KFTS-DT Tower Project Completed
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On October 31, 2005, exactly two years after first DTV sign on, KFTS-DT is on the air running with its DTV antenna mounted atop a new 120 foot tower. This installation completes a 3 year project in providing Klamath Falls and the entire central Southern Oregon area with PBS HDTV and SOPTV simulcast programming. We have documented the somewhat difficult process with some pictures below.
Specifications:
- KFTS-DT transmitter power = 1000 watts average.
- Antenna gain = 11 Db
- Effective radiated power = 10,700 watts
- Pattern = Omnidirectonal
Special Thanks
We would like to thank New Northwest Broadcasters KLAD and KFLS FM radio for their patience and forbearance with this project. KFLS had to go off the air for several days total to allow for moving their antenna to the new tower and KLAD had to operate a very low power for many days to accommodate tower crews. Similarly, Fox Television in Medford had to suffer some down time and reduced power to facilitate their antenna move as well.
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Slide 1
- Old Rohn tower with KFLS antenna coming down. This tower will be replaced with a considerably stronger new tower and guy wires capable of holding the new DTV transmitting antenna.
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Slide 2
- Old Rohn tower down and disassembled. Parts will be reused as a "gin pole" to facilitate construction of the new tower.
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Slide 3
- Excavating for guy-wire anchors. Old anchors are dug up and replaced with new larger ones.
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Slide 4
- New anchor poured and curing in the hot Stukel sun.
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Slide 5
- First portion of new tower arrives on site. All materials had to be towed up behind a 4-wheel-drive pickup in pieces because the access road is very steep.
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Slide 6
- First section of new tower being erected.
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Slide 7
- New DTV antenna arrives on site. This is a special German-designed and built wide-band antenna which will accommodate 4 broadcasts, channel 22 (KFLS), channel 29 (KDKF), channel 31 (KDKF-DT), and channel 33 (KFTS-DT).
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Slide 8
- Tower sections going up.
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Slide 9
- Very heavy antenna mounting plate being hoisted to tower top.
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Slide 10
- Finally, the DTV antenna itself is being hoisted.
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Slide 11
- DTV antenna mounted on top. It's the left tower with the orange cylinder on top.
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Slide 12
- Vic Dailey with just-finished connector on transmission line (big coax) ready to hoist to tower top and join the antenna to the DTV transmitter.
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