We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.

Author Topic: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??  (Read 5019 times)

Offline staticlistener

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 106
  • south central PA
    • View Profile
Re: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??
« Reply #15 on: January 04, 2018, 1921 UTC »
Yea the story Allan told was that due to where they are and other factors no insurance company wants to even think about touching them. He also said that transmitter had just had a bunch of work done to it a few weeks prior to it deciding to have a complete meltdown to get it back up to good working condition (I think a lot of things up there are getting run down by the sounds of it). 7490 was the only frequency they have that was a full carrier AM, the others are reduced carrier SSB so they only need to make 50 kw PEP by fcc rules, not 50 kw of carrier for full AM SW stations. As far as I can tell from various websites with pictures of the transmitter site, they had the Gates MW-50 for 7490, then there was an old Collins of some sort in that same building with the Gates and also a TMC GPT-40, then in another building was another transmitter that appeared to be a hybrid of a TMC exciter with a Collins amp, then I believe I've heard on Allan's show that there was a third building that has the new Harris MW-50 for 3265 in it (this is a newer version of the transmitter that burned up). From some old info I found that Collins was the 9330 rig and the GPT-40 was used for their higher band service (17495?, 18910, 15420 I believe, possibly others) and the TMC/Collins was the 5130 rig, but then a recent episode of AWW he said that the 7490 transmitter building had the 5130 transmitter and the backup 7490 rig in it, so one of those (the Collins or the GPT-40) is 5130 and the other is now being run on 7490. Anyway, to make things even more interesting in the world of WBCQ, get a load of this:

http://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/0002/ampegon-installs-shortwave-array-antenna/340965

EDIT: Not to mention all of this is going on right around the time that they loose what was probably their biggest income source (brother stair).
Shelby Brant
Harrisonville, PA
Icom 718, EAC R-390A
60 ft. endfed wire

Offline Azimuth Coordinator

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 247
  • Listen for Us on 4185 Khz or 5185 Khz
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??
« Reply #16 on: January 05, 2018, 0001 UTC »
That Ampegon Antenna has to be in the $200 - $300K range   WBCQ will have some signal with that antenna array.  I wonder if it also comes with a combiner..
QTH: A Clandestine location on the East Coast
Watkins Johnson WJ-8716, WJ-8718A, WJ-8618B
Radio.Illuminati6150@Gmail.com

Offline ChrisSmolinski

  • Administrator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 31106
  • Westminster, MD USA
    • View Profile
    • Black Cat Systems
Re: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??
« Reply #17 on: January 05, 2018, 0020 UTC »
That Ampegon Antenna has to be in the $200 - $300K range   WBCQ will have some signal with that antenna array.  I wonder if it also comes with a combiner..

Did Allan win the lottery?  ;D
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline staticlistener

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 106
  • south central PA
    • View Profile
Re: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??
« Reply #18 on: January 05, 2018, 1456 UTC »
You know, now that I think about it, I find it kinda ironic that they would have such an advanced piece of antenna technology, but at the same time Allan is adamant about running only old transmitters after what happened to that MW-50. I imagine that array takes some hefty electric motors or something to rotate it, ought to be interesting up there seeing how the only power available onsite is single phase.  :o
Shelby Brant
Harrisonville, PA
Icom 718, EAC R-390A
60 ft. endfed wire

Offline ChrisSmolinski

  • Administrator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 31106
  • Westminster, MD USA
    • View Profile
    • Black Cat Systems
Re: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??
« Reply #19 on: January 05, 2018, 1850 UTC »
So what's going to happen first... WBCQ gets that antenna, or WMLK finally gets back on the air?  There's always the chance that neither happens  ;D
Chris Smolinski
Westminster, MD
eQSLs appreciated! csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com
netSDR / AFE822x / AirSpy HF+ / KiwiSDR / 900 ft Horz skyloop / 500 ft NE beverage / 250 ft V Beam / 58 ft T2FD / 120 ft T2FD / 400 ft south beverage / 43m, 20m, 10m  dipoles / Crossed Parallel Loop / Discone in a tree

Offline staticlistener

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 106
  • south central PA
    • View Profile
Re: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??
« Reply #20 on: January 05, 2018, 2013 UTC »
Don't know, but both of them have deals going with Ampegon it looks like...

http://ampegon.com/news/?id=91
Shelby Brant
Harrisonville, PA
Icom 718, EAC R-390A
60 ft. endfed wire

Offline KaySeeks

  • DX Legend
  • ******
  • Posts: 1246
  • Quebec. Vive la différence.
    • View Profile
Re: Anyone have a spare 50Kw SW Transmitter ??
« Reply #21 on: January 05, 2018, 2147 UTC »
That Ampegon Antenna has to be in the $200 - $300K range.

I suggest that it might cost more than $300K US.

$150k US might cover the labour cost of two engineers (one electrical and one mechanical) coming from Switzerland to install along with the labour of the team of construction crew and riggers who will actually pour the concrete, install the motors, assemble, put the thing up and ensure mechanical functionality. Maybe the riggers will come from Switzerland, maybe they won't.

Not covered by the above: any NRE, cost of shipment, cost of materials, cost of partial assembly in Switzerland, profit margin (which won't be less than 50%).
« Last Edit: January 05, 2018, 2301 UTC by KaySeeks »
Just somebody with a radio, a computer and a pair of headphones...

 

HFUnderground Mug
HFUnderground Mug
by MitchellTimeDesigns