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.

We welcome Yakima area listeners to Christian Family Radio!

On Thursday, February 19, at around 4pm, Christian Family Radio took to the air on 88.9 FM in Yakima.  A preliminary survey of coverage matched well with our predictions, providing decent in-car reception from Selah to Sunnyside.  Coverage in Yakima itself was better than expected, with a clear signal in most areas.

We had originally thought that simply testing the translator would meet the FCC requirement that it be returned to service by February 20, but learned from one of the attorneys working with us that it had to actually be on the air and broadcasting.  Thus, we worked with the current licensee (with whom we are trading translators) to install the receive system that put KOLU’s signal on the air on 88.9.

This deadline was brought about because the former Yakima translator was taken off the air on February 20, 2014, and FCC rules require that if a station is “dark” for more than 1 year, it’s license is revoked.

Praise the Lord we have reached this milestone and met the deadline!  There is still some work to do at the site, but most of this work is “behind the scenes”.  In addition, we also need the FCC to finalize it’s approval of the trade shortly.  We appreciate your support of this project and your continued prayers.

Praise the Lord, the transmitter and antenna for the Yakima translator have been installed and tested!

This critical step had to be completed prior to February 20, or the license for the translator would be cancelled by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission).  In a couple of days, the filing for the license will be complete, documenting the installation and “resetting” the cancellation date.

Because the FCC has not yet assigned the translator to Christian Family Radio, the installation was completed by the current licensee with whom we are trading our Badger Mountain translator.  We will reimburse them when the FCC completes the assignment, which we hope to see within the next couple of weeks.

We hope to be broadcasting into the Yakima and the Upper Valley very soon.  Please continue to keep this project in your prayers!

As you may have heard, we were announcing over the air on Friday that we would be operating KOLU at lower power while workers attached new cable to the tower.  This cable is necessary to handle the power of the soon-to-be upgraded KOLU.

When all arrived at the site at 8 AM, the tower and guy wires were covered with a heavy coating of ice (see picture).  A warming trend that was forecast did not happen as quickly as we expected it to, so the decision was made at 11 AM to delay the actual tower work.  Despite this, preparations were made to do the work, and we hope to be able to complete it on Friday, January 30.

Many thanks to Rob and his crew at RS Technology for their efforts to complete this project, and their patience in spite of less-than-perfect conditions.

Please pray that the weather remains warm enough to prevent icing and that winds are not strong this coming Friday.  Remember that our location is about 2000 feet above sea level, so weather “on the mountain” is often much different that it is in the Tri-Cities.