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March 26, 2024 12:45 pm  #151


Re: New CHCH tower...

markow202 wrote:

This wavestack antenna was used up until the digital conversion for Channel 11?

No, it was used as the primary antenna from sign on in 1954 until it was replaced with the much taller guyed tower in the early 60s. It was probably used as a standby facility only until the introduction of colour broadcasting on CHCH in 1968. 

As mentioned before, it also supported the standby antennas for CKDS FM, while the main FM array was on the taller guyed tower.
 

 

March 27, 2024 2:43 pm  #152


Re: New CHCH tower...

Skywave wrote:

darcyh wrote:

If I understand correctly, when CHCH initially aired, they transmitted from the Wavestack antenna which was essentially mounted on the ground. The height of the antenna was only that of the height of the hill above average terrain. Would this not have severely limited the station's range?

No, the antenna was more than 500 feet above ground.  If you look at the advertisement, I think it says 565 feet.  The beauty of the Wavestack design is that you could have 500 feet of steel pipe acting as a circular waveguide, and the slotted radiating portion at the top would occupy (on the high channels) 30 to 60 feet.  CFQC-TV in Saskatoon had a 600 foot high pipe with a Wavestack on top.  It was dismantled around 1990, and the antenna remounted on top of a 600 foot LeBlanc tower.

That's the antenna I was referring to earlier which I had seen as a kid. I remember seeing its bright strobe light while going up Highway 20, it was close to the large tower just taken down. Do you or anyone have any pictures of it at its orignal height?
 

Last edited by CN_Brendan (March 27, 2024 2:45 pm)