A.M. Tower Array

[flintstone mop]

Hello folks,
Me and my wife were driving this past weekend and we were just outside of Cleveland Ohio. I think we were on Rte 80 East. There was a beautiful AM tower array. Looked like 10 - 11 towers. Any body living near Cleveland know the station call??

Also who is the lucky Ham along the same Rte 80 just before the Pa. border??? Looks like about 5 acres. Aerials and towers everywhere? 4 squares, monobanders, rotating towers, a Hytower, etc. I start getting wood whenever we pass this Ham station. There was unofficial word that this is a huge contest station.
Thanks
Fred

[Pete, WA2CWA]

If you knew the town the ham was located in, it should be easy to look it up.

[W8IXY]

I have been a broadcast engineer for 45 years here in NE Ohio, and I am wondering if you were near Youngstown?  There is a teriffic site south of Youngstown that has the towers for WKBN on 570kHz and WNIO on 1390 kHz interspersed with each other.  Each station uses 6 towers at night for their 5kw directional signals.

The most AM towers at any one location in Cleveland is 6.  I know, I built that one, and worked at all the other ones over the years.  The six tower array I built is now WKNR, and runs 50Kw days, and 5kw nights, on 850 kHz.  Four towers are used for days, and four at night (2 in common).  The other AM's in Cleveland use:  1 tower for WTAM, 50 kw day and night, non directional.  5 towers for WHKW on 1220 kHz, 50 kw same pattern day and night.  5 for WWMK, 1260 kHz, the Disney station, 10 Kw days, 5 Kw nights, separate patterns.  4 for WERE, 1300 kHz, 5 kw day and night, same pattern.  And 3 towers for WHK, 1420 kHz, 5 kw day and night, non directional days.

There are several interesting AM arrays visible from I-80 all across NE Ohio, from Toledo to Youngstown.  You can see some from Akron, and Warren as well.  Plus, as I-80 passes south of Cleveland, on a clear night, you can see all 7 1000 foot TV towers to the north. 

Gotta love all that steel and all those flashing lights!!!!

73
Ted  K8VPL
AMFMTV@AOL.com

[KA8WTK]

Fred,
I have seen the station you are talking about from I-80 before. What a great location high on the hill above the interstate. I never have found out who it is or just what town it is that you are passing through when you see it.
If I go to Butler this weekend I will try and pay more attention to where it is.

Bill
KA8WTK

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

Saw the impressive antenna farm/corntest station mentioned, right around the PA/OH line during our recent Dayton trip. Left side going west, right side going east, just south of I-80. IIRC, it's right around a place called....Sharon? We were going to stop on the way back through and pull off the exit to get a better look. Unfortunately, the exit seemed to be way past the location, and we figured we'd probably get lost, so we just kept heading east.

I think the guy was up working on one of his towers or rotators when we were coming home. Bruce, W2XR was in the front seat and had a pretty good look. Must've been half a dozen towers or more?

Bruce was also working a tour of WLW for us, but that didn't pan out. Now that would be a place to visit!

[WD8BIL]

OHHH Fred.... next time ur in the 'hood give a a notice.
We could meet for lunch/dinner. I'm only 10 minute from I-80 !!

[KA8WTK]

I went to the Butler Fest today so I decided to take special note of where that array is located. It is on the PA side of the line at about mile post 1.25, just after the first rest area in PA. I am reliably informed that the setup belongs to K3LR and is used for contesting.

Bill KA8WTK

[flintstone mop]

Thanks for the replies guys. It makes sense about the AM arrays and several stations in one spot. WOW! I bet there is a lot of RFaround there!!
And Buddly it would be a pleasure to have an eye ball QSO. I'll print this page as a reminder.
I'll look up K3LR and try to contact and see if we can meet one day. He must have lottsa $$$$. I would get lost trying to navigate the backroads to his house.

fred

[flintstone mop]

It's kinda neat to see the towers that radiated RF to my Dad's Philco Transitone radio in Oxon Hill Md. as I would listen to the rock n roll from the 60's.
Thanks
Fred

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

I went to the Butler Fest today so I decided to take special note of where that array is located. It is on the PA side of the line at about mile post 1.25, just after the first rest area in PA. I am reliably informed that the setup belongs to K3LR and is used for contesting.

Thanks for posting your findings, Bill. That sure looks like the guy:

http://hamgallery.com/gallery/K/k3lr98-29.htm

http://hamgallery.com/gallery/K/k3lr98-23.htm

http://hamgallery.com/gallery/K/lr40twr.htm

It sure is an impressive sight as you drive by and look out at what appears to be endless acres of towers, guy wires, and yagis galore. His neighbors must love him!

[wb2fof]

The site you guys saw from I271 and I80 on the Dayton trip is in Peninsula Ohio and it is NO8D, another big contest station. He's the founder/owner of Summit Racing Products. We dropped off the exit. A really impressive layout !

It's close in size and tower layout to Buds, WD8BIL's station, except Bud has the Wild Turkey in the woods !

The FOF

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

The one we saw was definitely K3LR, right across the PA border in West Middlesex, near the Sharon exit. Quite a site, with no obstructions. Makes me wonder how we manage with such simple wires?