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Old Transmitter Site

pberger said:
there is a great site www.historicalaerials.com which has old aerial photos, from 1957...
Click to expand...

As corrected by cmcgrail (http://www.historicaerials.com). The "historical" one
is indeed a Cali-only site. (BTW, the Old Gringo is from Cleveland. I wonder if he
knew Ward Cleaver, who hailed from Shaker Heights. ;))

If you shift 'n' scroll elsewhere on the 1957 Phoenix aerial, you could wind up at
12th Street and Camelback, and if you're looking for "the car...on the roof!" you'll
be disappointed. OTOH, if you're looking for the former 55/KOY XMTR site... :)

The site's home page will also let you get in the wayback machine to Tucson in
1958. It's really tough to find the "Swan Road Extension" north of the Rillito River,
however I think I saw the three sticks for the original Giant 580 (KCNA, becoming
KTAN circa 1958).
 
Wow, the dog track sure was there in 1957, my parents moved in 1960.

The big horse track was there too, looked pretty nice just N of 64th and thomas
 
oldiesfan6479 said:
pberger said:
there is a great site www.historicalaerials.com which has old aerial photos, from 1957...
Click to expand...



If you shift 'n' scroll elsewhere on the 1957 Phoenix aerial, you could wind up at
12th Street and Camelback, and if you're looking for "the car...on the roof!" you'll
be disappointed. OTOH, if you're looking for the former 55/KOY XMTR site... :)
Click to expand...
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

When I was a young one, I would go with my mom as she visited friends.
One of them lived in the area of 12th Street and Camelback.
As she and her friends would catch up, I would go into the back yard and look at this tower, just on the other side of some oleanders.
It was to my left and was marked KOY.
For the life, I could not place that tower again until your above post.
I found it at historicaerials.com and thought "that's it!"

Tip of the hat, oldies.
You made my night.
 
There are some historical vintage pictures of the old KOY transmitter building and site posted at the HOUSE OF BROADCASTING museum in Scottsdale near the corner of Scottsdale Road and 5th Avenue. The museum if free (donations) and above a jewelry store on the north side of 5th ave just west of Scottsdale Rd.

In addition, the museum carries hundreds of other displays of local radio and television both past and present. If you are a fan or a person in the biz it is fun to visit.
 
thirdtickket said:
...the HOUSE OF BROADCASTING museum in Scottsdale near the corner of Scottsdale Road and 5th Avenue.
Click to expand...

I revisited the museum recently after not having been there for a few years,
and it is a great treasure trove of local radio/TV memorabilia. There is now
an additional room-o-stuff open that wasn't there in years past. Even a
couple of 16mm film projectors--now how many stations even have a working
film chain anymore? I'd guess none. And what happened to that RCA TR-70
or Ampex 2000 two-inch VTR? (No, the museum doesn't have either model,
but it does have a one-inch VTR on display, IIRC.)

The only "uh oh" was that I saw a sign in the downstairs store that it was
having a "store closing sale" (or words to that effect), and I'm not sure what
becomes of the museum if that tenant shutters its shop.
 
oldiesfan6479 said:
The only "uh oh" was that I saw a sign in the downstairs store that it was
having a "store closing sale" (or words to that effect), and I'm not sure what
becomes of the museum if that tenant shutters its shop.
Click to expand...

Which reminds me, Oldiesfan... upon further investigation, I received a phone number to call about this in an email. I'll make the call soon and report back here what I find out. That museum is a trip! I'd hope to have it around for many more years to come in beautiful Old Town Scottsdale.
 
In looking over the map (link mentioned in reply #2), I see 5 towers on the east side of 48th St south of the Salt River, and the notation "Phoenix Radio Range Sta"

Were these commercial radio station towers, or something to do with the airport?
 
pberger said:
In looking over the map (link mentioned in reply #2), I see 5 towers on the east side of 48th St south of the Salt River, and the notation "Phoenix Radio Range Sta"

Were these commercial radio station towers, or something to do with the airport?
Click to expand...

That's the directional array of an A/N
air navigation station, an early version of VOR, which operated just above the broadcast band. [url]http://www.navfltsm.addr.com/ndb-nav-history.htm [/url]
 
Yes, the good old Round-Up Drive In Theater. The entrance, off east Thomas Road, was fine if you and your date were driving east. The stupid west-bound turn lane across a rather fast opposite lane was an adventure. The high curb entrance was a large early day speed bump!! :eek:

The Round-Up was the asphalt ground plane for the old KDOT 1440 tower during that era...
 
fusejockey said:
Yes, the good old Round-Up Drive In Theater. The entrance, off east Thomas Road, was fine if you and your date were driving east. The stupid west-bound turn lane across a rather fast opposite lane was an adventure. The high curb entrance was a large early day speed bump!! :eek:

The Round-Up was the asphalt ground plane for the old KDOT 1440 tower during that era...
Click to expand...

Here's an old photo:
http://www.drive-ins.com/pictures/aztroun001.jpg

I remember the old neon sign with a giant cowboy on it from when I was a little kid. By the time I was old enough to take a date to the drive-in, the only option was the Scottsdale 6.
 
KOOL Listener Lauren said:
There was a drive-in theatre right by the beloved Lumberyard 1440 KAZG tower?? Que romantico!
Click to expand...

Wonder what kind of shielded speaker cable they used to keep KPOK's/KDOT's RF from messing up the movie soundtrack? And Nurse Jeff wonders how many Lumberbabies were conceived under the flashing lights of the 14~Forty Tower of Pow-Pow-Power? :eek:
 
DavidEduardo said:
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/RCA-Broadcast-News-Page-Range-Guide.htm

Pick the September, 1947 issue and on the 36th page, there is an article on the construction of KOOL and pictures of the transmitter, the transmitter building and the four towers.
Click to expand...

Awesome, David! It's a great article, and cool pics. Then the writer awkwardly becomes more fascinated that the 30-year old chief engineer has five kids, and that's almost the whole second-half of the article! Ha!! :eek:
 
KOOL Listener Lauren said:
Awesome, David! It's a great article, and cool pics. Then the writer awkwardly becomes more fascinated that the 30-year old chief engineer has five kids, and that's almost the whole second-half of the article! Ha!! :eek:
Click to expand...

And, I would have thought that burying a ground system in the desert would be of interest, as well as the extreme need for what looks like a swamp cooler on the roof.
 
DavidEduardo said:
And, I would have thought that burying a ground system in the desert would be of interest,
as well as the extreme need for what looks like a swamp cooler on the roof.
Click to expand...

How cool did that one swamp cooler keep the ol' Ampliphase? ;)
 
KOOL Listener Lauren said:
Awesome, David! It's a great article, and cool pics. Then the writer awkwardly becomes more fascinated that the 30-year old chief engineer has five kids, and that's almost the whole second-half of the article! Ha!! :eek:
Click to expand...

Obviously the C.E. had other thoughts once the four tower array went in ::) So much for the theory that too much R.F. keeps them little boys from doin' their job ;)
 
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