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Tower of the Americas Antenna

There is a master antenna project going on at the Tower of the Americas. The project is scheduled to be finished by the middle of July. When completed there will be a 16 bay, 1/2 wave antenna pointed north, which all three stations will broadcast from.

There has been a minor delay due to some weather damage at the base of the mast where it meets the pylon. The repairs will be finished by 7 July, weather permitting. Once this is done the last three bays of the antenna will be mounted. Tuning and testing will begin after that. The hope is all three stations will be back in operation from the TOA by the third week in July. One week past schedule, which is not to bad when you consider your dealing with the City and the Landry's, (a major pain in the butt).

Clear Channel, KQXT, is/has been broadcasting HD and HD2 formats from the site for over a year. Lotus, KZEP installed a new Nautel system and began HD seveal months ago. These broadcast formats will continue once the master antenna is complete. CBS, now BMP, has not made it's intentions known. For now, all HD formats are down.

All stations are broadcasting from aux. sites pending completion of the project.

Bucky
 
BDornster said:
KZEP installed a new Nautel system and began HD seveal months ago.
Click to expand...

Really? The HD light on my radio blinked on and off for KZEP for a few weeks (months ago). But I don't remember them actually passing HD. If they did, it didn't sound any better than analog.

I hope BMP gets HD going for Jack.
 
So far the only stations that are not broadcasting in FMHD are 90.9, 92.9, 94.1, 95.7, 102.7, 104.1, 104.5.
 
All stations are broadcasting from aux. sites pending completion of the project.
Click to expand...

If 102.7 is operating from their old antenna on the KTSA site, and you happen to be on the Northeast side of town, see if you can resolve beat carriers around 102.1 (actually 102.15) and 103.3 (103.25). It was the result of 102.7 being on the AM tower and mixing with KTSA (plus and minus 0.55 MHz).

Two years ago I could tell when they were on the aux, as it would chew up reception of KTXX/103.1 on North 410.
 
saradio1 said:
Posted by: jras20- So far the only stations that are not broadcasting in FMHD are 90.9, 92.9, 94.1, 95.7, 102.7, 104.1, 104.5.
Click to expand...

You forgot 97.7.
Click to expand...

KJ 97 seems to be the weakest HD Signal I can get from San antonio, the rest come in pretty decent with a few drops, seems like Mix has been having problems with their HD signal, KBBT sounds good now with no delays in the signal. KKMJ in Austin's HD Signal is still very weak. I cant even get it 30 miles out.
 
The master antenna project started in May. So from May until it is finished, you will not see any HD on any of the stations.
 
BDornster said:
There is a master antenna project going on at the Tower of the Americas. The project is scheduled to be finished by the middle of July. When completed there will be a 16 bay, 1/2 wave antenna pointed north, which all three stations will broadcast from.

There has been a minor delay due to some weather damage at the base of the mast where it meets the pylon. The repairs will be finished by 7 July, weather permitting. Once this is done the last three bays of the antenna will be mounted. Tuning and testing will begin after that. The hope is all three stations will be back in operation from the TOA by the third week in July. One week past schedule, which is not to bad when you consider your dealing with the City and the Landry's, (a major pain in the butt).

Clear Channel, KQXT, is/has been broadcasting HD and HD2 formats from the site for over a year. Lotus, KZEP installed a new Nautel system and began HD seveal months ago. These broadcast formats will continue once the master antenna is complete. CBS, now BMP, has not made it's intentions known. For now, all HD formats are down.

All stations are broadcasting from aux. sites pending completion of the project.

Bucky
Click to expand...

HUH??? 16 BAY??? All 1/2wave spaced??? That would take almost 300 ft of tower or more!!! You sure about the details??
Is it one master or two (possibly an interspaced HD 8bay and a 8bay analog)?????

KVIL in Dallas had a 12 or 14 bay on the old site (KPLX tower)......and it sucked!! Too narrow a beam pattern at the horizon and too litle signal below the horizon in the city where it was needed.....and talk about tower length!!!
 
300 ft? The new Tower of the Americas master antenna is in fact a 16 bay half-wave spaced ERI Rototiller type CP system. With this spacing the antenna only needs less than 100 feet of support structure of which there is plenty of space on the Tower’s approximately 120-foot mast.

The 16-bay ERI system is in fact a combined master antenna for three frequencies, 101.9, 102.7, and 104.5 MHz with room for one more future tenant.

The antenna is mounted on the most northern face of the mast.

At the end of May when the project was started, the only station operating in IBOC hybrid mode full-time was CC's KQXT (101.9 MHz). BMP’s KJXK shows no signs of installing any IBOC equipment at the site while Lotus' KZEP does have the new Nautel IBOC capable transmission system.

The master antenna will help with the "shadowing" problems experienced in the northern parts of the coverage map for i believe KJXK and KQXT.
 
When Landry's was starting construction there was an emergency call to the stations to shut down so the weather service, (NWS), could remove the flood gage at the top of the tower!!!! :eek:

Delays were caused by KJXK not being able to run their transmitter when it came time to test. Caused 10 days delay and lots of $$ for travel & testing, which is being paid by KJXK.

BTW check out http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/9563580/c_9565533?f=TodayInFinance_Inside

Looks like the City might be running the TOA again :)

BD
 
Radio Hound said:
Are any of the stations broadcasting analog from the TOA at this time?
Click to expand...

Only one before was Softrock and it is off now, of course I guess BMP could broadcast jack in HD but guess they never will :mad:
 
No HD yet I doupt BMP will ever put jack on HD or KTFM was sad because KTSA sounded very good in HD. HD wont work unless everyone chips in!
 
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