My enthusiasm for the possibility of a 6m repeater on the old channel 3 broadcast antenna started getting away from me, and I figured I’d better talk to the boss before it got too far down the tracks. The “boss” is Barrington Broadcasting, based near Chicago. They own WSTM, the tower, the transmitters and the antennas I’ve pictured in previous posts. Of course, they are also my employer.
So, I contacted the Corporate President of Technology, as well as the Corporate Director of Engineering, and the local President and General Manager. I explained the proposal,
WSTM analog sideband filter. What marvelous mysteries might be inside?
emphasized that it wouldn’t involve any tower climbing or modifications to the antenna, that it wouldn’t cause any interference, and pointed out the benefit to the amateur community and the possibilities for public service. I was happy to get a response that not only could I use the antenna, I could also harvest parts from the old analog sideband filter. To top it off, there are some leftover feedline remnants that I could use to build cavities for a duplexer!
The old adage says that forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission. Maybe in some cases. But in this case, I knew it was important to proceed with the full knowledge and cooperation of the company. So, a big THANK YOU to Barrington Broadcasting and WSTM for allowing the old channel 3 antenna to be used for this project!
