As we mentioned several weeks ago here on the blog, WKYC had just lowered the old Channel 3 analog antenna and was in the process of rigging up the old Channel 3 tower to bring it to the ground.
The old tower was no longer needed after we put up a new stick last year to faciliate our switch from digital Channel 2 to digital channel 17. This change was necessary because of the difficult time viewers had in receiving our over the air signal at the lower channel assignment.
Many of you also know that WVIZ's digital antenna is now on our new tower, just above WKYC's antenna at the top.
WKYC Transmitter Engineer Dave Kushman tells us the old tower is finally down and passersby will notice only a single stick up in the air at our Parma site. This officially ends a long era in our television station's history and the history of the old WKYC/KYW radio at 1100 AM which was also part of the same tower when the stations were under the same ownership by NBC.
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| Only the base of the tower remains |
We had a chance to talk to Dave at the WKYC Digital Broadcaster Center this week about how engineers bring down a tower. It's pretty much the same way one goes up, Dave tells us. The process is a slow and deliberate one that puts safety first.
Dave says a gin crane is sent up the outside of the tower on a rail mounted to the side of the tower itself. Once at the top, very daring engineers who climb the tower by hand will unbolt the upper piece, swing it to the outside of the tower and lower it to the ground.
This lowering process takes a long time since engineers must ensure the wind doesn't catch the section and send it spinning out of control and smashing into the side of the tower which could cause damage or weaken the integrity of the structure.
Dave tells us that the reverse process was used to build the new tower last year.
Once gain, Dave has been gracious enough to post a couple of pictures on his blog that you will find by scrolling to the end of the page at the following link: http://www.k8dav.com/Tower.htm
