I have a quote for $21k to have the 180 foot tower built. Ouch!!
Reader Interactions
Comments
Carl Blaresays
Hope To Help Someway
$21K seems high… I hope other members with more tower experience will comment about that price.
I hear that some HAMs put up their own towers, so I’m thinking maybe you could contact local amateur radio groups to see if they can give you a hand for a lower amount of $$.
I greatly respect and admire you for doing this project and want you to succeed.
radioboysays
Thanks, Carl!
Tackling it head on.
We are hosting an open house for WDXD on Saturday, Feb. 21. Local media has been invited. I will have information on hand about the station, give tours, share the vision for a local community station, and have light refreshments.
Our 501c3 tax status is almost completed as well. I hope that offers some incentive to potential donors.
The station PayPal is set up, active and verified. It is [email protected] on PayPal. All of those funds go to Delta Star Radio.
Offering a Founder’s sponsor package for $500. This offers 250 :30 on-air announcements. An individual in Ohio has done one of these but does not desire air time for it. I have other packages starting at $50. Every little bit helps.
My wife is going to retire at the end of the school year. Then two of us can run at this full time.
radioboysays
And…
I am getting some additional quotes for the tower work. I still also plan to buy the LPFM-certified BW TX300 v2 transmitter. These are really the final pieces of tbe WDXD-LP puzzle. The double bay antenna and coax are here, as is a back-up Jampro single bay antenna.
I have made friends with some of the big boys and their engineers, or I coudn’t have made it this far.
radio8zsays
Tower Income Many commercial tower owners rent “space” on their towers for other users’ antennas such as for two way radio and public services. This could be an income source to help defray the costs.
One tower installation which I was involved with required an engineering survey for the antenna wind loading so it may not be a matter of just attaching an antenna. Fortunately for our ham group the company which owned the tower had an engineer on retainer who had software to perform the loading analysis and this was free to us.
Neil
radioboysays
Now…
I have a couple of other quotes. And one in the works from a tower man closer to me. Meanwhile 1610 purrs on for 1/2 to 3/4 mile around the neighborhood while 101.9 awaits its turn to launch.
radioboysays
Tower
Looks like the WDXD-LP tower will be going up during the month of March at an estimated cost of $13k.
Carl Blaresays
Getting It Done
I knew you’d get it done Radioboy!
I am your fan for sure.
How lucky can listeners get?
Big D is happening!
radioboysays
Thanks, Carl!
WDXD-LP also is now a legal 501c3 tax exempt organization. Donors can get a tax write-off. This one took a while to get approval from the IRS.
Our local Buffalo Wild Wings will host a fundraiser for us in late April.
Radio has gone from hobby to the real deal lately.
Carl Blaresays
Flying Buffalos
I’ll take a triple order to go once an hour during the fund drive.
That is super cool having such good community participation.
radioboysays
Thanks, Carl!
It really is kind of fun..exciting..frustrating..scary..all at once.
Buffalo Wild Wings is on for April 27. I got a “yes” from a cold contact on the first try. Rare.
Now trying to get a certified LPFM transmitter on site at the same time the tower guys are here.
radioboysays
Tower crew hired!
WDXD tower work begins the week of March 16.
Carl Blaresays
Pictures Please
Appoint one of your helpers to take tower construction pictures for us to enjoy.
radioboysays
The WDXD radio tower is now up!
The tower job took four and a half days to complete. The crew finished up this past Saturday, 3/28.
It’s a guyed 180 foot Rohn 45, with a double bay antenna at 173′.
There are pics, but I don’t think I can post them to this site. They are up on my Facebook page, though. I know mram1500 saw some of them.
Total tower construction cost: $13k. Paid via a family loan.
Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, the LPFM certified transmitter will be ordered this coming Saturday.
After that, I will need a CAP converter to match a TFT 911 EAS unit..or one of the newer CAP compliant EAS boxes..and we’re there!
Some rounded off totals on numbers as of 3-31-15:
Total costs of construction, including this week’s transmitter purchase: $24,000.
Total revenue and vendors paid off amount: $9,200
Even LPFM stations are not cheap.
Carl Blaresays
The Finish Line
Good Work Mr. radioboy Alan!
The tower is probably the largest obstacle in the process, and there it stands!
Carl Blare says
Hope To Help Someway
$21K seems high… I hope other members with more tower experience will comment about that price.
I hear that some HAMs put up their own towers, so I’m thinking maybe you could contact local amateur radio groups to see if they can give you a hand for a lower amount of $$.
I greatly respect and admire you for doing this project and want you to succeed.
radioboy says
Thanks, Carl!
Tackling it head on.
We are hosting an open house for WDXD on Saturday, Feb. 21. Local media has been invited. I will have information on hand about the station, give tours, share the vision for a local community station, and have light refreshments.
Our 501c3 tax status is almost completed as well. I hope that offers some incentive to potential donors.
The station PayPal is set up, active and verified. It is [email protected] on PayPal. All of those funds go to Delta Star Radio.
Offering a Founder’s sponsor package for $500. This offers 250 :30 on-air announcements. An individual in Ohio has done one of these but does not desire air time for it. I have other packages starting at $50. Every little bit helps.
My wife is going to retire at the end of the school year. Then two of us can run at this full time.
radioboy says
And…
I am getting some additional quotes for the tower work. I still also plan to buy the LPFM-certified BW TX300 v2 transmitter. These are really the final pieces of tbe WDXD-LP puzzle. The double bay antenna and coax are here, as is a back-up Jampro single bay antenna.
I have made friends with some of the big boys and their engineers, or I coudn’t have made it this far.
radio8z says
Tower Income
Many commercial tower owners rent “space” on their towers for other users’ antennas such as for two way radio and public services. This could be an income source to help defray the costs.
One tower installation which I was involved with required an engineering survey for the antenna wind loading so it may not be a matter of just attaching an antenna. Fortunately for our ham group the company which owned the tower had an engineer on retainer who had software to perform the loading analysis and this was free to us.
Neil
radioboy says
Now…
I have a couple of other quotes. And one in the works from a tower man closer to me. Meanwhile 1610 purrs on for 1/2 to 3/4 mile around the neighborhood while 101.9 awaits its turn to launch.
radioboy says
Tower
Looks like the WDXD-LP tower will be going up during the month of March at an estimated cost of $13k.
Carl Blare says
Getting It Done
I knew you’d get it done Radioboy!
I am your fan for sure.
How lucky can listeners get?
Big D is happening!
radioboy says
Thanks, Carl!
WDXD-LP also is now a legal 501c3 tax exempt organization. Donors can get a tax write-off. This one took a while to get approval from the IRS.
Our local Buffalo Wild Wings will host a fundraiser for us in late April.
Radio has gone from hobby to the real deal lately.
Carl Blare says
Flying Buffalos
I’ll take a triple order to go once an hour during the fund drive.
That is super cool having such good community participation.
radioboy says
Thanks, Carl!
It really is kind of fun..exciting..frustrating..scary..all at once.
Buffalo Wild Wings is on for April 27. I got a “yes” from a cold contact on the first try. Rare.
Now trying to get a certified LPFM transmitter on site at the same time the tower guys are here.
radioboy says
Tower crew hired!
WDXD tower work begins the week of March 16.
Carl Blare says
Pictures Please
Appoint one of your helpers to take tower construction pictures for us to enjoy.
radioboy says
The WDXD radio tower is now up!
The tower job took four and a half days to complete. The crew finished up this past Saturday, 3/28.
It’s a guyed 180 foot Rohn 45, with a double bay antenna at 173′.
There are pics, but I don’t think I can post them to this site. They are up on my Facebook page, though. I know mram1500 saw some of them.
Total tower construction cost: $13k. Paid via a family loan.
Good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, the LPFM certified transmitter will be ordered this coming Saturday.
After that, I will need a CAP converter to match a TFT 911 EAS unit..or one of the newer CAP compliant EAS boxes..and we’re there!
Some rounded off totals on numbers as of 3-31-15:
Total costs of construction, including this week’s transmitter purchase: $24,000.
Total revenue and vendors paid off amount: $9,200
Even LPFM stations are not cheap.
Carl Blare says
The Finish Line
Good Work Mr. radioboy Alan!
The tower is probably the largest obstacle in the process, and there it stands!
I’ll bet you stand by the tower with great pride.
I would actually go out and camp next to it.