Another BC xmtr rescued !!!

[WA3VJB]

Just spent a nice time helping save another broadcast transmitter from the scrap metal yard.

This time, it's a Gates BC1-G, purchased brand new by WCBG Waynesboro, Penna. in 1972. We moved it from where it has sat the past 35 years.

Recipient is Ken, W6FC/9 K6FC/8 of Michigan, who plans to explain to his wife that the large object in the back of the minivan is just following them home.  This was a trip to see her relatives in Pennsylvania, and well, things just came together isn't that hi hi FB OM.

Thanks to John, W3JN for the heavy lifting and strategic wrenching, and to Chris WA3QHR for helping see to it this transmitter sees a new life on the shortwave ham bands. Also a tip of the hat to Fran, W3SCC, who tipped me off that the transmitter was looking for a new home.

Pictures below. I write this from Hagerstown (Md.) International Airport where I am bumming some free wi-fi, about seven miles west of the transmitter site.

[W1RC]

Just spent a nice time helping save another broadcast transmitter from the scrap metal yard.

Thanks to John, W3JN for the heavy lifting and strategic wrenching, and to Chris WA3QHR for helping see to it this transmitter sees a new life on the shortwave ham bands. Also a tip of the hat to Fran, W3SCC, who tipped me off that the transmitter was looking for a new home.

Folks, this is what it is all about!  It takes teamwork and cooperation to save a venerable old radio destined for the junkyard (oops, must be PC - metal recycler's yard). Good work, lads.  Looking forward to the pix

73,

MisterMike, W1RC

[W3LSN]

Was that the "old" WCBG on 1590 in Chambersburg which went dark a couple of years ago, or the "new" WCBG on 1380 which picked up the calls a few years back? I used to be engineer manager for the company that owned the 1380 station back when it was a simulcast of WAYZ-FM.

73, Jim
WA2AJM/3

[w3jn]

Small correction on the call - K6FC out of Michigan.

Great time was had by all!  A beautiful day, a bucolic xmitter site, and great company.  Who woulda thunk that lifting heavy iron could be so much fun?

[WA3VJB]

Ken has since emailed, reporting that is wife's reaction was "Wow!" which, after 41 years of marriage with her as of last week, he reliably interprets as a good thing.

John, I was thinking that this would have been an excellent Field Day site, and maybe we should have given the G one more go and cranked it up on 75m from there.

Jim, yes this is the "new" WCBG, although the site itself went on the air in 1953 as an AM only location. I am trying to compile a history with information and photos if you can share some of your time there.  The FM transmitter is still there as a backup into a four-bay at the top of the AM mast, but they have upgraded and moved the primary FM to another location.

The AM transmitter, primary and solitary, is now a Broadcast Electronics solid state unit of some kind. Works well, lasts a long time, no need to mess with it. They're running ESPN from a DSL, into an Optimod 9100 set on "wimpy."

[W3LSN]

Jim, yes this is the "new" WCBG, although the site itself went on the air in 1953 as an AM only location. I am trying to compile a history with information and photos if you can share some of your time there.  The FM transmitter is still there as a backup into a four-bay at the top of the AM mast, but they have upgraded and moved the primary FM to another location.

Paul,

I'm not sure I can fill-in many blanks for you. My short connection with WAYZ (AM) 1380 was circa 1986-1987. I was director of engineering of a small group of 6 stations based out of Harrisonburg, VA. Part of my deal was to periodically visit our other properties in Cambridge, MD and Waynesboro, PA. I mainly handled capital projects there, and provided 2nd level support in case of emergencies. We had a contract engineer in PA named Chris Snively who looked after the routine maintenance and on-call duties.

I do recall that the 1380 site was prone to severe vandalism. In fact the tower had collapsed the year before I got there, probably due to local kids, but the police never did find the culprit(s). Luckily the structure fell away from the building and insurance quickly paid for a new tower along with a replacement aux FM antenna that you saw there. During my time we only had a couple of attempted break-ins at the site, but thankfully no major damage.

Most of my time was devoted to tending the stations down in Harrisonburg which I ran solo.  The Waynesboro AM station flew very low on my radar because it was a 1-kW daytimer, nothing went wrong there, and it simply aired a 100% simulcast of sister FM station WAYZ 101.5. The FM station had upgraded to Class-B and was relocated to a new site north of Waynesboro due to short-spacing issues with co-channel or adjacent channel stations. The site you visited south of Waynesboro was the original home of both the AM and FM where the old FM facility had been left in place as a backup.

I’ve worked at so many stations in my career that I just don’t remember the transmitter lineup in that building. I do remember the new FM site had a Harris FM-20K in a prefab concrete communications building, but I don’t remember what the FM backup rig was south of town, or if the BC-1G had a mate. The building was not terribly large and I think I remember lower power Gates AM and FM tube rigs with no backups.

When I left that job, I went up to New York City and I never looked back. But I did learn recently that the FM station swapped channels and formats with WWMD 104.7 in Hagerstown a number of years ago. The station on 1380 was a waste of electricity, but found new life when the old WCBG 1590 in Chambersburg was shut down because the city was building a new water tank and the workers were getting zapped by RF. The city sued and the owner agreed to sell the 1590 station to Chambersburg so they could turn it off. The call letters moved shortly thereafter to 1380 in Waynesboro. You might want to follow up with Chris to find out what happened to the 1590 rig! That site was a 4-tower inline array on the west side of I-81 in Chambersburg. I haven’t been up there in years, but used to eat nearby in the C’burg Denny’s following late night maintenance.

73, Jim
WA2AJM

[WA3VJB]

Indeed, Chris was our Sherpa who took us to the mountaintop to pay homage to the Cherished Artifact.

He quoted broadcast scripture about the time the evil offspring of a farmer ran a tractor through a guy wire and brought the tower down. Insurance company paid cash, and had a conversation with some agricultural interests.

He also told us about the Water Tank Miracle, where electricity magically issued forth from the cable a crane operator was using. It was real Divining Rod kinda stuff.

We had our own faith that this thing would fit in a minivan.
Here, Ken and John discuss the accuracy of measurements.In the next shot, it's either a minivan "mobile," or a transmitter with cupholders.

[w3jn]

 

That pic of Ken peering into the xmitter is a classic - deserves front page treatment, or on a classic radio calender or something.

That pic of me and Ken "discussing"something deserves a caption contest as well 

[Bill, KD0HG]

Is that a red clip lead I see in the 2nd picture???

[WA3VJB]

Yes, it was in the OSHA book under "transmitter rescues."
A cliplead is required to protect the workplace setting.

[Mike/W8BAC]

The closeup (cup holder) picture is a keeper. Looks like the condition inside is exceptional. Clean and shiny. That should make restoration easier than most.

Mike

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Looking forward to hearing Ken on the air with the TX from 9-land or 8-land or wherever he's located.

[WA3VJB]

Here's a 13MB QuickTime movie of the transmitter rescue from the other weekend.
No animals were harmed in the making of this movie.

http://wa3vjb.amham.com/pics/WCBG-MPEG-4%20800Kbps.mov.mp4

[n3mir]

now thats what I call recycling...
cool man cool

dave

[N2MMM]

Here's a 13MB QuickTime movie of the transmitter rescue from the other weekend.
No animals were harmed in the making of this movie.

http://wa3vjb.amham.com/pics/WCBG-MPEG-4%20800Kbps.mov.mp4

But there's one happy AMinal who now has a nice transmitter.