Columbus Antenna Farms

[C414B]

Was driving around the south side of 270 last night exploring the new city digs (just moved up from Texas) and noticed a couple stick farms. One was near High Street, IIRC, and the other one was on the opposite side a relatively short distance away and looked like it might have included a 4-tower AM array.

I know I could look these up on the FCC database....but am hoping someone would be willing to help a new Columbusite out and tell me what I was seeing.

Thanks!

 

[Dirty_Harry]

Was driving around the south side of 270 last night exploring the new city digs (just moved up from Texas) and noticed a couple stick farms. One was near High Street, IIRC, and the other one was on the opposite side a relatively short distance away and looked like it might have included a 4-tower AM array.

I know I could look these up on the FCC database....but am hoping someone would be willing to help a new Columbusite out and tell me what I was seeing.

Thanks!

o Just east of High St. on I-270 is the farm for WTVN-AN and WLZT-FM. WLVQ-FM and Channel 6 (then WTVN-TV) were also there in the 1970's.

o If I'm not mistaken, just west of I-71 on I-270 is WMNI-AM with the nighttime array for WOSU-AM just south of that.

o Going up I-71 north of I-270, the double-candelabra tower located at Greenlawn Cemetery is that of WSYX-TV and WTTE-TV, with WOSU-FM, WUFM-FM, and WHKC-FM also on that tower.

o Going further up I-71 north, it becomes Ohio 315 ...... the triple candelabra tower is that of WBNS-TV and WCMH-TV. Most of the city's big FM's are also on that tower, including WBNS-FM, WSNY-FM, WLVQ-FM and WBZX-FM, among others.

o Going further up Ohio 315 is the old Channel 6 tower at Olentangy and Dodgridge, abandoned in the early 1990's but donated to OSU.

o And finally near riverside hospital is the old Channel 4 tower at Ohio 315 and W North Broadway.

o If you want to see an interesting tower farm ... go to the WBNS-AM tower on Barnett Rd. on the east side.

 

[C414B]

Was driving around the south side of 270 last night exploring the new city digs (just moved up from Texas) and noticed a couple stick farms. One was near High Street, IIRC, and the other one was on the opposite side a relatively short distance away and looked like it might have included a 4-tower AM array.

I know I could look these up on the FCC database....but am hoping someone would be willing to help a new Columbusite out and tell me what I was seeing.

Thanks!

o Just east of High St. on I-270 is the farm for WTVN-AN and WLZT-FM. WLVQ-FM and Channel 6 (then WTVN-TV) were also there in the 1970's.

o If I'm not mistaken, just west of I-71 on I-270 is WMNI-AM with the nighttime array for WOSU-AM just south of that.

o Going up I-71 north of I-270, the double-candelabra tower located at Greenlawn Cemetery is that of WSYX-TV and WTTE-TV, with WOSU-FM, WUFM-FM, and WHKC-FM also on that tower.

o Going further up I-71 north, it becomes Ohio 315 ...... the triple candelabra tower is that of WBNS-TV and WCMH-TV. Most of the city's big FM's are also on that tower, including WBNS-FM, WSNY-FM, WLVQ-FM and WBZX-FM, among others.

o Going further up Ohio 315 is the old Channel 6 tower at Olentangy and Dodgridge, abandoned in the early 1990's but donated to OSU.

o And finally near riverside hospital is the old Channel 4 tower at Ohio 315 and W North Broadway.

o If you want to see an interesting tower farm ... go to the WBNS-AM tower on Barnett Rd. on the east side.

Thanks for the info. It will make for some good exploring to find them all.

 

[columbus radio fan]

Was driving around the south side of 270 last night exploring the new city digs (just moved up from Texas) and noticed a couple stick farms. One was near High Street, IIRC, and the other one was on the opposite side a relatively short distance away and looked like it might have included a 4-tower AM array.

I know I could look these up on the FCC database....but am hoping someone would be willing to help a new Columbusite out and tell me what I was seeing.

Thanks!

o Just east of High St. on I-270 is the farm for WTVN-AN and WLZT-FM. WLVQ-FM and Channel 6 (then WTVN-TV) were also there in the 1970's.

o If I'm not mistaken, just west of I-71 on I-270 is WMNI-AM with the nighttime array for WOSU-AM just south of that.

o Going up I-71 north of I-270, the double-candelabra tower located at Greenlawn Cemetery is that of WSYX-TV and WTTE-TV, with WOSU-FM, WUFM-FM, and WHKC-FM also on that tower.

o Going further up I-71 north, it becomes Ohio 315 ...... the triple candelabra tower is that of WBNS-TV and WCMH-TV. Most of the city's big FM's are also on that tower, including WBNS-FM, WSNY-FM, WLVQ-FM and WBZX-FM, among others.

o Going further up Ohio 315 is the old Channel 6 tower at Olentangy and Dodgridge, abandoned in the early 1990's but donated to OSU.

o And finally near riverside hospital is the old Channel 4 tower at Ohio 315 and W North Broadway.

o If you want to see an interesting tower farm ... go to the WBNS-AM tower on Barnett Rd. on the east side.

Don't forget on top of LeVeque Tower (the one that the top is lit up at night) is WCBE (which CD101 has been trying for), and on One Nationwide is WNCI and WBWR.

As for the WBNS-AM tower...one of 5 Blaw-Knox towers (and one of the shortest ones too!) of that design left in the country. WLW has one too. WLS-AM in Chicago has a Blaw-Knox tower, but it's not 2 diamond shaped like WLW and WBNS.

 

[xiradiodotcom]

I think that old dodridge tower is being used by the new analog WCSN-LP TV channel 32.

Also, while not a farm, there's downtown towers:
-WBWR(105.7) and WNCI(97.9) on top of 1 Nationwide
-WCKX(107.5) on the Bordon building
-WCBE(90.5) on top of the Leveque tower.

Further north on I-71 and south of US 36 is WODB (107.9).
In Westerville, north of Maxtown Rd off SR 3 is a large tower with WOSU-TV and WTDA(103.9) and the future(?) Clear Channel move-in at 106.7.

 

[Dirty_Harry]

Just to the east of Franklin County Stadium (on the northern boundary of Greenlawn Cemetery) is the stick for WCOL-AM and WRFD-AM.

The WLW Tower on Tylersville Rd. is very interesting. The grounds are similar to the WBNS-AM facility ... except that development, subdivisions and strip malls are all over the area. It's cool looking, yet so out of place.

 

[Allfirdup]

A couple of links you might find interesting about antenna farms in central Ohio I ran across a while back, it’s a little out of date but still interesting

http://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-040219.html

http://www.fybush.com/sites/2004/site-040226.html

 

[columbus radio fan]

Just to the east of Franklin County Stadium (on the northern boundary of Greenlawn Cemetery) is the stick for WCOL-AM and WRFD-AM.

The WLW Tower on Tylersville Rd. is very interesting. The grounds are similar to the WBNS-AM facility ... except that development, subdivisions and strip malls are all over the area. It's cool looking, yet so out of place.

Don't know if this is still the case, but the Chief Engineer for WLW used to live in a house that is attached to the transmitter building in case something should happen during the night, he was already right there to fix it and get it back on-air.

 

[schmave]

o Just east of High St. on I-270 is the farm for WTVN-AN and WLZT-FM. WLVQ-FM and Channel 6 (then WTVN-TV) were also there in the 1970's.

o If I'm not mistaken, just west of I-71 on I-270 is WMNI-AM with the nighttime array for WOSU-AM just south of that.

[/quote]

If you're a real AM buff and want to do yourself a favor, get yourself to Grove City some night around nightfall and listen to the pattern changes from 610, 820 and 920. Amazing. I don't know that there's anywhere else in the metro so negatively affected when these AMs turn directional (or in the case of 920, stay directional) at sundown.
* After it starts beaming straight north over C'bus and most of the suburbs, 610 is close to unlistenable even within sight of the towers from four or five miles.
* At any time of day, you can drive by WMNI's towers and hear yourself crossing the pattern. The signal change is discernible as close as the other side of 71 from the towers.
* I recently covered a sporting event at Grove City H.S. and was lucky enough to get there just as WOSU switched from its daytime to nighttime signal. Its null, pointed toward Dallas, is spectacular over Grove City. Driving down 71, WBAP completely takes over once you leave Franklin County or shortly thereafter with absolutely no trace of WOSU on the same frequency. Tip your hat to the engineers for a job well done there.
And actually, WOSU's nighttime array is just north of WMNI on Gantz Road.
If you're in Dublin, you can turn your radio 90 degrees and pretty much null out WOSU to hear WBAP at night. Personally, and I think this may go for the original poster too, I think it's cool to hear WBAP up here as I have family ties to Texas. Living on the East Side "in front" of WOSU's pattern, I can't null it to hear Dallas because they're both in the same direction for me.
* All that's not to mention the poor nighttime signals 1230 and 1460 put into outlying areas after dark.

 

[C414B]

o Just east of High St. on I-270 is the farm for WTVN-AN and WLZT-FM. WLVQ-FM and Channel 6 (then WTVN-TV) were also there in the 1970's.

o If I'm not mistaken, just west of I-71 on I-270 is WMNI-AM with the nighttime array for WOSU-AM just south of that.

If you're a real AM buff and want to do yourself a favor, get yourself to Grove City some night around nightfall and listen to the pattern changes from 610, 820 and 920. Amazing. I don't know that there's anywhere else in the metro so negatively affected when these AMs turn directional (or in the case of 920, stay directional) at sundown.
* After it starts beaming straight north over C'bus and most of the suburbs, 610 is close to unlistenable even within sight of the towers from four or five miles.
* At any time of day, you can drive by WMNI's towers and hear yourself crossing the pattern. The signal change is discernible as close as the other side of 71 from the towers.
* I recently covered a sporting event at Grove City H.S. and was lucky enough to get there just as WOSU switched from its daytime to nighttime signal. Its null, pointed toward Dallas, is spectacular over Grove City. Driving down 71, WBAP completely takes over once you leave Franklin County or shortly thereafter with absolutely no trace of WOSU on the same frequency. Tip your hat to the engineers for a job well done there.
And actually, WOSU's nighttime array is just north of WMNI on Gantz Road.
If you're in Dublin, you can turn your radio 90 degrees and pretty much null out WOSU to hear WBAP at night. Personally, and I think this may go for the original poster too, I think it's cool to hear WBAP up here as I have family ties to Texas. Living on the East Side "in front" of WOSU's pattern, I can't null it to hear Dallas because they're both in the same direction for me.
* All that's not to mention the poor nighttime signals 1230 and 1460 put into outlying areas after dark.
[/quote]



That's very interesting. I'll have to try nulling out WOSU to pick up WBAP some evening. I'm thinking I might live close enough to Grove City to try it.

 

[C414B]

o Just east of High St. on I-270 is the farm for WTVN-AN and WLZT-FM. WLVQ-FM and Channel 6 (then WTVN-TV) were also there in the 1970's.

o If I'm not mistaken, just west of I-71 on I-270 is WMNI-AM with the nighttime array for WOSU-AM just south of that.



If you're a real AM buff and want to do yourself a favor, get yourself to Grove City some night around nightfall and listen to the pattern changes from 610, 820 and 920. Amazing. I don't know that there's anywhere else in the metro so negatively affected when these AMs turn directional (or in the case of 920, stay directional) at sundown.
* After it starts beaming straight north over C'bus and most of the suburbs, 610 is close to unlistenable even within sight of the towers from four or five miles.
* At any time of day, you can drive by WMNI's towers and hear yourself crossing the pattern. The signal change is discernible as close as the other side of 71 from the towers.
* I recently covered a sporting event at Grove City H.S. and was lucky enough to get there just as WOSU switched from its daytime to nighttime signal. Its null, pointed toward Dallas, is spectacular over Grove City. Driving down 71, WBAP completely takes over once you leave Franklin County or shortly thereafter with absolutely no trace of WOSU on the same frequency. Tip your hat to the engineers for a job well done there.
And actually, WOSU's nighttime array is just north of WMNI on Gantz Road.
If you're in Dublin, you can turn your radio 90 degrees and pretty much null out WOSU to hear WBAP at night. Personally, and I think this may go for the original poster too, I think it's cool to hear WBAP up here as I have family ties to Texas. Living on the East Side "in front" of WOSU's pattern, I can't null it to hear Dallas because they're both in the same direction for me.
* All that's not to mention the poor nighttime signals 1230 and 1460 put into outlying areas after dark.

That's very interesting. I'll have to try nulling out WOSU to pick up WBAP some evening. I'm thinking I might live close enough to Grove City to try it.

Seeing as how for some reason I can't edit my previous post, I'm posting again.

Don't think I'd be able to null out WOSU. We live north and west of the night XMTR site. But....it's still worth a try, anyway.

 

[schmave]

It depends on how close to the XMTR you live. I never expected to hear WBAP, but a simple inadvertent turn of the radio did the trick. I was way up near Muirfield, though, about 15 miles from the towers.
Back when WOSU was off-the-air at night for a time in the mid 90s, WBAP was a regular, easy catch here.
The only other Texas station I've ever heard in central Ohio was KRLD for about 15-30 minutes back in early January of this year. It was around 6 p.m., I would guess before KRLD changed to its nighttime pattern with the soft null toward Hartford. I haven't heard KRLD here since, even on much better nights weatherwise than that one.

 

[schmave]

Sorry, forgot about WOAI. But even that is gone now that the local ODOT channel is on AM 1200.

 

[schmave]

C414B, did you ever try the WOSU/WBAP thing?

 

[C414B]

C414B, did you ever try the WOSU/WBAP thing?

Haven't yet....but definately plan on it soon. I'll let you know what happens.

 

[C414B]

C414B, did you ever try the WOSU/WBAP thing?

Well, I did try it last night...of sorts.

Went to Grove City and came back up into Columbus on Demorest. I never completely lost WOSU, but there were some times I thought for sure I would. I'm going to have to try it here at home (SW side) on a good AM radio in a fixed position. Will keep you posted.

 

[275Gravekeeper]

Anybody get KTRH that far north?

 

[schmave]

Anybody get KTRH that far north?

I am one to rarely say anything's impossible, but getting KTRH here would be near that. Its DEEP null of something like 142 watts to the northeast is pointed at Toronto, and Columbus is right about directly in the line between Houston and Toronto. Even if KTRH were to stay on day pattern at night because of a hurricane or other major event necessitating them doing that, its regular northbound signal probably wouldn't make it this far because it protects Texarkana and Tulsa during the day.
I spent the last nine days in Houston with my girlfriend, and driving to Dallas via San Marcos a week ago KTRH was barely listenable north of Waco. It was unlistenable in DFW at night, and driving home a couple days later KTRH wasn't listenable to past Ennis.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

[\quote]After it starts beaming straight north over C'bus and most of the suburbs, 610 is close to unlistenable even within sight of the towers from four or five miles.[/quote]

I've often marveled at how well WTVN's antenna system works. In Central Indiana where WTVN puts a nice daytime signal, when they switch patterns at night, they are GONE. Absolutely no trace of anything. Even if there's no skip right at sundown, the channel is pure noise...a fact that Kansas City on 610 no doubt enjoys.

WTVN once had a CP to build a 50KW night facility. Never was built...anyone know the reasoning behind that...other than money?

 

[xmusicmatt]

WTVN once had a CP to build a 50KW night facility. Never was built...anyone know the reasoning behind that...other than money?

I can't remember where I read it, but I beleive there was zoning or community politics (ie. not in my backyard) avoiding WTVN's 50kw night facility from being built.