Just in time for the Labor Day Weekend, we wave goodbye to the tower crew that has been working on our tower for the past several weeks. The reviews on the signal are in via our text line powered by Smartphones PLUS!
“Great to have you back at full power!”
“…I’m so grateful for this news!”
“I am so happy you are back to full power!”
“So HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY to hear you coming in loud & clear now!”
“So glad you’re back! I was getting depressed!!”
Thank you for your patience during this ordeal. We had to replace our transmission line. I’ll let our Director of Engineering George Nicholas explain this picture.
“The piece you have there is the 4” transmission line we use on KOKZ. The inside pipe carries the actual signal, and the outside is the outer shield. Think of it as 1400-foot fire hose. The transmission line goes from the transmitter all the way up to the antenna at the top of the tower. Inside of the line, we pressurize with nitrogen or dehydrated air to absorb moisture that might develop because of temperature changes or condensation. The transmission line is attached to the tower every 4 or 5 feet, all the way up. Over time, and in the severe winds of the derecho, the line broke loose at a few locations and created small holes in the outer part of the feedline, where the pressure escaped and water was able to get in. That twist occurred at a point near the top of the tower, where the line completely broke the outer conductor and twisted the cable in the wind. At that point, you have to replace the line, there’s no repairing that amount of damage.”
In other words, this was a very complicated job! They took down the old line, and installed the new. Add to that the complications of weather, wind, and even extreme heat, and it’s been quite the project. Our thanks to George & Scotty, our local engineers, and the tower crew for putting up with our never ending questions. Are we there yet? Yes! Thank you for listening!
