The New Transmitter positioned in the building

We’ve achieved another milestone in the upgrade of KOLU to 39,000 watts.  The 20,000 watt transmitter is now in KOLU’s transmitter building on Beck Mountain.

Many thanks to Kennewick Transfer and Storage for doing the “heavy lifting” to move the transmitter from their storage to our transmitter site.

We still have lots more work in bringing the transmitter up to full operating conditions.  In addition to attaching AC power and reconnecting wiring between the two cabinets, we’ll need to make some minor repairs to damage that happened in transit.  None of the damage is significant, but repairs are still required.  In addition, we have obtained a used “load” that we will use to test the transmitter as we bring it up to full power, as well as any time the transmitter needs maintenance.  This load was purchased at a very low cost, but also requires repair.

Our present schedule will have us changing the cable that feeds this higher power to the antenna on Friday, January 23.  We will have to be off the air or at low power for a number of hours, so please bear with us.  We’ll keep our streamed signal at kolu.com running so you can listen on the Internet if you are able.

We also have to pour a concrete pad that will mount the air conditioning unit that is necessary to cool the transmitter with the much greater heat that it will put out.  After this is done, the unit will be installed before we can start broadcasting at the higher power.

In case you’re wondering how a 20,000 watt transmitter broadcasts at 39,000 watts of power, it has to do with what is called “antenna gain”.   Higher gain antennas direct more power toward the horizon, rather than off into space.  This gives an “equivalent power” (known in FCC terms as effective radiated power, or “ERP”) greater than the power of the transmitter.

Keep this project in your prayers.  We appreciate your support!