KOLU’s new transmitter has passed it’s final test, which means we will be applying for our license to operate at 39,000 watts as soon as we receive the test report.

Testing of “Radio Frequency Radiation”, or “RFR”, was required by the Construction Permit authorizing us to increase power.  This was due to concerns by the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) that people near the tower could be subject to levels of radio signals that exceed standards that have been set for safety.

We appreciate the work of James Boyd of Boyd Broadcast Technical Services, who drove up from Portland to conduct the tests.  Tuesday morning we placed the transmitter on the air at 39,000 watts and James conducted measurements near our tower and was able to confirm that the signals were within safe levels.  James will send us a report this week that will be part of our license application.  After a short review of the report, the FCC will authorize us to begin “Program Testing”, which simply means we can start broadcasting at nearly 10 times the power!

We’re hoping to have the application in to the FCC by Monday, June 1, with approval later in the week.

Once again, our heartfelt thanks to all our listeners for your prayers and financial support of this major project.  We all are about to enjoy the fruits of those efforts!

On Thursday, May 7, we successfully tested KOLU at 39,000 watts! The test started around 3pm and the transmitter ran flawlessly until we returned to our current 4,100 watts at around 7pm. A couple of quick drives around town and to nearby areas confirmed the increase in signal with less “drop outs”. Fringe area listeners reported a much stronger signal as well.

This test is part of our required “equipment testing” to insure that all is working well before placing the transmitter on the air. We are required by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to have a measurement made of the strength of our signal on the ground near the antenna before we can apply for the license that authorizes us to broadcast at 39,000 watts. We are scheduling this test and expect to have it completed and receive the report within a couple of weeks.

In the meantime we have lots of work remaining to prepare the transmitter for full-time duty. Our remote control system needs to be set up to monitor the “health” of the transmitter and give us the ability to control it from our studio and other locations. We also want it to turn off automatically if something is wrong well before major repairs would be required. A robust grounding system that will protect the transmitter and other equipment during thunderstorms is being finished. We have a list of fixes and improvements for our used transmitter to make it as reliable as possible, and will try to have them completed before going on the air.

Once again, your prayers and financial support are a very important part of this project, and we are praising the Lord for each success. Our heart is to see Christian Family Radio used to bring glory to the Lord!

We have crossed another milestone in the upgrade of KOLU to 39,000 watts.  The 20,000 watt transmitter has been tested at full power and is working well!

Along the way, we have installed a wire tray that will carry wiring that sends signals to control and monitor the transmitter.  Although we had completed re-wiring of the high voltage section, we weren’t entirely satisfied since some wire was brittle and there was many wires that had extra length, so we dove back into it and “cleaned up” that wiring.

The transmitter came up well although there were a couple of “hitches” along the way.  Some was due to our unfamiliarity with the control system and a couple of indicator lights that were burnt out.  Together with a wiring error in the smaller “driver” tube circuit, we had a couple of challenges yet all was figured out and fixed.  The transmitter engineer that is helping us commented that this used transmitter is in excellent condition, with only a few minor problems that we have easily corrected.

As of this writing, the transmitter is still tuned to the frequency of its former owners.  All power that the transmitter generated was directed into our “dummy load”, making for a lot of heat in the building!

Our next step in the upgrade will be to tune the transmitter to 90.1 MHz.  After this, we will run full power through the antenna for a couple of hours to make sure all is well.  This is what the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) describes as “equipment testing”, which we are authorized to do.  We are not authorized to leave it on the air, as testing for safety from strong radio frequency fields must be done before we can apply for the license that will authorize us to transmit at the higher power.

We will schedule the testing shortly.  While this is being arranged, we will complete the wiring to remotely control and monitor the transmitter.  The completion of the test report and an electronically-filed application for license will allow us to immediately broadcast at 39,000 watts, which is known as “program testing”.

In case you are wondering how a 20,000 watt transmitter produces 39,000 watts in coverage, it has to do with what is known as “antenna gain”.  Our antenna has a gain of about 2, which enables us to “multiply” our power compared to an antenna without as much gain.

Praise the Lord, we believe we are a few short weeks from broadcasting on KOLU at 39,000 watts!

 

As we continue to work on upgrading KOLU’s power to 39,000 watts, we now have electrical power connected.  We have also re-connected the wiring inside the transmitter in preparation for initial testing.

Several listeners have wondered why it is taking so long to complete this upgrade.  There are several reasons for this, the first being that we are optimists!  In order to save a huge amount of costs (literally over $100,000), we have been searching for used material that will do the job.  The biggest item (both by cost and weight!) is our “new” transmitter, a 1995 model that did nearly 20 years of continuous service in Iowa.  Bringing used equipment and material back to operating condition is a much greater challenge and takes time, and sometimes progress is halted while necessary parts are found.

We have many volunteers working on this project and others that are working for very low rates.  Jobs and businesses must be attended to, so we have to wait for them to have time.  But, of course, we really appreciate the sacrificial giving of their “spare time”!  This is the highest powered transmitter that I have ever installed, and we are taking our time as we learn while we repair and rebuild.

We are confident in bringing this project to a fruitful close.  God has brought many into this project that have excellent skills and experience in dealing with exactly the equipment and needs we have.  Our transmitter engineer has over 40 years of experience working with this type of transmitter.  Our electrician runs a very productive industrial electrical contracting business.  Many others are lending their extensive experience to this upgrade.

We are now getting very close to seeing KOLU’s power raised to 39,000 watts in the coming weeks!  Stay tuned…

In late March, Christian Family Radio Staff visited our new Yakima translator site to replace a temporary support on the receive antenna and to set up Internet access for the equipment installed there.  Although it took a bit longer than we planned (these kinds of things seem to happen that way!), we were able to replace the “stiff arm” that keeps the antenna from turning sideways in strong winds.  This stiff arm is made of fiberglass to prevent it from interfering with the operation of the antenna.

Of course, the receive antenna is a vital part of the system that takes a very small signal from KOLU, over 66 miles away, and sends it to the receiver so that we can have a clear signal to broadcast.

The difficulty came in working over 40 feet off the ground and reaching where the stiff arm connects to the base of the antenna.  The antenna had to be “swung” sideways to be able to work on it, which meant the translator was off the air while this was being done.

Once it was connected to the base of the antenna, the rest of the work went quickly and we were back on the air.  Since then, there have been several windstorms in the area, but the antenna continues to point the right direction, giving a clear signal to our Yakima and Upper Valley listeners.

It took another visit and the installation of a different piece of equipment than originally planned, but we now are able to access both the receiver and transmitter parts of the translator remotely.  This enables us to check up on the translator without making the long drive to the site, and will help us to keep the translator on the air as much as possible.

Thank you for your prayers and faithful support that has enabled us to extend the ministry of Christian Family Radio into the Yakima area.

We’re pleased to announce that we’ve updated our window stickers to make them more readable and we also have fresh program logs containing the latest program schedule, how to contact the program producers and other information about Christian Family Radio.

Program logs and window stickers are free to our listeners.  Stickers are available for our main KOLU transmitter at 90.1 FM (Tri-Cities, Hermiston and outlying areas) and 88.9 (Yakima and the Upper Valley).  You may receive yours by contacting us and letting us know how many of each you’d like (feel free to pass them out!).  You can contact us through information on our Contact page.  Don’t use the comment section below, though, unless you want your information posted for all to see!

The new 5-ton air conditioning unit that is vital to keep our 20,000 watt transmitter cool has been moved into place at KOLU’s transmitter site.

This unit is a packaged system, which requires no space inside our building.  This is important, as our once-roomy transmitter building is becoming full with a large 2-cabinet transmitter, a couple of equipment racks, along with space necessary to keep clear of electrical panels and disconnects.

Also, we met with the highly experienced engineer that is assisting us in assembling and testing the transmitter.  Tasks necessary to complete work on the transmitter were reviewed.  The good news is that the transmitter is in excellent condition, and we only need a few additional parts to begin this phase of the work.

Our electrician will be wiring the air conditioner unit and the transmitter shortly.  After this is done, holes will be cut into the building for duct work, then final work on the air conditioner will be completed.  Along with this we will begin testing the transmitter.

It’s exciting to see this project nearing completion.  Please keep this work, along with the safety of all those that are helping us, in your prayers.

We are pleased to announce that we’ve moved our children’s programming to earlier time slots to provide these stories and teaching programs at times that would be more convenient for this special audience.

This was only done after much thought and input from our listeners.  During the week, children’s programming used to start at 4pm and was in a one-hour block.  When we started airing Adventures in Odyssey, it was simply added after the other programs, putting it into a time when listeners were commuting and preparing for their evening.  By moving these programs up to 3:30, they are airing in the “after school” time block.  And, placing them back-to-back, they are finished before 5pm.

Saturday programming also began later in the morning, at 9:30.  Most children are up well before this time, and families are starting their Saturday activities well ahead of the noon time that the programs ended.  We now start the airing of the programs at 8am, and finish them before 10:30.  Of course, Bible Quiz will continue to air during this time, so be sure the kids (12 and under) listen carefully to win a Walmart gift card!

In making these changes, a couple of other programs were affected.  Here’s a list of the changes:

Monday through Friday

Story Time moved from 4:03 to 3:31pm
Adventures-Bookshelf moved from 4:18 to 3:46pm
Stories of Great Christians moved from 4:33 to 4:01pm
Keys for Kids moved from 4:48 to 4:16pm
Answers with Ken Ham moved from 4:53 to 4:21pm
SRN News moved out of the time slot (airing at 3 and 5pm)
Adventures in Odyssey moved from 5:03pm to 4:22pm

Saturday

The Gospel Hour moved out of the time slot from 9:05 to 6:31am
SRN News moved out of the time slot, airing at 8am, then at 11am
(Note that program times for children’s programs are approximate, depending on when Bible Quiz airs)
Adventures of Patch the Pirate moved from 9:35 to 8:03am
Storybook Room moved from 9:50 to 8:18am
Verse of the Week moved from 10:05 to 8:34 and 9:56am.  Verse of the Week will no longer play in the afternoons.
Adventures in Odyssey moved from 10:31 to 9:00am.  This program still airs in the evening at 8:03pm
Ranger Bill moved from 11:00 to 9:26am
Fables of Faith moved from 11:31 to 10:06am

Unrelated to the children’s program schedule, we also moved Bible Tract Echoes from 4:31am to 1:18pm to reach a wider audience.

We are happy to have completed the next major step in the upgrade of KOLU to 39,000 watts.  The larger “feed line”, which carries KOLU’s signal from the transmitter to the antenna, is now installed.  This new feed line is rated to handle much more than the nearly 20,000 watts of transmitter power that will be running through it.

Work was completed Friday, February 27.  It took a bit longer than we anticipated as we dealt with winds and having to work around some of the things mounted on the tower.

We now turn our attention indoors, where the large transmitter is waiting to be connected, checked out and tested.  There are some parts we need to hook things up, and most of these have been located as used parts that will save us thousands of dollars.

A concrete slab was poured outside for our new 5-ton air conditioner that will keep the transmitter running cool.  This air conditioner should be installed within a few weeks.

We are so thankful for your prayers and support of this project, and patience as we have to disrupt our regular broadcast signal while work like this is performed.   Of course, we are all looking forward to the day in the coming weeks when we will be broadcasting at 39,000 watts from Beck Mountain!

We are pleased to announce that the tower work to prepare KOLU for our 39,000 watt upgrade has been rescheduled for Friday, February 27.  During this time, KOLU will be unable to broadcast at our present 4,100 watts, since the work involves the replacement of the cable that feeds signal to the antenna.  Instead, we will use our 100 watt backup transmitter, which serves primarily the Tri-Cities and Hermiston.  Our translators in Yakima and Prosser will automatically shut off during this time, since the signal will not reach them.  We will also need to be off the air for brief periods of time while climbers are near our backup antenna.  We expect to operate at low power from approximately 9:30AM for about 4 hours on Friday, February 27.  Also note that we will continue to stream on the internet at kolu.com.  Thank you for your patience and understanding as we progress toward upgrading KOLU to 39,000 watts in the coming weeks.