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Status of WFNW 1380 Naugatuck?
- Thread starter MarcB
- Start date
I could not say because I don't hear them down in Fairfield. Their signal I guess goes towards Waterbury.
Do they not have some new antenna vs. some rusting towers from decades ago ? I know they got some power decrease and new antenna. QUESTION: What exactly is it ?
To me their signal does not seem as potent as in past years when I happen to observe when in that area. Maybe my imagination. Otherwise I do not speak Spanish so.....
Do they not have some new antenna vs. some rusting towers from decades ago ? I know they got some power decrease and new antenna. QUESTION: What exactly is it ?
To me their signal does not seem as potent as in past years when I happen to observe when in that area. Maybe my imagination. Otherwise I do not speak Spanish so.....
As of Wednesday the 23rd I was still getting traces of Rhode Island on 1380. Even if they do have a new tower, a new tower isn't necessairly immune to damage from snow, ice, and/or wind damage.
Where in Naugatuck is their tower? A friend of mine who's a bartender lives in Naugatuck. I'll ask her to drive by and see if their tower is still around.
On a slightly off-topic note The Beijing Chinese Restaurant on Queen Street in Southington (across from Shoprite) was also a victim of the blizzard. Sales were going down at the restaurant for years and I supposed being closed for 7 days due to the blackout was the final nail in their coffin. Those in the know said they're not coming back.
Where in Naugatuck is their tower? A friend of mine who's a bartender lives in Naugatuck. I'll ask her to drive by and see if their tower is still around.
On a slightly off-topic note The Beijing Chinese Restaurant on Queen Street in Southington (across from Shoprite) was also a victim of the blizzard. Sales were going down at the restaurant for years and I supposed being closed for 7 days due to the blackout was the final nail in their coffin. Those in the know said they're not coming back.
>Where in Naugatuck is their tower?
The WOWW/WNVR studios were on Mallane Lane, in front of the transmitter site on separately owned property. I don't know if transmitter access now is on that street or around the corner. The transmitter is near the Waterbury-Naugatuck line off Route 8 and just south of the old Howard Johnson's.
WOWW went on the air in the early 60s as a daytimer on 860 with two towers, and added a middle tower for the move to 1380 in the late 60s. The original studios were on the second floor of a old house in downtown Naugatuck.
The WOWW/WNVR studios were on Mallane Lane, in front of the transmitter site on separately owned property. I don't know if transmitter access now is on that street or around the corner. The transmitter is near the Waterbury-Naugatuck line off Route 8 and just south of the old Howard Johnson's.
WOWW went on the air in the early 60s as a daytimer on 860 with two towers, and added a middle tower for the move to 1380 in the late 60s. The original studios were on the second floor of a old house in downtown Naugatuck.
Geeezzz I forget where the antenna is located. I snooped it out maybe a year ago and found it but I forget where now. It appeared the antenna looked new and 'different'.
It seems they have/had a Construction Permit for a different location so ?? Lower power.
Not saying new antennas do not fall over but look at some of the old ones. WFIF 1500 Milford ? WELI 960 did actually fall over. (also 1340 WYBC)
The Corporation I'd guess does not think stations need upkeep of antennas.
It seems they have/had a Construction Permit for a different location so ?? Lower power.
Not saying new antennas do not fall over but look at some of the old ones. WFIF 1500 Milford ? WELI 960 did actually fall over. (also 1340 WYBC)
The Corporation I'd guess does not think stations need upkeep of antennas.
When did ELI's towers "fall over"?
I remember we cut them down back in the spring, but that was planned.
I remember we cut them down back in the spring, but that was planned.
B
BobRadil
Guest
shepaug said:
Yes, tower 3, August, 1982. Right into the swamp! The weekend guy called me and said he couldn't get a reading on tower 3. I figured I'd check it Monday afternoon, thinking it was a loose connector on the sampling cable. There was a bit more to it! By late October the replacement tower was in place. I've heard stories of the original tower 1 coming down since then.
The original WNHC self-supporter, 1994. Not on my watch. The smaller replacement tower later also came down in the WYBC-AM era. Also, not on my watch.
I've heard stories of original WDJZ tower(s) coming down.
I drove through there on rt8 yesterday. 1380 was silent.
If it is permanent I am not sure who would want them. (??) Tell WSHU ?
At night (early evening) all I heard were other stations with nothing id'able in the mess.
Antennas. All I can say is some stations have such so deferred one can wonder when they will fall over.
I think WDJZ 2011 even the fence around base of antennas has fallen over. Easy to stroll around from the cemetery that is next to them.
Wonder when WELI 960 is going back to old pattern. (?) I usually could not hear them at nights but now listenable at least as far as Fairfield or Bridgeport.
o-- WYBC 1340 is now on one of those Valcom antennas. At about the same place WAVZ 1300 seems to put out a much better signal. (un-scientific observation)
If it is permanent I am not sure who would want them. (??) Tell WSHU ?
At night (early evening) all I heard were other stations with nothing id'able in the mess.
Antennas. All I can say is some stations have such so deferred one can wonder when they will fall over.
I think WDJZ 2011 even the fence around base of antennas has fallen over. Easy to stroll around from the cemetery that is next to them.
Wonder when WELI 960 is going back to old pattern. (?) I usually could not hear them at nights but now listenable at least as far as Fairfield or Bridgeport.
o-- WYBC 1340 is now on one of those Valcom antennas. At about the same place WAVZ 1300 seems to put out a much better signal. (un-scientific observation)
WFIF's tower 3 did fall in 1982, very soon after Bill Blount (the still-current owner) bought it.
I was honored to work there for 20 years, 1987-2007.
Tower 1 came down sometime in the late 90's (I forget, exactly) but was definitely on my watch, and shortly after we got our new Harris Gates 5 transmitter. (Which was installed in May, 1996.)
We were already aware of a badly corroded guy wire on that tower, and had already scheduled a tower crew to come and replace it, soon. Mother nature had other ideas. A high wind storm roared through on a Friday night. I was awakened around 6am on Saturday morning.
The conversation went something like this:
Weekend Guy, "Hi, Willie, sorry to wake you up, but the transmitter won't stay on at high power. It keeps dropping down by itself."
Me, "Oh no! OK, this may sound strange... but look outside, and count the towers."
W.G. "Oh? Ok, just a minute." (Sfx: Clunk! Footsteps away. Door in distance opens briefly, then closes. Footsteps back. "Uh oh!"
Me, "I'll be right there!"
Sure enough... it fell flat into the swamp. Thankfully, it fell almost due NORTH, causing MINIMAL collateral damage. We had already marked taps on the coils in each tower's tuning units to make switching to non-D from any of the towers a fairly quick process, so that was what I did... floated the south tower (T3) and went non-D with T2, the center one.
Then, a few years later, we had T2 dropped by the tower crew, for replacement. I wish had gotten that on video. It was really cool! They cut the guy wires, and it just started to lean, very slowly at first, then fell with a barely audible "whoosh" and a soggy-sounding PLOP! as it landed in the swamp. It was then cut-up and hauled away. I have one of the pieces in my basement as a souvenir.
I was honored to work there for 20 years, 1987-2007.
Tower 1 came down sometime in the late 90's (I forget, exactly) but was definitely on my watch, and shortly after we got our new Harris Gates 5 transmitter. (Which was installed in May, 1996.)
We were already aware of a badly corroded guy wire on that tower, and had already scheduled a tower crew to come and replace it, soon. Mother nature had other ideas. A high wind storm roared through on a Friday night. I was awakened around 6am on Saturday morning.
The conversation went something like this:
Weekend Guy, "Hi, Willie, sorry to wake you up, but the transmitter won't stay on at high power. It keeps dropping down by itself."
Me, "Oh no! OK, this may sound strange... but look outside, and count the towers."
W.G. "Oh? Ok, just a minute." (Sfx: Clunk! Footsteps away. Door in distance opens briefly, then closes. Footsteps back. "Uh oh!"
Me, "I'll be right there!"
Sure enough... it fell flat into the swamp. Thankfully, it fell almost due NORTH, causing MINIMAL collateral damage. We had already marked taps on the coils in each tower's tuning units to make switching to non-D from any of the towers a fairly quick process, so that was what I did... floated the south tower (T3) and went non-D with T2, the center one.
Then, a few years later, we had T2 dropped by the tower crew, for replacement. I wish had gotten that on video. It was really cool! They cut the guy wires, and it just started to lean, very slowly at first, then fell with a barely audible "whoosh" and a soggy-sounding PLOP! as it landed in the swamp. It was then cut-up and hauled away. I have one of the pieces in my basement as a souvenir.
I picked on WFIF 1500 because I had wandered by the area maybe a year ago. I don't know if I were trespassing or not and somebody in some surrounding house did scream :::::::::: what are you doing ??? I was up to no evil.
The walk-ways to towers looked like they half fell into the swamp and the base of the towers looked like somebody last played around 30 years ago. Random solid copper wire (100 years of green on it) above ground at the bases as if the under ground was lost. (maybe the extra ground wire helped) I think the feed from transmitter came out of some shed that the wood rotted out in 1893. (and random on the ground leaving the shed)
I was snooping at WYBC 1340 at the same time and I guess they sold out to WSHU They were told it took a minimal half million to put the tower back up.
Salty swampy ground. Some problem with 'wetlands' ?
So I looked at WFIF 1500 and it looked sort of similar. Except..antennas did not fall yet....
The walk-ways to towers looked like they half fell into the swamp and the base of the towers looked like somebody last played around 30 years ago. Random solid copper wire (100 years of green on it) above ground at the bases as if the under ground was lost. (maybe the extra ground wire helped) I think the feed from transmitter came out of some shed that the wood rotted out in 1893. (and random on the ground leaving the shed)
I was snooping at WYBC 1340 at the same time and I guess they sold out to WSHU They were told it took a minimal half million to put the tower back up.
Salty swampy ground. Some problem with 'wetlands' ?
So I looked at WFIF 1500 and it looked sort of similar. Except..antennas did not fall yet....
B
BobRadil
Guest
30 years ago? That had to be me. Lots of fun there.shepaug said:
The above ground wires were intended to stablize the constantly changing tower impedances. Whenever the tide came in the whole system changed.shepaug said:
How does that compare to the overall value of the station???shepaug said:
Re: WFIF's site
Yes, WFIF uses a counterpoise ground system, to stabilize the array as the tide rises and falls. When everything was good, it stayed well within spec throughout the tidal cycles. As time went by, and the ground system aged, I could tell. The parameters would start to shift more with the tides. That was our clue to replace the ground system. It usually lasted about 10 years. I was there for two ground system replacements. Talk about "fun".
I had also been involved in quite a few more catwalk replacements than that! Those generally needed replacing every 4 or 5 years. I was let go in 2007. It was just done again this fall. Apparently, it was a little overdue when you saw it.
Yes, WFIF uses a counterpoise ground system, to stabilize the array as the tide rises and falls. When everything was good, it stayed well within spec throughout the tidal cycles. As time went by, and the ground system aged, I could tell. The parameters would start to shift more with the tides. That was our clue to replace the ground system. It usually lasted about 10 years. I was there for two ground system replacements. Talk about "fun".
I had also been involved in quite a few more catwalk replacements than that! Those generally needed replacing every 4 or 5 years. I was let go in 2007. It was just done again this fall. Apparently, it was a little overdue when you saw it.
>That was our clue to replace the ground system.
Bringing this back from WFIF to 1380....
WOWW had to do major ground enhancement or replacement 10 years after the move from 860 to 1380. This was needed to finalize the sale to Al Primo, who changed the calls to WNVR (14-NVR).
Bringing this back from WFIF to 1380....
WOWW had to do major ground enhancement or replacement 10 years after the move from 860 to 1380. This was needed to finalize the sale to Al Primo, who changed the calls to WNVR (14-NVR).
1380 Naugatuck. I have no idea why they are off.
I do not know their ratings or listeners or revenue.
I can not help wonder if they are in financial ruins who would want 1380 and what format. (?)
It would seem Waterbury does not really need this AM'er. (??)
So who buys out stations and seems to have unlimited money ? ?(WSHU)
Some pictures here https://picasaweb.google.com/wyantenock/WFNW1380?authuser=0&feat=directlink
WFIF. I wonder why they let 'you' go ??
I think I could have fun with the station and being daytime only why not fire up an Amateur Radio Station on 1800 khz area ? (just hobby stuff)
It seems an excellent place for an antenna. Salt Water, etc. The problem I assume is who needs an AM station for Milford ? WFED WDC 1500 would create havoc on 1500 but another frequency ?
I thought the copper wire was interesting but it appeared like it was done many moons ago.
This gets too complicated for this forum but am interested in what is involved in replacing the ground ?
WYBC 1340 was operating on some 'temporary authority' after their tower fell over. Run by Yale there seemed little interest in spending a fortune on a new antenna. They got large estimates and finally went with one of these Valcom short antennas. (I call them rubber-duckies) They said WYBC 1340 is not worth spending the money on. Being about in the same place as WAVZ 1300 WAVZ surely gets out better but that is nothing scientific. If I listen from this location WAVZ is obviously stronger. When they started broadcasting with the Valcom it became WSHU. So one can guess the financing.
o--WYBC/WAVZ both have antennas in a similar salt water marsh situation.
I do not know their ratings or listeners or revenue.
I can not help wonder if they are in financial ruins who would want 1380 and what format. (?)
It would seem Waterbury does not really need this AM'er. (??)
So who buys out stations and seems to have unlimited money ? ?(WSHU)
Some pictures here https://picasaweb.google.com/wyantenock/WFNW1380?authuser=0&feat=directlink
WFIF. I wonder why they let 'you' go ??
I think I could have fun with the station and being daytime only why not fire up an Amateur Radio Station on 1800 khz area ? (just hobby stuff)
It seems an excellent place for an antenna. Salt Water, etc. The problem I assume is who needs an AM station for Milford ? WFED WDC 1500 would create havoc on 1500 but another frequency ?
I thought the copper wire was interesting but it appeared like it was done many moons ago.
This gets too complicated for this forum but am interested in what is involved in replacing the ground ?
WYBC 1340 was operating on some 'temporary authority' after their tower fell over. Run by Yale there seemed little interest in spending a fortune on a new antenna. They got large estimates and finally went with one of these Valcom short antennas. (I call them rubber-duckies) They said WYBC 1340 is not worth spending the money on. Being about in the same place as WAVZ 1300 WAVZ surely gets out better but that is nothing scientific. If I listen from this location WAVZ is obviously stronger. When they started broadcasting with the Valcom it became WSHU. So one can guess the financing.
o--WYBC/WAVZ both have antennas in a similar salt water marsh situation.
Seemed like a waste of electricity to begin with.
Is here really a market for all-Portugese in the economically
depressed Waterbury CT area?
Is here really a market for all-Portugese in the economically
depressed Waterbury CT area?
Pete Miller said:
It's not Portugese and hasn't been for years. It's been Spanish for quite a number of years now. The only Portugese station in that area is the Naugatuck licensed 97.9 translator of WFAR out of Danbury. I wish the damn translator would go off the air. In parts of Southington in interferes with my reception of KIX 97.9 from Springfield. (I know KIX is moving to 100.9 and 97.9 is moving to Hartford. I've been a KIX fan for several years now, so I'm talking about reception issues of the past few years).
shepaug said:
They were Portuguese, and simulcasting with WDJZ, 1530 in BPT, for a number of years. I remember while I was doing some part-time Engineering for WADS 690, there was an issue with their 2'nd harmonic. (1380) So, I went up and began to investigate. I discovered an OCCUPIED mouse nest INSIDE one of the tuning unit coils at the far tower! (You can't make this stuff up!) After evicting the mouse and its nest, the 2'nd harmonic was gone.
shepaug said:
Clear Channel?
I don't think they'd bother with this one, tho.shepaug said:
(1) I was let go because of the Economy. I had been there for 20 years, and so had accrued 20 years of annual raises. I was on full-time payroll. I was one of the 50% in the Company who had to be let go. As far as I am concerned, it is far better for EVERYONE that I lose my job, than for this area to lose that station. It was either let people go, or go bankrupt. It was a matter of survival, and I am thankful to see that they continue to operate! I do miss working for them, but I am happy now at WIHS.
Part-time is better than no-time!(2) Been there, done it!
A few years ago, a fellow ham came down and (with the boss' permission, of course) after sign-off, we alligator-clipped into the center antenna tower. (I floated the two end towers, and bypassed the tuning unit of the center one.)There was a 160 meter contest going, and it was like taking candy from babies. Every time he threw out his call just once, a pileup came back to him. It was cool.
He could only run about 200 watts, because the Mighty Fine Junk (MFJ) antenna tuner he was using, was arcing between the tuning cap & front plate. (A known defect of those units, BTW.)
That was the only time anyone ever tried that, though. Even after I upgraded my license to Extra in 2001, I never bothered to bring the rig down and run off the array like that. I'm not at all into contests, anyway.
(3) They were known as WTOP, and yeah, they were (and obviously still are, regardless of the call letters of the month) WFIF's NEMESIS! MANY, MANY a morning, I'd take calls form listeners, complaining about that interference, even as late as 8am, on some winter mornings. Same with the evening, after about 3:30pm, people complained on the days it was at its worst. Nothing we could do... the 1500 frequency essentially *BELONGS* to that Washington DC station, for almost the entire Eastern HALF of the continental US! You can clearly hear them from Maine to FLA at night.
(4) After LESS THAN ONE YEAR, the copper turns solid BLACK! Remember, that is a SALT MARSH. 'nuff said.
shepaug said:
It takes a LOT of work, slogging thru the swamp, dragging the wires! BTDT!
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