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Radio tower locations

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ramboy
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Radio tower locations

Post by ramboy » Fri May 21, 2021 7:08 pm

Good Afternoon, so I'm curious if anyone knows the location of Detroit radio station towers in the 1960's, this much I'm pretty certain,
92.3 top of Cadillac building
93.1 WJBK TV tower
94.7 (which was WHFI) Rankin Rd. Troy, then moved to current location built around 1975 Radio plaza
95.5 10 mile and greenfield
96.3 not sure, top of fisher building?
97.1 WDIV tv tower
97.9 Hamilton Blvd. Highland Park
98.7 Lyndon rd
99.5 ?
100.3 ?
101.1 WXYZ TV tower
101.9 ?
102.7 Gratiot 14 mile
103.5 I 96 Evergreen
104.3 Woodward Hts
105.1 ?
105.9 ?
106.7 Cadillac building
107.5 ?
really curious about 105.1 99.5 105.9, thanks



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Ben Zonia » Fri May 21, 2021 8:55 pm

Some of of the FM DAs (WDRQ, WDKL, WDMK) are on Greenfield South of 10 Mile, very near the WKQI tower.

Many ended up on the Radio Plaza antenna (WCSX, WDVD, WYCD, WMGC).

WNIC is on a tower about 1/3 of a mile South of the tower at 8009 Lyndon, after moving from there nearly 40 years ago. WDZH remains there.

WGPR remains on the Maccabees Building.


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Ben Zonia
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Ben Zonia » Fri May 21, 2021 9:18 pm

Although they were fully spaced under old FM rules, WDVD and WHNN, and WYCD and WUGN became very short spaced when the FCC required new B to C stations on first adjacents to be 135 miles apart circa 1962. They eventually all agreed to near full facilities with WDVD and WYCD at the Radio Plaza Tower. WDVD is 20 kW/240 meters, WYCD is 17.5 kW/240 meters. I suspect that they are diplexed.
Last edited by Ben Zonia on Fri May 21, 2021 9:31 pm, edited 3 times in total.


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ramboy
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by ramboy » Fri May 21, 2021 9:19 pm

Yes I know current location's, looking for location's in the 1960's



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Ben Zonia » Fri May 21, 2021 9:27 pm

This thread has the circa 1960 locations for many short spaced stations in Michigan and Toledo.

https://www.mibuzzboard.com/phpBB3/view ... 12&t=57593

The rest can be found on the History Cards. They can be overwhelming to make sense of, and many times nearly illegible.


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SolarMax
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by SolarMax » Fri May 21, 2021 10:16 pm

99.5 WABX was high atop the David Stott building while owned by Century Broadcasting.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Ben Zonia » Fri May 21, 2021 10:52 pm

From the other thread. 1960 Era Callsigns, Transmitter Locations, ERPs, HAATs. TLs were often verbal descriptions rather than coordinates in those days. From History Cards.

102.9 WOIA 10 155 (Brassow Rd.)
102.7 WBRB 80 165 (Pitko St.)
102.7 WBRB 17 400 (Pitko St.)
94.5 WCEN 16 240 (Mission Rd. US-27 Blue Grass Rd.)
94.5 WJBL 37 215 (Multiple Redescriptions, one is WJBL 1260 site, before moving to 10 kW 500 foot tower under new 73.213 rules)
94.9 WVIC 20 250 (Gunn Rd.)
95.1 WFBE 3.7 115 (Crapo St. FCHS)
96.1 WBCM 41 420 (Tuscola Rd.)
96.1 WHTC 2.9 90 (3rd St.)
96.1 WHTC 20 295 (3rd St.)
96.1 WHTC 41 295 (3rd St.)
95.7 WKLW 7.8 175 (Monroe NW)
96.3 WJR 24 480 (Grand Blvd. Fisher Building)
94.7 WHFI 20 220 (1095 Badder Rd. Troy)
99.5 WABX 36 450 (David Stott Bldg.)
97.9 WMZK 10 430 (Midland Highland Park)
98.1 WSAM 1.7 330 (Whittier)
99.7 WQDC 40 145 (M-20 Carter Rd.)


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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by k8jd » Sat May 22, 2021 12:28 pm

I know that in the early 60's, 100.3 may have been WKNR (WHMH) FM licensed to Dearborn and was actually on one of the 6 towers (The one closest to the transmitter house) at the AM transmitter site near I94 and Monroe st.
WABX was on top of the David Stott building downtown . (Hippie Radio :D )
I visited WHFI when they were in a "Quanset hut" in Troy, off 15 mile.



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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Deleted User 14896 » Sat May 22, 2021 12:49 pm

Has there ever been a FM stick on the side of WJR? I was pondering that the other day while I was driving by.
It seems in days gone by there was something on the north side of the tower.
It may of been the remote receive antenna before they built the second shorter tower.
And then it was no more once that went up.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat May 22, 2021 3:01 pm

Looking at the History Cards, WKNR-FM 100.3 moved to 8009 Lyndon St., licensed 9-15-66, after being on one of the WKNR 1310 towers. When they were on 1540, they were 1 kW nondirectional. When they moved to 1310, at first they were 1 kW nondirectional. I think then they went to 5 kW DA with 2 towers, 1 kW Night with 4 towers, then to 5 kW Night with 6 towers. Have to look at that History Card.

To my knowledge, there has never been an FM broadcast antenna on the WJR tower. They did have the Fisher Building to use for WJR-FM.


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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Deleted User 14896 » Sat May 22, 2021 3:23 pm

Ben Zonia wrote:
Sat May 22, 2021 3:01 pm
To my knowledge, there has never been an FM broadcast antenna on the WJR tower. They did have the Fisher Building to use for WJR-FM.
Thanks.



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Ben Zonia
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat May 22, 2021 10:43 pm

Original WKMH 1540 tower was 5 1/2 miles North near W. Warren and Evergreen in what is now Dearborn Heights. Near Hayden Ave. according to the History Card.


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Ben Zonia
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by Ben Zonia » Sun May 23, 2021 11:44 am

When WKMH-FM was licensed 2-2-51, it was 7.0 kW from 220 feet HAAT, from one of the WKMH AM towers. I believe that all six WKMH 1310 towers were there by that time. There were a flurry of changes between their sign on circa 1947 and 1950, going from 1 kW nondirectional on 1540, to the new site, 1 kW nondirectional on 1310, to 5 kW Day, 1 kW Night, DA-2, to 5 kW DA-2 on 1310. The TL is variously described as something like Detroit Expressway and Monroe St.

The old towers were 220 feet high. Later records show 7.1 kW from 190 feet. I suspect that the original license didn't take antenna mounting and actual terrain into account. The terrain could be flat, or slightly downhill, but it is unlikely for the tower height and HAAT to line up that closely.


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innate-in-you
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by innate-in-you » Fri Jun 04, 2021 1:19 pm

Ben Zonia wrote:
Sat May 22, 2021 3:01 pm
Looking at the History Cards, WKNR-FM 100.3 moved to 8009 Lyndon St., licensed 9-15-66, after being on one of the WKNR 1310 towers. When they were on 1540, they were 1 kW nondirectional. When they moved to 1310, at first they were 1 kW nondirectional. I think then they went to 5 kW DA with 2 towers, 1 kW Night with 4 towers, then to 5 kW Night with 6 towers. Have to look at that History Card.

To my knowledge, there has never been an FM broadcast antenna on the WJR tower. They did have the Fisher Building to use for WJR-FM.
It would not make sense for WJR to use the Sibley Road tower as the TL of WJR. They would still be relegated to Class B limits, and although most of the Detroit area would have a decent signal, its signal would not be competitive in northern Livingston, Oakland and Macomb counties where the money is.

BTW- I Work on Lyndon.
Of note, there is still a faint call sign painted on the 8009 chimney, WBFG.



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ZenithCKLW
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Re: Radio tower locations

Post by ZenithCKLW » Fri Jun 04, 2021 1:35 pm

Ben Zonia wrote:
Sat May 22, 2021 3:01 pm
Looking at the History Cards, WKNR-FM 100.3 moved to 8009 Lyndon St., licensed 9-15-66, after being on one of the WKNR 1310 towers. When they were on 1540, they were 1 kW nondirectional. When they moved to 1310, at first they were 1 kW nondirectional. I think then they went to 5 kW DA with 2 towers, 1 kW Night with 4 towers, then to 5 kW Night with 6 towers. Have to look at that History Card.
So if I understand properly, WKNR-FM moved to the "short" self-supporting tower at 8009 Lyndon, that is next to the building that says 98.7 on the wall, and the faded WBFG calls on the chimney. Then they moved to the much larger tower nearby off Turner St, near Schoolcraft. Exactly when did 100.3 FM move to the taller tower? Some real estate research I found suggested 1985.

According to the History Cards, it seems like that tower at 8009 broadcast a handful of FM and TV stations at some point: 98.7, 100.3, channel 2, channel 50. Are there any others I'm missing?



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