Just curious, what AM has the 3 towers near the Green exit on 95, they sit in a swampy area on the right southbound side.
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3 AM towers off 95
- Thread starter motormouth
- Start date
Thank you.what is the format?
R
rapking
Guest
Christian Radio.
Originally was WYNG with 1kw on 1590 daytime only from a short stick on Chepiwanoxet Point in East Greenwich. Site burned down twice within a few months under old ownership.
Old ownership? Yeah! Attleboro Radio Association back in the days when it also owned WARA and ran it as full-service, very localized content.
Call letters were changed years and years ago when the station changed hands for the second time.
It was originally built by Milt Mittler (USAF Colonel, retired) when he also owned WADK in Newport. He was forced by The FCC to sell it when somebody finally figured out the overlap between WADK and WYNG - in those days that was not tolerated. Mittler programmed it as "Beautiful Music" and it did OK before WLKW started up in 1959 and effectively took over the format. Attleboro Radio Association switched it over to a very local format as worked for them back at home. At one point they rented a vacant storefront in East Greenwich and ran the morning show from the window. It was a big hit with the thousands...yes thousands...who worked at Quonset Naval Air Station and drove through EG each morning. For some reason they didn't follow through and also do afternoon traffic from there during those months when they were on the air at all after about 4:30pm. There was no provision for extended hours for daytimers back then.
Old ownership? Yeah! Attleboro Radio Association back in the days when it also owned WARA and ran it as full-service, very localized content.
Call letters were changed years and years ago when the station changed hands for the second time.
It was originally built by Milt Mittler (USAF Colonel, retired) when he also owned WADK in Newport. He was forced by The FCC to sell it when somebody finally figured out the overlap between WADK and WYNG - in those days that was not tolerated. Mittler programmed it as "Beautiful Music" and it did OK before WLKW started up in 1959 and effectively took over the format. Attleboro Radio Association switched it over to a very local format as worked for them back at home. At one point they rented a vacant storefront in East Greenwich and ran the morning show from the window. It was a big hit with the thousands...yes thousands...who worked at Quonset Naval Air Station and drove through EG each morning. For some reason they didn't follow through and also do afternoon traffic from there during those months when they were on the air at all after about 4:30pm. There was no provision for extended hours for daytimers back then.
Wow...95 southbound at the airport connector in Warwick.
Did they ever get that multi-car accident from August 1971
cleared up?
And whatever happened to King Arthur Knight?
Did they ever get that multi-car accident from August 1971
cleared up?
And whatever happened to King Arthur Knight?
This discussion has caused me to look a little harder into Rhode Island history....starting with radio.
I recall (see the 1320 thread in this forum) the original WYNG transmitter site on Chepiwanoxet Point off Alger Avenue, East Greenwich. It was housed in an aluminum sided shack on top of a very old brick structure (to keep it up out of hurricane flooding), accessed by a rickety wooden stairway up the side of the building. Local "legend" said the building was one of several that once stood on the site. The particular building said to have been an oven for heating wood to allow it to be bent into parts of seaplanes that were made there.
My research showed the stories were correct; WYNG was built on the site of Rhode Island's first aircraft factory, going back to around 1912. The Gallaudet Aircraft Company.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0001.shtml
Gallaudet developed into what became CONVAIR that made the B-36 bombers and a lot of military rockets...but then became part of General Dynamics whose Electric Boat Division makes submarines at New London and at the former Quonset Point Naval Air Station just down the coast.
I believe WYNG moved off the site in order to power up to 5-kW days/??? power nights from the 3-tower array whose discussion started this thread. But I've also heard that the site was developed into pricey condos. Would be interesting if anyone living nearby could scout out the site and see what's down there. Who knows; the old transmitter shack may still be up there. Of course it wouldn't be the original one as that burned down TWICE in one month in the 1960s.
I recall (see the 1320 thread in this forum) the original WYNG transmitter site on Chepiwanoxet Point off Alger Avenue, East Greenwich. It was housed in an aluminum sided shack on top of a very old brick structure (to keep it up out of hurricane flooding), accessed by a rickety wooden stairway up the side of the building. Local "legend" said the building was one of several that once stood on the site. The particular building said to have been an oven for heating wood to allow it to be bent into parts of seaplanes that were made there.
My research showed the stories were correct; WYNG was built on the site of Rhode Island's first aircraft factory, going back to around 1912. The Gallaudet Aircraft Company.
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/history/q0001.shtml
Gallaudet developed into what became CONVAIR that made the B-36 bombers and a lot of military rockets...but then became part of General Dynamics whose Electric Boat Division makes submarines at New London and at the former Quonset Point Naval Air Station just down the coast.
I believe WYNG moved off the site in order to power up to 5-kW days/??? power nights from the 3-tower array whose discussion started this thread. But I've also heard that the site was developed into pricey condos. Would be interesting if anyone living nearby could scout out the site and see what's down there. Who knows; the old transmitter shack may still be up there. Of course it wouldn't be the original one as that burned down TWICE in one month in the 1960s.
N
necrat123
Guest
Those towers seem unlighted....I haven't looked at height above ground but I do recall seeing them once, many years ago, and remember them being sort of down in a hole where somebody would have be flying below the immediately surrounding hills to run into them. They wouldn't have to be real tall to be 1/4 wave at 1590. The original single tower on Chepiwanoxet was, as I recall, an honest 1/4 wave and lighted.
I remain curious about the Alger Avenue (Chepiwanoxet) site and whether any of the brick once-upon-a-time seaplane factory structures are still there. And, if so, whether there are any remains of the transmitter building that was on top of one of them.
I remain curious about the Alger Avenue (Chepiwanoxet) site and whether any of the brick once-upon-a-time seaplane factory structures are still there. And, if so, whether there are any remains of the transmitter building that was on top of one of them.
VelvetR said:
Sorry for not responding sooner!
Lincoln Hubbard is the CE of 1590 since 1975. He is 100% responsible for the technical aspects of the 3 different sites and transmitters of WARV. He is the man who took them from 1Kw NDD to 5Kw DA2 U. Bill Blount is owner of 1590 since 1978 and worked there before the purchase. He's climbed a tower or two helping Linc make these puppies fly. Last time I saw Linc (around 3 1/2 years ago) was right there at his transmitter site, beaming about his new Nautel XR 12! The 9200A processor puts the cherry on top of an excellent sounding package. You will not find two nicer radio people. Linc was 80ish, in top health and -- thanks to the Nautel -- hopefully good for another 20 years as CE!
Chepiwanoxet Point is now owned by the City of Warwick. Warwick has an excellent Mayor who has purchased a number of sites in the city to be preserved as open space. The city cleared all of the rubble from the site. The old cars, grounded barge, building remains and even the old tower base is history. The only things you may still remember are a few "boulders" of those rusted staples dotting the shore and the shellfishing boundary sign mated with it's counterpart across the bay at Goddard State Park. There is a small bench at the end of the point aimed for a perfect view of Patience Island, between the tip of Warwick Neck and Sally Rocks. There is now a boulder outlined cul de sac at the entrance providing adequate parking for the public, who are welcome to use the park from sunrise to sunset.
The "condo" people threw 1590 off the point in the mid '70s. 1590 took it's 1Kw NDD and erected a new tower on the Horse farm in Buttonwoods. They remained there (as a 1Kw NDD) until the move (and 5Kw DA2 U upgrade) put them on air at the present site in '87. The original tower was made of galvanized tube and laying on the ground twisted and useless but still managed to disappear quickly. The tower at Buttonwoods was donated to a group of Ham Radio people. The current 180 foot sticks are made from solid iron, unpainted and unlit (they are less than 199 feet high). They were erected about 10/85. I don't know 1% of Bill and Linc's knowledge of all the intimate details of these moves, but I am 100% responsible for their opportunity to pop the current sticks into that swamp. I'll be back with more.
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iyiyi said:
If those unpainted towers are galvanized and somebody's touching up any scratches they oughta last 50 or more years! As to the Nautel, I think the term "new" as used suggests only a year or two in service. Nautel's AM transmitters seem to go on forever IF they get proper maintenance. And that isn't much. Just be sure all nuts and bolts stay snug and that electrolytics get replaced when they start to ooze. Of course keep an ear on the fans and replace as needed. The ND-25 I babysit has been running since 1996 with zero transmitter-caused downtime! It's just now needing a few caps replaced along with two out of about a dozen fans. OTOH, the few Nautel FMs I've met seem to be a bit more of a challenge - especially the exciters. But, then, WARV isn't an FM so is in fat city! Good to see they kept the Luther Avenue building going; it was always a really nice place to work.
VelvetR said:
I believe the XR 12 was ordered in '05 and installed January '06. She definitely came to her present home clad in a white wedding dress!
The towers are galvanized. I watched them install the base and guy anchors, erect the towers and plant the radial system. Radial installation was hilarious! Think of a very competitive Bocce ball game, translate the players into a swamp, and watch them try burying copper with a tractor continually getting deeply mired in mud. I'm still LMFAO 25 years later! Worry not! Those pipes will be around long after we aren't!
Base insulators and feed points are 8-10 feet above ground, supported by an additional section of tower directly bonded to the radials at their anchor points. The ATUs are even higher. During floodings those ATUs look like they are floating. When you are up there on that ladder and look down, you'd be surprised at their height. Coax, sample, phone, AC and contactor control lines are all direct buried in the swamp, against Linc's wishes.
Pattern is rock stable regardless of flooding conditions. I was staying 3 1/2 miles and in a very deep minima from the xmtr and only found out they had already been on 4 months because the kid forgot to switch patterns. It is a "classic" three tower array. Linc actually began transmitting from the present location, using the 1Kw RCA (hacked to produce the required 1.25Kw at the new site) ASAP in 1986. In future private conversations, please remind me to explain why I feel I'm "100% responsible for the opportunity to pop those sticks into the swamp".
Transmitters... After the fire, a brand new 1Kw RCA was purchased and installed in a new shed. I asked Mr. Hill (forget his first name) why RCA? He said they were the only guys able to produce a box tuned to 1590, delivered and ready to rock in less than 3 days. That RCA and (remember that wooden, shingled ATU?) the ATU made the move to Buttonwoods. Bill eventually obtained a CP for 5Kw DA2 U upgrade but ran into incredible NIMBY problems at each potential site (there were several different incidents). 1590 was forced to seek a new COL -- IF they could only find a community allowing tower construction. That is where I jumped in. Linc and Bill traveled to Norfolk, VA and purchased WTAR 790's 5Kw RCA xmtr, phasor and any RF inductor, capacitor and etcetera they could possibly fit into the truck. Good engineering practice and hard work gave 1590 solid service until the XR 12 buttoned everything up and took control. We are talking stable patterns, 50.0 +/- j0.0 ohm common point and NO "jeeped" towers.
Haven't been to 19 Luther Ave in a couple decades. Linc did say that the Blount Broadcasting chain CE ripped everything old from the studios and replaced it with modern day PC terminals.
Your fastidious news delivery sure makes me feel glad I wasn't the guy who had to face you after he sent "wyngie" in to add "color commentary" to your newscast!
I believe we were actually there when the PD quit that day. If I remember, you were on the air when Gene popped in and excitedly mentioned something to you. Next thing I remember, Gene is doing your show and you are outside the studio having highly animated discourse with two gentlemen (one on each side of you) who were equally energized. One or two others also were popping in and out with their $0.02. Definitely no Kum-bay-ah sing-in happening that day!
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iyiyi said:
That original tower was junk - part of a package Milt Mitler bought from Gates, everything bottom-of-the line, right down to the "Yard" board and a couple of second-hand Magnecorders. Good to hear their new ones are rod stock- those puppies last forever with even minimal maintenance. I presently look after a 230' Utility solid-rod stock tower with a nasty 6-fold unipole hanging off it and a NWS killowatt radiating from a side-mount. Only nice thing about it is no base insulator to worry about. Radials are on the surface of the tundra, so specified in the license. Grief with them comes from the occasional snowmachine snagging a ski on a couple of them and from wear-and-tear where they cross the gravel access road. I've replaced several with copper strapping for the road crossing. Nicely ND day and night; 25kw by day; 14 by night.
I've never cared for a 3-tower array though occasionally one built well enough and with a pattern that's not too demanding can be OK. Folks "across the street" run 3-towers and are constantly tuning. Not fun when your monitoring points are either at sea or in bear territory.
I dealt with 550's two-tower array in Valley Falls during Blackstone River flooding but never sweated the pattern. Couldn't - because the water was 5-feet over the base insulators. Ran a long-wire out the back window, clamped to the Northmost tower and ran ND at 500 Watts daytime only for the duration.
I can confirm that RCA was the supplier of the replacement transmitter only because they were the only ones capable of supplying in reasonable time. What was remarkable was that the replacement burned down within a month after the first fire and, again, RCA came through with another replacement. I'm sorry to hear that the brick buildings were removed but suspect the city had no idea of the history associated with them. They could have added a nice historical touch to the park with minimal stablilization and a couple of interperative signs.
I believe the first folks who bought WYNG from ARA replaced the equipment in the studio and enlarged the building slightly but it may well have been done yet again. The original control room was at the very back, in what had been the right-hand bedroom. There was a mic-only studio between that room and the back porch which I believe is where the control room was relocated after the first purchase. I don't recall who the first buyer was - they also operated a station on The DelMarVa Peninsula and didn't keep it long before selling to Mr. Blount.
No, I don't think the "conversation" involved me. The PD who left was "Martin" (I'll leave off his last name). I had been hired by ARA prior to that but was not to start until the license was transferred and, then, do exclusively news. When the individual left....and I wasn't there to see it....I got a call from the soon-to-be new manager asking if I could start immediately and get paid by Milt as an announcer until the transfer. I have met the individual but only once and that a couple of weeks before the "incident" and just in passing when I was deciding whether to take the news job or not. I'm wondering if the person whose shift Gene took might have been the person who left and the news he got from Gene was that the sale was on. That'd suggest the two gentlemen might have been Milt and the new manager.
But, of no consequence.
Odd story: I worked at WYNG for three years and then went over to WXTR where I had been working about a year when this happened. To get to either station I'd drive 195 into Providence and then turn. Left to get to WYNG; right to get to WXTR. One morning at about 4am, half asleep, and after having worked at XTR for a year, I turned left instead of right and kept on going. Only when my key wouldn't work in the front door of WYNG did I realize I was at the wrong station! Broke all the speed laws in RI getting from Warwick to Valley Falls to sign on at 5 and I think the plates in the old RCA never forgave me for the 20-seconds the filaments were on before I slammed 'em!
Funny thing to me in all this is that it's highly unlikely anyone working in or near Providence these days would know my name if it told it! Too long ago.....far too long......
Let me re-open this thread because it brought to mind a memory and a question.
In 1971 I was the PD at WSVP in West Warwick and late that summer a hurricane came through and blew out tower down. We rebuilt it and I remember climbing to the top of it on a bet by our sales guy Dave Pecchia. I think I did it for $10 or some ridiculous amount.
Is that stick still standing?
The station was in the basement of an old warehouse on Main Street in West Warwick and I have to believe that either the field behind it where the tower was flooded or maybe the building if it even exists anymore.
Someone please advise me on that.
In 1971 I was the PD at WSVP in West Warwick and late that summer a hurricane came through and blew out tower down. We rebuilt it and I remember climbing to the top of it on a bet by our sales guy Dave Pecchia. I think I did it for $10 or some ridiculous amount.
Is that stick still standing?
The station was in the basement of an old warehouse on Main Street in West Warwick and I have to believe that either the field behind it where the tower was flooded or maybe the building if it even exists anymore.
Someone please advise me on that.
You can look at www.necrat.us or www.bostonradio.org as they both have tower pix including 1450. I was there when it was WHIM in 1996-97. It was on Pavilion Av. in Providence then. I remember it being WKRI & being on Main St. though.
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