• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WTC panorama showing RF antennae

Oh yes there was. A friend of mine has some Hi8 videomaterial shot on top of this tower.
You wouldn't believe the interference ;D
 
Wow. Unless that stuff is super low-powered, I can't belive they allowed people on the roof even. At a minimum, they should have allowed them to build a tower on that roof and put all the crap on it, far enough up to not bother anyone.
 
The panoramic photograph of the two World Trade Towers was taken on the Northeast corner of Tower Number 2 or the "south tower." The majority of the RF radiation came from the "north tower" or Tower Number 1. At the time this photo was taken, the only FM station (that had been broadcasting from the south tower) had been removed, That station on 103.5 and had gone by several sets of call letters including WAPP, WQHT and WYNY. It was broadcasting from a single bay ERI directional antenna making approximately 7 KW ERP. When it was decommissioned around the beginning of 1990 the antenna and it's RF shield below affectionately called "the bed spring" were removed and it began broadcasting from the Master FM antenna on the north tower. The only broadcasting antenna left on the south tower was the orange slotted UHF radiator (channel 68 - then broadcasting the Home Shopping Network) on the mast closest to the camera. All other antennas on the south tower were some 2-way and pager stuff and the Andrews microwave dishes seen in the background. All of this was in compliance with ANSI C95.1 - 1982.

The radiation situation on the roof of the north tower was different. There was no access by the public allowed. The tall mast on the north tower had many master antennas. VHF High Band, VHF Low Band and and FM. There were also individual UHF antennas. Before the Towers fell, there were efforts underway to install DTV antennas for the upcoming transition to DTV.

Workers who had access to the roof of the north tower were 2-way or pager techs and broadcast engineers. We had a relativly good appreciation of the RF hazards involved and did not spend much time on the north tower roof during the daytime. Most work was performed during overnight periods of RF shutdown. Anyone out there during the daytime for substantial periods of time often felt a little "dizzy" upon returning to the floors below.

RF safety regulations have become much more stringent in recent years. I doubt if the WTC Observation Deck would pass today's RF exposure limits without making changes to the radiation exposure levels that were in effect at the time this photograph was taken.
 
There's an adjacent panorama here that looks like it's from the SE corner of the South tower while the other one would be from the NE corner. The ENG system was one I installed for NYPD and the downward pointing microwave dish brought the signal to the roof of NYPD headquarters which was just past the edge of the WTC roof from that angle.
Also have been on the North towers to service broadcast ENG antennas numerous times yet now 10 years later reminiscing how it all disappeared one morning.
http://www.360cities.net/image/world-trade-center-twin-towers-in-new-york-city-by-mark-fink
 
the Days of FM walkmens, all there was on the dial was a bunch of "buzzing" I was always thinking I could get radio stations from 80-100 miles up there but not because of the RF or overload on the broadcast channels to the next all the splash. I was only 15 at the time. I always thought that all the NYC FM's were from the WTC. Now I understand the RF was caused more from at the time, was all the analog tv channels on my Panasonic walkmen.
 
I'm from a city north of Boston, and on one visit to NYC before 9/11/01, while my friends who were with me went to a show, I actually walked from mid-Manhattan where we were staying to the WTC Towers to observe the view (and also scope out theTV and FM antennas there). This was pre-the-internet so I didn't have the advantage of being able to learn which antenna was what. Even though it was the month of March, there was no breeze at street level, and only a slight wind at the level of the observation deck, so visitors were allowed on the roof. I never took any account of the RF level that day, or since then the RF level on the rooftop observation deck or restaurant atop the Prudential building in Boston. The million-watt UHF station there is now gone, but there are I believe eight FMs with about 20,000 watts ERP each atop the Pru in Boston. I haven't been to the top of the ESB in New York since then, but these days it must be a hornets' nest of FM and TV RF, especially the nearly million-watt UHFs.
 
Actually the UHF on the South Tower was W60AI. Channel 68 was on Empire way at the top of the mast. I believe they moved directly there from West Orange and were never at WTC.
 
I miss that city and that particular landmark. Those radical terrorists were like a dog and it's bone about those towers standing so tall. Wish I knew why they bothered them so. I'm not a religious man by any sort, but I dearly hope that if there is a God, he punished them severely. Brings tears to my eyes, every time I see photos of them still standing.
Keep America strong, and vigilant!
 
Their culture seems to believe that everyday is open season on 'infidels' and I've been quietly wondering why we can't have just one day per year with same. ;)
 
Yes luperm, you are right about the UHF antenna being for channel 60 instead of 68. I got that wrong but I think both channel 60 and 68 were owned by the same company. Was their chief engineer Al Saltzberg or something like that? Oh and regarding the icing video, did you know that the mast had steam heat? I remember seeing the steam lines from inside the building coming into the base of the mast that kept most of the interior of the white shrouded portions warm...
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom