A week or two ago someone mentioned the OVA antennas being taken down near
Dayton.
The following is excerpted from:
The ARRL Letter
Vol. 16, No. 50
December 19, 1997
__________________________________
Address Changes: Kathy Capodicasa, N1GZO, e-mail kcapodicasa@arrl.org
Editorial: Rick Lindquist, N1RL, e-mail elindquist@arrl.org
ARRL Audio News now is available at http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/audio/
__________________________________
OHIO VOA ANTENNAS COME DOWN
Ham visitors to Ohio--perhaps on their way to the Dayton
Hamvention--sometimes found it hard to keep their eyes on the highway when
passing the Voice of America's Bethany Relay Station. The vast antenna farm
off I-75 north of Cincinnati consisting of 14 rhombics and a huge Sterba
curtain easily distracted most hams.
At one time among the most powerful shortwave stations in the world, the
Bethany Relay Station was shut down a couple of years ago. Earlier this
month, the towers supporting the majestic Sterba curtain and other wire
arrays came crashing down--to make way for commercial and recreational
development and a university campus on the 625-acre site. Among those on
hand to watch the spectacle was Tom Rupp, W8TCR, a VOA engineer for 26 years
who retired in 1993.
Work will continue to remove the other towers and structures. Most of the
towers will be pulled from the ground with a crane. Forty towers, ranging
from 90 to 150 feet tall, will be salvaged. Crews will finish clearing the
towers by February.
A report in the Cincinnati Enquirer quoted ham radio operator Joe Goforth,
WB8NFJ, who lived less than a mile from the VOA site for two decades. "I
used to talk to the engineers all the time," he told the paper, noting that
VOA broadcasts sometimes interfered with his ham gear. "But I guess I'm a
little disappointed to see it go," he added.
For a look at one of the Sterba curtain support towers coming down, see
http://www.palmtop.net/img/voa.jpg. For more info on the Bethany Relay
Station, visit the Jim Hawkins' (WA2WHV) Radio Room,
http://www.exit109.com/~jimh/voaohio.html.--thanks to Mitch Hamm, N8XS, and
Jim Hawkins, WA2WHV
Dale Martin, KG5U
kg5u@hal-pc.org
http://www.hal-pc.org/~kg5u
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