WTAG's towers are slightly
> taller than WEZE's but still well shy of 400'. WVMT's towers are 400', as
is
> one of WZON's and both of WHJJ's. No need to check WICC or the Pawtucket
> 550, since they don't run 5 kW (the question limited the contest to 5-kW
> regional-channel stations), and I'm pretty sure that Pawtucket's towers
are
> relatively short, partly because they are top-loaded. Same is true of WHYN
> and WGIR. WGIR's towers ARE unusual though; they are both self-supporting
> AND guyed--a very rare combination. The guys probably have nothing to do
> with structural support; the top portion of the guy wires forms a top load
> for these very closely spaced towers (~45 degrees). The close spacing is
> also unusual and not generally thought of as good design practice.
>
> --
> Dan Strassberg, dan.strassberg@att.net
> eFax 707-215-6367
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Doug Drown" <revdoug1@verizon.net>
> To: "Boston Radio Interest Board"
> <boston-radio-interest@rolinin.BostonRadio.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 23, 2006 2:09 PM
> Subject: Tower hunter (cont'd)
>
>
> > While we're on the subject of radio towers, here are a couple of good
> trivia
> > questions (and no, I don't know the answers):
> > 1.    What is the tallest tower (or set of towers) for a 5 kW regional
> > station in New England?
> >
> > 2.    What is the oldest tower for same? (I'm guessing WFEA, but I
really
> > don't know.)
> >
> > -Doug
> >
>
>
>
>