The dead station(s)

After reading this week’s Northeast Radio Watch by Scott Fybush, he mentioned where WMYF in Portsmouth, NH is off the air, due to the loss of their site. It got me thinking of other stations, that existed when this site (NECRAT) had started but have since gone off the air. (In most cases the licenses were deleted, and a few of these towers are gone).

WCKL 560 Catskill, NY…WCKL 560 Catskill. Well it could qualify. Running illegally elsewhere.

WCKL 560 Catskill. Well it could qualify. Running illegally elsewhere.

 

WALE 990 Greenville, RI…WALE 990 Greenville, RI. The long troubled tale came to an end in 2014.

WALE 990 Greenville, RI. The long troubled tale came to an end in 2014.

WDCR 1340 Hanover, NH…WDCR's green and white colors make it quite unique. However the station is no longer.

WDCR’s green and white colors make it quite unique. However the station is no longer.

 

WDIS 1170 Norfolk, MA…A recent entry, WDIS 1170 lost their license due to their building being condemned.

A recent entry, WDIS 1170 lost their license due to their building being condemned.

 

WNEK-FM 105.1 Springfield, MA…WNEK-FM 105.1, Western New England University's radio station went through several frequency changes. License was not renewed.

WNEK-FM 105.1, Western New England University’s radio station went through several frequency changes. License was not renewed.

 

WNMH 91.5 Northfield, MA…WNMH at Northfield-Mount Hermon University. Several reports the station was still operating after the license was deleted. They now have a CP for a new LPFM.

WNMH at Northfield-Mount Hermon University. Several reports the station was still operating after the license was deleted. They now have a CP for a new LPFM.

 

WNYP-LP 98.7 Ripley, NY…WNYP-LP 98.7. The state of New York's LPFM at the barrier toll plaza going into PA on I-90. (Although the license had it several miles off). Rest In Peace WNYP-LP!

WNYP-LP 98.7. The state of New York’s LPFM at the barrier toll plaza going into PA on I-90. (Although the license had it several miles off). Rest In Peace WNYP-LP!

 

WPEP 1570 Taunton, MA…WPEP Taunton, MA, signed off when another station north of Boston upgraded in power. The towers would be upgraded in later years as the new home for WVBF, Steve Callahan's radio station in Taunton.

WPEP Taunton, MA, signed off when another station north of Boston upgraded in power. The towers would be upgraded in later years as the new home for WVBF, Steve Callahan’s radio station in Taunton.

 

WPNI 1430 Amherst, MA…WPNI Amherst. Another Brian Dodge tale. The station lost one of the towers a few years ago.

WPNI Amherst. Another Brian Dodge tale. The station lost one of the towers a few years ago.

 

WPUT 1510 Brewster, NY…WPUT 1510 Putnam, NY. A rimshotter to many larger markets, WPUT went silent in 2014.

WPUT 1510 Putnam, NY. A rimshotter to many larger markets, WPUT went silent in 2014.

 

WRAN-LP 100.1 Randolph, VT…WRAN-LP 100.1 Randolph, VT. Owned by the state of Vermont, "ran" from the 102.1 tower.

WRAN-LP 100.1 Randolph, VT. Owned by the state of Vermont, “ran” from the 102.1 tower.

 

WRJI 91.5 East Greenwich, RI…WRJI 91.5 East Greenwich, RI. The Providence based Spanish FM, that ran as a pirate for close to a year after the license was deleted from the FCC.

WRJI 91.5 East Greenwich, RI. The Providence based Spanish FM, that ran as a pirate for close to a year after the license was deleted from the FCC.

 

WNHV 910 White River Junction, VT…WNHV 910 White River Junction. The 2nd AM station in this market to go silent in less than five years. (WDCR, above, the other).

WNHV 910 White River Junction. The 2nd AM station in this market to go silent in less than five years. (WDCR, above, the other).

 

WWTA 88.5 Marion, MA…WWTA 88.5 at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA, recently "upgraded" their signal, and in less than four years later, returned their license.

WWTA 88.5 at Tabor Academy in Marion, MA, recently “upgraded” their signal, and in less than four years later, returned their license.

Silence… is golden?

I have been away for quite a while it seems. Quiet year, apparently!! A lot has happened this year, that has kept me way (all good!!).

I hope to have at least one more update before the winter.

— Mike

July 2015 SNE Tower Light Outage Report

July 26, 2015, Southern New England tower light outage report. Comes from the FAA NOTAMS website.

1045931 Cumulus Broadcasting WICC Twr 2 Pleasure Island Bridgeport, CT 20150915 KBDR
1049009 American Tower None Little City Road Little City, CT 20150730 KSNC
1237074 American Tower WHPX Route 85 Monteville, CT 20150801 KGON
1276493 SBA Towers None 8150 Post Road North Kingstown, RI 20150801 KOQU
1022390 Vertical Bridge WHJJ 1222 Wampanoag Trail East Providence, RI 20150805 KPVD
1022391 Vertical Bridge WHJJ 1222 Wampanoag Trail East Providence, RI 20150805 KPVD
1221032 SBA Towers None 59 Tom Harvey Road Westerly, RI 20150729 KWST
1014783 American Tower None Green St & Berkley Berkley, MA 20150805 K1M8
1002112 Tower Point Holdings None Wormwood St Boston, MA 20150729 KBOS
1019305 InSite Towers None 15 Locust Road Orleans, MA 20150730 KCQX
1004088 K2 Towers WCIB 60 Spring Bars Road Falmouth, MA 20150806 K5B6
1009410 EMC Corporation None Coslin Dr. behind Building 5 Southboro, MA 20150806 K9B1
1046935 Univison Television Group WUTF 6kM NE of center of Marlboro (Parmenter Rd) Hudson, MA 20141217© K9B1
1020722 American Tower None Pennimann St New Bedford, MA 20150802 KEWB
1004233 American Tower WFXT/WLVI/CBS Aux 140 Cabot Street Needham, MA 20150809 KOWD
1005034 Comcast of SNE None 375 Vanderbuilt Ave Norwood, MA 20150805 KOWD
1003433 American Tower WBZ-TV/WGBH/etc 350 Cedar St Needham, MA 20150729 KOWD
1024374 Entravision Communications WUNI/WAAF Stiles Hill Boylston, MA 20150807 K3B3
1007892 Vertical Bridge WTAG 412 Shrewsbury St Holden, MA 20150810 KORH
1212063 InSite Towers None 115 Epping Road Exeter, NH 20150803 K7B3
1009201 Crown Castle None 1617 Southwood Dr Nashua, NH 20150808 KASH

Along Route 2…

Along Route 2 sits a whole bunch of small population centers in Massachusetts, when you get west of Concord.  Go out past Gardner, and the next small town you hit is Athol. An old mill town, that is still home to L.S. Starrett , a precision tool maker. It was home to a bunch of other mills as well, that have since closed down. The town is also home to one half of my family. (Both Athol and Petersham), so it comes no surprise when Athol got a new LPFM, I had to go see the antenna. WVAO-LP will sign on, on 105.9 at some point this summer.  WVAO’s antenna is tucked on top of the water tank on High Knob.

WVAO-LP's single bay Shively 6812 antenna and STL dish on the High Knob water tank.
WVAO-LP’s single bay Shively 6812 antenna and STL dish on the High Knob water tank.

Heading out farther west, by about 60 miles, takes you to North Adams. North Adams made tower news in  March of last year (2014) when the Cell Tower, which held the brand new WNNI antenna collapsed, taking down the adjacent WUPE-FM tower.  The site was cleaned up, and STA antennas were installed.

Two Shively Vera-Tune antennas are installed to back up WUPE-FM on 100.1 and WNNI on 98.9
Two Shively Vera-Tune antennas are installed to back up WUPE-FM on 100.1 and WNNI on 98.9

Also translator W266AW had a temporary install while the site was cleaned and prepped for the new tower.

W266AW's temporary comet antenna used to keep the station on the air.
W266AW’s temporary comet antenna used to keep the station on the air.

In the meantime, since the last update we’ve seen, the new tower has been constructed, with an empty pole, which will hold the new combined 100.1 and 98.9 FM signals. The new antenna is listed as being a Shively 4 bay antenna.

The new tower with the pole for the future FM. Plus the standby antennas.
The new tower with the pole for the future FM. Plus the standby antennas.

Pre-Summer 2015 Update

So from time to time, I realize there are a number of local or fairly local sites I need to update for various reasons. I try to combine them into a single update, to make for a more pleasurable viewing experience. So here is my “Pre-Summer 2015” update.
(As always, the full sets for each station are in the gallery)

Starting with May, when our good friend Steve Callahan was gracious enough to give a “cooks tour” of his soon to completed upgraded site at WVBF 1530 in Taunton. The new two tower array is on the site of the old WPEP, off of County St in Taunton.

WVBFs two tower array in Taunton
WVBFs two tower array in Taunton

Three days later, we made a trek up to one of our favorite sites,
Asnebumskit Hill in Paxton to see the new WAAF Aux antenna.

The "Kegs" are gone! WAAF's new aux antenna.
The “Kegs” are gone! WAAF’s new aux antenna.

And that same day, we also got pictures of the newest LPFM in Springfield, WZCS 102.5

WZCS-LP

WZCS-LP

In June, All of the updates came from one trip. We took pictures of the new WWBB aux antenna at the WHJY site.

The "AUX" antenna for WWBB.
The “AUX” antenna for WWBB.

We also got pictures of the “new” WDOM antenna.

McVinney Hall with the new WDOM antenna.
McVinney Hall with the new WDOM antenna.

And finished out the date with some fresh updated pictures of
WPRO-FM and WWLI up on Neutaconkanut Hill in Johnston.

WPRO-FM's Shively
WPRO-FM’s Shively
WWLI's antennas.
WWLI’s antennas.
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