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Cheshire County DX ARC

WEKW - Tower

Keene, NH 

Home of 443.800, 147.03, 53.73 & 147.405-SWNH

During the month of April, 2003, New Hampshire Public Television began replacing their 500' tower with a brand new one in order to get ready to begin broadcasting HDTV in the Keene area.  Winter weather delayed the project by several weeks, not only because of the actual snow - yes, snow - but the following mud season which hampered access to the site for the heavy equipment.

Below are several pictures of the new tower construction.  Keep checking back as progress continues, more pictures will appear.

Comments?  Questions?  to:  Joel - WA1ZYX

Original 1968 500 foot Tower

The Main Entrance Gate   New Tower Still on the Trailer  Looking Down the North Guy Path  North Side of the Complex  

WEKW New Tower   WEKW New Tower  WEKW Next Section Bases of both towers  Base of New Tower  Sections of Tower  

WEKW West Guy Path  Paul - K1WO hard at work  New Digital Microwave Receivers  Repeater Room - NHPR's Transmitter  443.800 (l) 147.03 (r) 

The very next day, Friday, April 25, 2003, the new tower makes it's first appearance above the tree line as seen from the County Rd in Walpole, NH.

First Appearance of New Tower above the Tree line

Monday, April 28, 2003, the new tower grows some more.  Now at about 135 feet as seen from the County Rd.

New Tower Above Tree Line - About 135 Feet  New Tower at about 135 Feet  New Tower at about 135 Feet and Upper Half of Old Tower  New Tower and Gin Pole  Top StationMaster on Right Leg is WA1ZYX/R 443.800 - Keene 

Tuesday, April 29, 2003, the new tower grows some more.  Now at just under 250 feet as seen from the County Rd.

New Tower just under 250 feet

Wednesday, April 30, 2003, the new tower grows some more.  Now at just about 260 feet as seen from the County Rd.

    New Tower at about 260 Feet

Wednesday, May 07, 2003, the new tower grows some more.  Now at just about 350 feet as seen from the County Rd.  This picture was taken around 5pm, and if you notice at the very top of the gin pole on the new tower, and to the left and down a little are a couple of "masses"?  Those are a couple of the tower crew still working up there.

New Tower at about 350 Feet

Tuesday, May 13, 2003, the new tower is complete!  The gin pole is still attached at the top waiting to raise the new DTV/Analog combination antenna.  This photo was taken from the same place along the County Rd.

New WEKW Tower, stands complete waiting for Antennas

The new tower complete with the new antenna and feedline.  The beacons still remain to be installed as well as the complete transfer of antennas.  Also, the gin pole is still on the new tower near the top.

towers1.JPG (38797 bytes)   towers2.JPG (38916 bytes)   towertops1.JPG (38710 bytes)   towertops2.JPG (38737 bytes)

Miscellaneous pictures of the site and rigging.

Roadway leading to site needed some fill during mud season.   Nudd tower company from NY   Local Police patrolling the site   Winch trailer   Trees the winch trailer are secured to   Winch Trailer   Tow lines from winch trailer to bottom of tower   Pulleys at base of new tower heading up to Gin Pole   Pulleys at base of new tower heading up to Gin Pole   front view to both tower bases   New LED Beacons - Each Beacon contains 648 LEDs   Tag on base of New Beacon   New Cable Bridge   Feedlines from Old Tower   Reels of New Heliax   Cable Bridge sections and a spool of Guy Line 

Close up of the Gin Pole near the bottom of the new tower, plus pictures of the new CH-49 DTV Transmitter, Combiner, Antenna Switching and Cooling System.

Gin Pole at Base of New Tower   New Solid State DTV Transmitter   DTV Combiner   Antenna Switching   DTV Transmitter Cooling System  DTV Transmitter CH49 On The Air  Top of Old Tower  Top of New Tower  Midway of New Tower  Both Towers

As of the very end of August, 2003, the very last pictures of the WEKW CH-52 tower, which stood so proudly since 1968 are taken.  The tower now has been completely stripped of all feedlines and antennas and awaits disassembly.

Final View of tower, stripped and ready to be taken down  Looking Up both towers. Old one on right stripped of antennas  Looking Up, Old tower on left.  

The old tower is rigged with the Gin Pole and getting ready to have the old TV antenna removed.  Also a few pictures of some of the antennas lying on the ground and the drip loops of some of the cables coming down the new tower.

Gin Pole on old Tower  Gin Pole on Old Tower  Gin Pole on Old Tower 

Old WKNE antenna  Antennas that aren't going back up  Drip Loops at bottom of New Tower  New SWNH Feedline awaiting termination  147.03 Repeater StationMaster on New Tower  SWNH Antenna on New Tower 

Beginning of September shows the old antenna has been removed and then the same view from County Rd showing the old tower beginning to shrink.

Old Antenns has been removed  Top Section gone. Tower beginning to get smaller 

 

September 6, 2003 - Taken from Crehore Rd in Walpole.

 

September 7, 8 and 9th, 2003 the old tower continues to get shorter.  More pictures taken from County Rd.

    

September 7, picture taken from Crehore Rd showing tower getting smaller.

   

September 8, taken from County Rd about 5:30pm. 

  

September 8, taken from Crehore Rd

    

Tower crew removing tower section - about 25 feet at a time.  Notice worker on the TOP of the gin pole.

        

Tower section about 100 feet up, and then finally on the ground.

        

September 22, 2003 - The last few sections of the tower are all loaded on the tracker trailer ready for final removal.

Old Tower on Tracktor Trailer

And Finally, the old base.  All that remains of where the old tower was.

Old Tower Base

 

 


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Tuesday, September 23, 2003