The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » CN Tower Master FM Antenna

Skywave · February 8, 2024 5:09 pm

The first of many applications to be approved for parameter modifications resulting from the new Master FM antenna:

Broadcasting Applications Report (crtc.gc.ca)

The new antenna is being built in the aperture vacated by CBLT-TV, the now defunct Channel 5. The centre of radiation is higher, resulting in an increase in the EHHAT (effective height above average terrain) from 420.5 metres to 449.3. Because most Class C1 stations are operating at maximum parameters for their corresponding EHAAT (40 kW for most), a reduction in ERP is required to maintain equivalence in the contours.
CHFI-FM was grandfathered at super power parameters 44 kW (because it was 210 kW when transmitting from the CFTO-TV Agincourt tower), so it must reduce ERP to 39.81 kW. The 40 kW stations will be correspondingly lower (approximately 36 kW).
HD transmissions will now be feasible for those stations that so wish.

markow202 · February 8, 2024 6:10 pm

Oh wow its happening and by May 2024 the document I believe said it is to be complete and has been worked on since 2020? This must be quite the feat. Are they bringing equipment up thru the skypod and up the ladder?

Last edited by markow202 (February 8, 2024 6:52 pm)

paterson1 · February 10, 2024 4:10 pm

The CRTC approved the technical adjustments for CHFI, JAZZ FM and BOOM. More from RadioWest and Dan Sys..https://radiowest.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?p=12867921#p12867921

Saul · February 11, 2024 12:15 am

Curious, as a DXer, if this will involve any planned shutdowns while work is going on?

markow202 · February 12, 2024 11:04 am

Saul wrote:
Curious, as a DXer, if this will involve any planned shutdowns while work is going on?

Possibly or not, as I imagine they will setup the new one and just do a switch over but then again I dont know about testing.

markow202 · February 22, 2024 1:59 pm

Any updates with how this is going? I believe its going to be up and running in May 2024.

RadioActive · February 25, 2024 3:05 pm

An ad from 1976 touting the new capabilities of the CN Tower from The Toronto Group of FM Broadcasters:

turkeytop · February 25, 2024 7:41 pm

Back when broadcasting from the CN Tower first began, I was living up on the Bruce Peninsula. Reception from Toronto stations was irregular and unreliable. After they went up on the tower, reception from Toronto became even more challenging.

RadioActive · February 25, 2024 8:44 pm

It's funny how you don't remember stuff like this, but back in 1973, before the CN Tower was even a reality, CFTO wanted to get on the structure - not just to improve reception here, but to be seen in Buffalo! (Well, really the Niagara Region, but it was pretty much the same in that area.)

mace · February 26, 2024 9:11 am

RadioActive wrote:
It's funny how you don't remember stuff like this, but back in 1973, before the CN Tower was even a reality, CFTO wanted to get on the structure - not just to improve reception here, but to be seen in Buffalo! (Well, really the Niagara Region, but it was pretty much the same in that area.)

The Buffalo stations only had 37% viewership in the GTA in 1973? Perhaps over a 24 hour period. But in those wonderful pre-simsub days, primetime viewing of 2, 4 and 7 would have been well over 50%.

paterson1 · February 26, 2024 11:07 am

Not sure about 2,4,and 7 having well over 50% of the GTA in prime time. The Canadian networks often would run the US shows before the Buffalo stations and had much of the audience first for various shows. If you had a regular anntenna depending on where you lived in the GTA, Buffalo stations didn't always come in clear. In our case we lived in north Etobicoke and Buffalo TV was often interfered with by large vehicles like trucks and even air travel from the airport nearby.

I remember we would always watch Ed Sullivan and Bonanza on CBC because it's signal was clearer and less interference than either channel 4 or channel 2.

You are right that Bassett was likely referring over the broadcast day, and CFTO and the other Canadian stations would be strong especially during the evening and late news.

mace · February 27, 2024 7:44 am

paterson1 wrote:
Not sure about 2,4,and 7 having well over 50% of the GTA in prime time. The Canadian networks often would run the US shows before the Buffalo stations and had much of the audience first for various shows. If you had a regular anntenna depending on where you lived in the GTA, Buffalo stations didn't always come in clear. In our case we lived in north Etobicoke and Buffalo TV was often interfered with by large vehicles like trucks and even air travel from the airport nearby.

I remember we would always watch Ed Sullivan and Bonanza on CBC because it's signal was clearer and less interference than either channel 4 or channel 2
You are right that Bassett was likely referring over the broadcast day, and CFTO and the other Canadian stations would be strong especially during the evening and late news.

You could be right P1. I had a cousin that lived in Willowdale. His family was under a flight path to Pearson airport. Whenever a plane flew over, which seemed to be several times per hour, the picture would flicker on the Buffalo channels. Growing up in Oakville, the only interference we received on 2, 4 and 7 was lightning from approaching thunderstorms.

RadioActive · February 27, 2024 8:18 am

When I was a kid, we lived in a great reception location in the Bathurst and Lawrence area. I did some amazing DXing with the rotor on my parents' antenna tower. The only thing that ruined it came in Sept. 1972, the month CBLT switched from Channel 6 to 5, and the signal strength and proximity almost obliterated what was then WBEN on Channel 4.

My father was able to find a gadget he called "a trap," which could be adjusted to minimize the interference. But Channel 4 was never quite the same after that.

markow202 · March 21, 2024 3:12 pm

Grundy Telcom Integration Inc. on LinkedIn: The new antenna which will replace the more than 40 year old system at…

markow202 · March 21, 2024 3:20 pm

Grundy Telcom Integration Inc. on LinkedIn: #fm #tower

Glen Warren · March 21, 2024 6:02 pm

It has been a busy year for Grundy... The new CHCH Tower project commenced around this time last year, then they were onto Stoney Creek to start on the decommissioning of the tower there.

And now the Master FM project... High heights, and tight spaces!

Chrisphen · March 21, 2024 7:52 pm

Probable quotes from the company's foremen:
"Measure twice! Then cut once! Your mother taught me that!"
"You call that a weld? I'll show you a weld!"

markow202 · April 23, 2024 12:57 pm

[url=https://www.linkedin.com/posts/grundy-telcom-integration-inc_nabshow-fm-activity-7184348937791713281-CcXN]Grundy Telcom Integration Inc. on LinkedIn: #nabshow #fm

Slowly getting there! [/url]