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New Tower in Okatie?

U

upstate29651

Driving along 170 last week, I noticed what appeared to be a new tower next to the Beaufort-Jasper Career center, where the "big curve" is on 170 (where SC 462 intersects). It's not that tall (maybe 250'..and that might be generous), unpainted, strobe lit & had a fairly impressive looking panel antenna on it.

I don't believe this is 104.9 WWJN (as maps put its antenna a little further north..and taller). Who owns this stick?

G
 
I'm not sure who owns it (I drive by that "corner" of 170 about 2 times a week). I work in Okatie and have seen this tower for awhile.

My guess is that if it is used for commercial broadcasting, it is for WNFO 1430 (who "allegedly" broadcasts "during daylight hours only" with local commercials and a very usable signal in Old Town Bluffton anytime of the night.). But there are a lot of industries on 170 that might have a use for such a tower as well. WYKZ has an old 800' tower with a HUGE 10 element antenna behind the Budweiser plant on 170 and cannot be missed from anywhere in a 10 mile direction.

WWJN is not it...their stick is between Ridgeland and Beaufort in the boonies.

Not 100 percent sure, but I think 103.1 used a tower in Okatie before moving to the Bluffton stick too. That could be the culprit as their signal blew before the move.

Radio-X
 
I don't think that's 103.1...or 1430 (I'm not aware of an AM using a panel array), and I've been through that area before 103.1 moved to the Bluffton tower, so I have my doubts about that as well. The only possibility I can come up with may be some sort of translator for WJWJ TV. Maybe?

G
 
Being from the Beaufort area, (but now living in Orangeburg) I don't get that
way as much I like. I know the Okatie tower does not belong to WNFO.
Also, with the exception of WVGB, there is not a commercial station with
studios in Beaufort-Port Royal, proper if I understand it correctly. Now for
an area that size, that's increditable. Of course part of the problem may be
with the nuts with the city(s) involved and the county on errecting a microwave
tower...what say you, anyone.
 
radiostuwright said:
Being from the Beaufort area, (but now living in Orangeburg) I don't get that
way as much I like. I know the Okatie tower does not belong to WNFO.
Also, with the exception of WVGB, there is not a commercial station with
studios in Beaufort-Port Royal, proper if I understand it correctly. Now for
an area that size, that's increditable. Of course part of the problem may be
with the nuts with the city(s) involved and the county on errecting a microwave
tower...what say you, anyone.
Click to expand...

I think you're right. WYKZ, WLOW, and WGZO are the only three commercial FM's in Northern Beaufort, and they have studios in both Hilton Head and Savannah but not Beaufort. (98.7 has some sort of office in the Harris Teeter shopping center near Sea Pines Circle). I guess southern Beaufort County is more financially appealing for broadcasters...

I wasn't living here at the time, but I think before ETV centralized all broadcasting to Columbia, WJWJ-FM and TV both offered local news and Lowcountry programming. (and they still have a Beaufort studio with a skeleton crew)
upstate29651 said:
I don't think that's 103.1...or 1430 (I'm not aware of an AM using a panel array), and I've been through that area before 103.1 moved to the Bluffton tower, so I have my doubts about that as well. The only possibility I can come up with may be some sort of translator for WJWJ TV. Maybe?

G
Click to expand...

I don't think WJWJ-TV had an Okatie translator. During the analog days I lived outside Sun City and never got anything but a fuzzy channel 16.

My educated guess: It's probably not a broadcast tower. I checked the FAA tower database and the only broadcaster with a tower near there is SCETV. Problem is, that tower was built 25 years ago and there are no pending CPs for FM or TV in Okatie.

Radio-X
 
To quote the great Homer Simpson:

D'oh!

I forgot WAGP 88.7 broadcasts from that area. They broadcast at about 300' and just upgraded to 100,000 watts. They're in that area too.

Radio-X
 
upstate29651 said:
WAGP's tower is off Parris Island Gateway Rd. in Port Royal.

G
Click to expand...

According to the FCC database (via radio-locator), WAGP now broadcasts here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=32.35753,+-80.91978+(WAGP-FM)&om=1

Seems about where we are talking about. It's a squat 350' tower and WAGP is pumping out 100,000 watts from it.

WNFO's tower is apparently across the road from WAGP. I don't remember seeing that particular tower, but I do remember the FM antenna on the other one.

Radio-X
 
radiodxrichmond said:
upstate29651 said:
WAGP's tower is off Parris Island Gateway Rd. in Port Royal.

G
Click to expand...

According to the FCC database (via radio-locator), WAGP now broadcasts here:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=32.35753,+-80.91978+(WAGP-FM)&om=1

Seems about where we are talking about. It's a squat 350' tower and WAGP is pumping out 100,000 watts from it.

WNFO's tower is apparently across the road from WAGP. I don't remember seeing that particular tower, but I do remember the FM antenna on the other one.

Radio-X
Click to expand...

Mystery solved! I'm rather surprised, as the "old" WAGP tower is rather new.

G
 
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