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Radio Broadcast Technical Consulting and Sales
 10032 Island Drive, Brainerd, MN  56401

 

Engineer's Log of Mark W. Persons
 Another transmitter to work on...when will it end?
July 20, 2009:  On this 75 degree day it was down to Winona, MN, to pick up a used Collins 820E-1A 5 KW AM Transmitter.  On the left is Dave Cox from WJJY Radio in Brainerd.  On the right is Steve Schuh from Winona helping guide the 40-year-old transmitter along its way with a big help of a Bobcat onto a U-Haul truck.

This is a wonderfully designed quality transmitter from the design team of Art Collins at Collins Radio.
Later that day in Brainerd, MN, a Caterpillar fork lift is moving the transmitter into the KLIZ-AM transmitter building.  This transmitter will be used as a backup for the existing Gates BC-5H Transmitter, which has served well since the late 1960's.  Weighing in at 2000 pounds, it just fit through the door and was a welcome sight.

The good part is that the recent transmitter is on the same frequency (1380 KHz) and 5 KW power level as KLIZ-AM.  I had converted this transmitter 20 years ago from 770 KHz to 1380 KHz.  This transmitter is seeing its third home since it was manufactured in the 1960's in Cedar Rapids, IA.    

 
September 30, 2009: The transmitter was put in its final position by pushing it around the transmitter building floor.  This old building has wiring troughs in the floor that are about four inches deep.  That made it possible for a piece of 2x6 wood to act as a lever to push on a piece of uni-strut, then to a 2x4 to the transmitter base.

Thanks to Dwight Thiesse for his help in this one.  Dwight retired from farming a few years ago, but still has the horse-sense to do get the job done.    

October 1, 2009: Chuck Zeck of Holden Electric in Brainerd stopped by to connect power to the Collins transmitter.  You see him here reaching over some spare 3-inch transmission line, which is stored near the ceiling.  Chuck has done quite a bit of work at this site upgrading it over the years.  He is a great worker and craftsman.    

November 10, 2009: Success, the Collins 820E-1A 5 KW AM Transmitter is up and running on the air.  Your intrepid radio broadcast engineer Mark Persons is a happy guy.       

December 17, 2009: A 14-foot long blue-print schematic of the Collins 820E-1 Transmitter.  Now where is that remote control connection to be made?  It has to be here somewhere! 

The transmitter was all wired for remote control operation by the end of the day.        

Quote of the Day:  You can never have too many transmitters.

The stories go on and on.  Stop in again sometime.  I'll leave the soldering iron on for you. 
Mark W. Persons   Ham WØMH

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page last edited 12/18/2009