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Tour of WLW AM transmitter site in 1997. Video and narration by Jim Hawkins – WA2WHV Chief Engineer: Paul Jellison There were four operational 50 KW transmitters at this site at the time. The remains of the 500KW transmitter are shown. The site has been cleaned up and updated since 1997. More detailed information can be seen on my radio website at: www.j-hawkins.com/radio click on WLW. Other sites are also featured. Enjoy, Jim Hawkins – WA2WHV
December 15, 2009 at 6:20 am
Apparently today’s engineers and technicians, are afraid or unaware of the science of the tubes, but it is certainly the best, but many would bother, thanks friend for the video again as this by the United States, I would visit the station WLW.
Thanks
December 15, 2009 at 7:02 am
Hi thanks for the video, I’m loving the tubes, much like to have lived in the time it was operating the 500-kw transmitter so you can see in action, I feel sorry to see that is not well cared for, I would feel happy if was preserved, I am manufacturer of TV transmitters in Argentina and in my transmitter, I use klystrons in the final stages and success, I have a very strong testimony that there is no purer than a transmitter tube.
December 15, 2009 at 7:59 am
Very interesting, Water cooling pond? wow.
December 15, 2009 at 8:26 am
The mess was cleaned up many years ago when Harris used WLW as a beta site for their 3DX-50 transmitter.
Remember, the video is now 12 years old.
December 15, 2009 at 9:11 am
I would hope that the historical preservationists at WLW go to some work to clean up and display this piece of radio transmission history to the public. We take the transmission of radio and television signals for granted these days. Few know how much is actually involved in getting that voice or music to exit a speaker or that video signal to a television screen. I would probably drive a tour guide crazy with questions about this monster. This transmitter is a valuable treasure.
December 15, 2009 at 9:29 am
could you imagine the electrical bill running it at 500 KW once again? if they wanted to do that, they would have to MASSIVELY overhaul all the cooling leads, transformers and everything that drove it.
December 15, 2009 at 10:25 am
hey, my favorite AM station to catch the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals games. speaking of Reds games… didnt 700 WLW AM move to Cincy?? and i sure would love some of those computer/transmitter parts. and it looks like a lot of those are still in use.
December 15, 2009 at 11:05 am
The difference between 500 kw and 50 kw gave only 10 db and that was a lot of power consuming. Today they are at 50 kw.
December 15, 2009 at 11:14 am
Crusher, I found some info on the Aspidistra transmitter; it was used in England during WWII for Nazi propaganda broadcasts. Basically it was an improved version of the original WLW design and also had a max RF power of 500 kW. It was located in Sussex and used three, ~400-ft. towers to direct transmissions into Germany.
December 15, 2009 at 11:25 am
Degasmonet, thanks for the clarification there on the Blaw-Knox. I must have been thinking about another site then. Good to know that Blaw-Knox tower is still there!
December 15, 2009 at 11:44 am
Erzahler, The Blaw-Knox tower was not torn down. (As of last week when I drove past.
)
The site looks pretty much the same. The cooling ponds get over grown and trimmed back every few years. Externally it looks pretty much the same as in this video.
December 15, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Any way to go there again and get another video of the place? It would be interesting to see how the place has changed in 12 years. I understand the Blaw-Knox was torn down and replaced with a more conventional tower. I visit your WLW website frequency and it always amazes me just how big this thing was, and what a huge headache it must have been to operate!!
December 15, 2009 at 1:21 pm
what a great vid. cool im dirrector of engineering for magnum communications in WI. lots of am-fm-tv stations, its a challange. but what fun! wow I wish I had an antique to play with , id fire it up, and see what happens. don’t tell the FCC just do it!
December 15, 2009 at 1:31 pm
What a great video. I did a google image search of Blawnox and a picture of the tower came up. One link lead to another and here is WLW, the radio station I listen to several nights a week. I listen to “America’s Trucking Network” with Steve Sommers. I’m usually asleep after an hour or so but it’s great entertainment. The 500 kW transmitter is truely a monster. Is that K9DOG’s doghouse? Ha ha. There is a lot of old stuff piled up but would be interesting to look over. Thanks for the tour.
December 15, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I have not heard of a site called aspidistra,i believe Droitwich transmitting station used originally marconi units,but i suspect may now use harris units.
December 15, 2009 at 3:04 pm
That one crusher mentioned in England, is that the one that used to be called the Aspidistra (or however it’s spelled)? I know that the GE/WE/Westinghouse cooperative built a second 500-kW transmitter I believe was originally contracted to a New York radio station, that instead went to somewhere in Europe around the same time as the WLW beast.
December 15, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Thanks for the tour, Jim. I’ve seen the pictures on your website, but to see an actual walking tour of the “Whole Lotta Watts” station is just amazing, short of actually being there. If only that old 500-kW behemoth could be made operational once again…
73 de NØJAA (with my skinny, ol’ Yaesu FT-840 and all 0.1 kW of it!)
December 15, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Que lindo transmisor, que pena que ya no pueden utilizar 500Kwatts, seria muy lindo, que vuelvan a utilizar ese transmisor, ver funcionar las valvulas, las pisinas de refrigeración, amo los transmisores valvulares, nada puede reemplazar el sonido que tienen los equipos valvulares…
Gracias amigo por este video que permite ver ese enorme transmisor…
December 15, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Thats great powertube.
One of these days if Im in Cincinnati I would like to visit there transmitter site if I can.
December 15, 2009 at 5:38 pm
All the junk was cleaned up some years ago.
December 15, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Thanks for the great tour of WLW.
The transmitter facility needs a little TLC.
More than I realized.
I am of the belief that a clean well organized facility is a safe and efficient facility.
You can find parts easier and not fall over, or have stuff falling on you.
The old 500,000 watt transmitter is a historic part of radio history. And there’s junk stored all over the place on and in front of it. An old door leans up against the back.
Other than those observations. A good video.
December 15, 2009 at 6:54 pm
That’s cool. I’ve seen some videos and web sites showing some of the cool sites on the other side of the pool.
I really love the London Eye. Not radio, but a very cool machine!
December 15, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Thanks for the tour; I’ve been to your website in the past, but it’s still nice to have a narrated video!
December 15, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Shame your 1/2 million watt TX is non operational anymore!I live in England, approx. 10 miles from a 1/2 million watt TX at Droitwich,Worcestershire,on 198 khz LW.
January 10, 2010 at 8:48 pm
This is an awesome article, I?ll be adding you to my list.