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Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
SixPlusOne
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Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 10:03 am

Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by SixPlusOne » Sat Mar 06, 2021 8:18 pm

Last February I posted a couple of videos of Television Station Antenna Swaps. One was at WKBD-TV and the other was on the tower at 8 Mile & Myers. Yesterday by accident I stumbled on another and I only post it because it also is in the Detroit Market. It is the swap of the antenna at WADL. I wouldn't have known this except for the fact that you can see their call letters on the roof of their studio during part of this video. The camera gets slightly bumped out of its original position at 9:33 as the worker bumps his head on something and changes the camera angle. So how would you like to do this kind of work.

WADL - Helicopter lift of TV Antenna


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzlY49JIAn0



SixPlusOne
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Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by SixPlusOne » Sat Mar 06, 2021 9:13 pm

In case you didn't see the swap at WKBD last year here it is. The second video is a reporter going up ALONGSIDE 50's tower in an Eye on Detroit report. Third video is from tower at 8 Mile & Myers shown last year as well.

WKBD New Antenna Up


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFbfYB5iHPc


Eye On Detroit - WKBD Tower Climb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoz-3kjqJ0s


Located Antenna Removal From 8 Mile & Myers Tower

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxcSMW4SkeM



innate-in-you
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Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by innate-in-you » Wed Mar 10, 2021 2:55 pm

I'm wondering if WADL could have changed its TL as well. By being about 20 miles ENE of most of the other TV transmitters in the market, it meant/means that the antennas for all of the other stations in the area would be aimed at Southfield.

Some viewers will likely have trouble seeing WADL with it's signal in a different direction, particularly multipath interference.

Few people would bother to have a rotator installed, let alone get off their keisters to turn their antennas to WADL.

It may have been possible for WADL to move closer to Southfield, providing they could have put a null to the West.



SoutheastMIViewer
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Location: The Hills

Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by SoutheastMIViewer » Thu Mar 11, 2021 11:13 am

Pretty neat. Thanks for sharing the videos.


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moldyoldie
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Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by moldyoldie » Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:00 am

Damn! :eek "DON'T DROP THAT WRENCH!"

What was that piece of loose grating supported by? It looked as if it was just leaning on the edge!


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paul8539
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Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by paul8539 » Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:10 pm

Mt. Clemens is the city of licensee of WADL, not Detroit as it is for the other stations in the area. So the transmitter is in the Mt. Clemens area.

Also, if the Southfield area gets hit by a bad storm, power outage, or something else nasty, WADL would still be on the air because of the distance away from the disaster area. This would be of good use in emergency situations.



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WOHO
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Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by WOHO » Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:46 pm

9/11 proved that "all you eggs in one basket" disaster can happen. IIRC, ONLY ONE NYC station had their TV / FM readily available from the Empire State Building (maybe CBS?) while everybody else in town had their towers diplexed to hell and back on the top of the late World Trade Center.
And as you've noticed since 2001 a whole lot more FM stations finally invested in a backup transmitter/antenna, whereas AM stations usually always had a backup transmitter ready to roll, but, not necessarily a backup tower.



km1125
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Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by km1125 » Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:15 pm

paul8539 wrote:
Tue Mar 23, 2021 4:10 pm
Mt. Clemens is the city of licensee of WADL, not Detroit as it is for the other stations in the area. So the transmitter is in the Mt. Clemens area.

Also, if the Southfield area gets hit by a bad storm, power outage, or something else nasty, WADL would still be on the air because of the distance away from the disaster area. This would be of good use in emergency situations.
Wonder how that works. With their tower South of 15 Mile, they're not in Mt Clemens either. Maybe they have a business office or studio up there?

I wonder if all/any of these stations can stay on the air with a standby generator. I don't think I had an antenna up back in 2003 or I don't remember trying to hook one up, but I might have. Of course that outage would have taken out WADL as well.



SixPlusOne
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Re: Discovered Another Antenna Swap Video - WADL-TV

Post by SixPlusOne » Wed Mar 24, 2021 1:39 pm

km1125 wrote:
Tue Mar 23, 2021 7:15 pm
I wonder if all/any of these stations can stay on the air with a standby generator.
I was still working at 7 when the tree branch struck a line in Ohio several years back and knocked out power significantly in Michigan. We could stay on the air with our generator. We could run the lights in the studio however I remember very hot control rooms. Each of us TD's would switch for about 30 minutes and then another would take over because of the heat. Air conditioning is the back breaker.



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