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Interesting Radio Structures

Alan Criswell

Alan Criswell

* WSOX-FM transmitter site (Red Lion). An ancient, white, cinderblock building
with those thick, glass block windows. Classic stuff.

* WYCR-FM / WHVR-AM building (Hanover). Another ancient, white,
cinderblock building with a conestoga bridge-style porch. Inside, an
Art Deco celebration.

* WOYK-AM transmitter site (West York). Very old, kinda spooky, and word
was that the seemingly Edison-era light bulbs at the front door stayed lit
for decades.

* WQXA-AM and WQXA-FM's original building (York). Huge, white, cinderblock
3-floor building that originally housed a television station.

* WIOV-FM building (Ephrata). As mentioned before, a single-family house
with 4 towers in the backyard. Inside, barely resembles a house.

* WPDC-AM building (Elizabethtown). Old building with really narrow hallways.

* WRHY-FM/WHTF-FM's original building (York). Legend has it that Starview
started out in a mobile home trailer.

* WRFY-FM building (Reading). IIRC, Y-102 was laid out sorta strange, with a
sliding glass door seperating the air studio from some other area.





Alan
 
>
> * WRHY-FM/WHTF-FM's original building (York). Legend has it
> that Starview
> started out in a mobile home trailer.

Another area station that began in a trailer was MAGIC 93.5 (Mechanicsburg) which, of course, is now WTPA. I remember interviewing there, and thinking, "Oh my God, they want me to work in that??"

<P ID="signature">______________
Apathy is bliss.</P>
 
> I've tried searching for the WPDC building and haven't been
> able to find it. My Mapquest directions let me down.
>
Unless they moved, they were right near the WRKZ, current WQXA building near E-Town. Just at the base of the short tower, the taller tower being WRKZ.
 
> I've tried searching for the WPDC building and haven't been
> able to find it. My Mapquest directions let me down.

I had the pleasure of searching through that old building for some parts 2 weeks ago. With a little love and lots of remodeling, it'd be a nice building.

Right under the big tower by the e-town exit on 283.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> > I've tried searching for the WPDC building and haven't
> been
> > able to find it. My Mapquest directions let me down.
> >
> Unless they moved, they were right near the WRKZ, current
> WQXA building near E-Town. Just at the base of the short
> tower, the taller tower being WRKZ.

That's what I thought. I'll try harder next time, that is if I'm that into hunting for them.
 
> > > I've tried searching for the WPDC building and haven't
> > been
> > > able to find it. My Mapquest directions let me down.
> > >
> > Unless they moved, they were right near the WRKZ, current
> > WQXA building near E-Town. Just at the base of the short
> > tower, the taller tower being WRKZ.
>
> That's what I thought. I'll try harder next time, that is if
> I'm that into hunting for them.
>
They have a CP for a power increase to 1 KW daytime, farther west along 283. Apparently they lost a lease and may be operating under an STA from a short tower around there? Were having zoning problems for a full size tower.Studios may have also moved.

Any yes, WRKZ is now whatever call letters they are this week. Still 106.7, like The X will always be Q106 and 92.7 will always be Starview in many peoples minds.
 
> > I've tried searching for the WPDC building and haven't
> been
> > able to find it. My Mapquest directions let me down.
>
> I had the pleasure of searching through that old building
> for some parts 2 weeks ago. With a little love and lots of
> remodeling, it'd be a nice building.
>
> Right under the big tower by the e-town exit on 283.
>
**So didja find any duct tape or Volumaxes? ;^)
 
> **So didja find any duct tape or Volumaxes? ;^)

Nope...but I did find about 20 dead computers, 30 dead cd drives, an old altec-lansing speaker, an old acoustic research speaker, and a working transmitter. Once I started carting the transmitter out I realized what station it was and put it back. Should have known better with all those blinky lights and cables attached.

No new toys for Sammy there...but I did find an RF ammeter bridge at my site under a pile of mouse crap. This weekend we're all heading to the site, getting drunk, and then shoving the ammeter in various locations with the transmitter at full power. Smallest arc wins and if you fault the transmitter you automatically lose.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> > **So didja find any duct tape or Volumaxes? ;^)
>
> Nope...but I did find about 20 dead computers, 30 dead cd
> drives, an old altec-lansing speaker, an old acoustic
> research speaker, and a working transmitter. Once I started
> carting the transmitter out I realized what station it was
> and put it back. Should have known better with all those
> blinky lights and cables attached.
>
> No new toys for Sammy there...but I did find an RF ammeter
> bridge at my site under a pile of mouse crap. This weekend
> we're all heading to the site, getting drunk, and then
> shoving the ammeter in various locations with the
> transmitter at full power. Smallest arc wins and if you
> fault the transmitter you automatically lose.
>
Now THAT'S a good time!
 
The WSOX building is in relatively good shape for its age, still usable. The Q106/WNOW building is another story---drove up there and peeked in the windows last week---utterly destroyed, broken glass, busted out walls, etc. However, if you walk toward "Camp Pennwood" past the last set of guy wires, you'll see a long, metal object laying on the ground---that is the old WNOW-TV Channel 49 antenna from the 50's, which was removed in the 80's to make way for the new Q106 FM 4-bay on top the big stick.

The WOYK transmitter building is a gem, as are the two slender "pole" towers--rusty relics of the 40's which no one will climb to maintain or relamp. The center one fell years ago, hence the new regular tower in the middle of the three. The old water-cooled 5kw Harris rig from the '30's may still be there.


> * WSOX-FM transmitter site (Red Lion). An ancient, white,
> cinderblock building
> with those thick, glass block windows. Classic stuff.
>
> * WYCR-FM / WHVR-AM building (Hanover). Another ancient,
> white,
> cinderblock building with a conestoga bridge-style porch.
> Inside, an
> Art Deco celebration.
>
> * WOYK-AM transmitter site (West York). Very old, kinda
> spooky, and word
> was that the seemingly Edison-era light bulbs at the front
> door stayed lit
> for decades.
>
> * WQXA-AM and WQXA-FM's original building (York). Huge,
> white, cinderblock
> 3-floor building that originally housed a television
> station.
>
> * WIOV-FM building (Ephrata). As mentioned before, a
> single-family house
> with 4 towers in the backyard. Inside, barely resembles a
> house.
>
> * WPDC-AM building (Elizabethtown). Old building with
> really narrow hallways.
>
> * WRHY-FM/WHTF-FM's original building (York). Legend has it
> that Starview
> started out in a mobile home trailer.
>
> * WRFY-FM building (Reading). IIRC, Y-102 was laid out
> sorta strange, with a
> sliding glass door seperating the air studio from some other
> area.
>
>
>
>
>
> Alan
>
 
> Now THAT'S a good time!

I don't remember much of that night, but we didn't blow anything up. I do have an RF burn on an embarassing part of my body and apparently one of the guys was attacked by a deer in the field...but it was fun.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
 
> * WSOX-FM transmitter site (Red Lion). An ancient, white,
> cinderblock building
> with those thick, glass block windows. Classic stuff.
>
> * WYCR-FM / WHVR-AM building (Hanover). Another ancient,
> white,
> cinderblock building with a conestoga bridge-style porch.
> Inside, an
> Art Deco celebration.
>
> * WOYK-AM transmitter site (West York). Very old, kinda
> spooky, and word
> was that the seemingly Edison-era light bulbs at the front
> door stayed lit
> for decades.

The spooky part is under the building. Hey, I changed that light
bulb in 1977. It better last for another decade.



>
> * WQXA-AM and WQXA-FM's original building (York). Huge,
> white, cinderblock
> 3-floor building that originally housed a television
> station.

WNOW-AM-FM-TV49, part of the great Dumont Network.

>
> * WIOV-FM building (Ephrata). As mentioned before, a
> single-family house
> with 4 towers in the backyard. Inside, barely resembles a
> house.
>
> * WPDC-AM building (Elizabethtown). Old building with
> really narrow hallways.
>
> * WRHY-FM/WHTF-FM's original building (York). Legend has it
> that Starview
> started out in a mobile home trailer.

That was the day studio/production. Stairview Countryside Community.
Please...it was a prefab home. It didn't move. :)
Nightime was on the mountain.
Large enough for the transmitter/bathroom/small production and
air studio....oh and the weather wire. About the size of a garage.



>
> * WRFY-FM building (Reading). IIRC, Y-102 was laid out
> sorta strange, with a
> sliding glass door seperating the air studio from some other
> area.
>
>
>
>
>
> Alan
>
 
> > * WRHY-FM/WHTF-FM's original building (York). Legend has
> > it that Starview started out in a mobile home trailer.
>
> That was the day studio/production. Stairview Countryside Community.
> Please...it was a prefab home. It didn't move. :)

Was the prefab home in Mt. Wolf?


> Nightime was on the mountain.
> Large enough for the transmitter/bathroom/small production
> and air studio....oh and the weather wire.

Why were there two broadcast locations?


> About the size of a garage.

Judging from the appearance of WOYK's '87-'96 studio (looked like a trailer,
but not quite), it seems that all or part of the prefab house was moved and
attached to the transmitter site structure, which eventually lead to the later
additions/renovations.

Actually, I'm remembering certain exterior items, leading me to believe the
entire prefab home was moved up there.



After visiting "Cumulus York," then the WNOW/WQXA building, I cruised up
to the former Rock Mountain; first time in over seven years.

I eventually reached the top, leveled off and turned into that ol' "S"-shaped
driveway, immediately noticing that the pavement hadn't held up well at all,
it was all busted up... and then I saw that the old building was totally GONE.
Now there's a chain attached to two posts, blocking the entrance to a stone
driveway that leads to the fenced-in tower, transmitter house and a smaller
structure. It looks like the Starview building was never there.

1996, Hall considered a York sales office on the mountain, they even hired
some guy to paint. However, WOYK Inc. was leasing the building and used
a good bit of space, so I'm not sure if that would've worked.

AM GMer Tim Michaels told me about the building around 2001. I'd assume
Hall had it torn down in 1999 or 2000.

BTW, that property is "Posted," so stay away.
 
> The Q106/WNOW building is another story---drove up there and peeked
> in the windows last week---utterly destroyed, broken glass, busted out
> walls, etc.

I checked it out, briefly, because electricians and other people were
somewhere around the place. Seems like a renovation is underway,
which would explain the walls.

As for the glass, it's not too bad; one or two broken windows on the
first floor and a broken window up at the old FM studio.

The side of the former main entrance (at the steps) looks fine; there
used to be parking spots along the trees, but now it's grass.

Couldn't really see the other side, electrician vans were parked there.
 
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