Building Bethany - VOA's First High-Power International Broadcast Station

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Building Bethany - VOA's First High-Power International Broadcast Station

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3 ай бұрын

Instead view version 2 here: • Building Bethany Versi...
This is the original version and contained some errors and omissions.
Construction details about building VOA's first high-power international shortwave broadcast station. We apologize for the audio skipping. Recently our KZbin videos have glitches after we upload.

Пікірлер: 51

@graphicventures Ай бұрын

I am 59 now, good old memories of days back in the time when i was hooked on to SWL. Miss those days of QSL cards and the excitement of hearing some distant DX. I used to receive a magazine from VOA called VOICE. Some radio stations used to send stickers and technical literature on how to build SW antennas.

@robertwheeler4068 3 ай бұрын

I received a Hallicrafters general coverage radio for my 11th birthday in 1965. Once I got my long wire antenna up in the back yard I was amazed at what I could hear from all over the world!⚡🎧

@karlreinke9653 3 ай бұрын

I got my Hallicrafters s-120 in 1965 as well. I was 10 at the time. I still have it and it works fine.

@charleshunziker7416 3 ай бұрын

My parents gave me a general electric portable radio for my 10th birthday in 19 65 with short wave

@robertwheeler4068 3 ай бұрын

@@karlreinke9653 Thanks for your response Karl...I had the same radio! I think my nephew got a hold of it, and destroyed it unfortunately...I currently use a nice Kenwood! Happy listening!🎧✌

@dfirth224 3 ай бұрын

I was 15 in 1965 and bought a Lafayette general coverage radio. I was given a 1937 Philco console radio from a neighbor who was moving in 1962. That's where I got the shortwave bug. We ran a long wire out the window and would sit for hours at night listening (no computers or internet yet). My family had a reel to reel tape recorder and sometimes recorded the radio.

@nh6qzzz 3 ай бұрын

Brings back good old memory. Back in the 70’s in Japan my first Yaesu FR-101 was a great receiver! I really miss the Interval Signal. VOA came in S-9 day or night from all over their relay station. I miss those days…. It was a great hobby. Became a Ham in 1980’s. Aloha!

@LelandHiteK8CLI 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing those memories. Your S9 is why we did 250 kW into a Rhombic with about 16 dB gain.

@sparkybluefox 3 ай бұрын

I earned my first Amateur radio license in 1977, and by 1978 I earned my Amateur Extra Class license. As such... I'm a confirmed Radio Guy ! In the early 1990's I, and a field service engineer were on a customer call in Louisville Ky. On our return trip to Detroit I had arranged a visit to the VOA Bethany broadcast site ! We were warmly received by the VOA staff and given a tour of the facility ! Great memories.... Thank You so much for posting this fine video !!!! 73 Jerry AB8B

@vincegranato4505 3 ай бұрын

I lived in Fairfield cal during the Cold War; it seemed the northern state had many radio & communications stations. DoD, merchant Marine & commercial; with VOA in Dixon. I visited this site about 10-years ago. The former station was Privately owned and (it seemed) all the antenna arrays were still in place. A little intimidating of standing there, look up & around of all the antennas and hardware. Great video; wonderfully done in chronological order.

@Greg-et2dp 3 ай бұрын

National VOA museum of....back in the 80s there was lots to lisn to on shortwave that was good times my friend

@charliehustle5529 3 ай бұрын

I grew up 10 minute drive from Bethany in Fairfield, Ohio, between Hamilton and Dayton. I grew up as a young boy looking at that. My dad was a ham operator I was just so fascinated with that dipole aray that they had there. It was awesome. Looking look like a giant cobwebb, a lot of good memories

@FF7824 3 ай бұрын

I'm remembering Jim Fugate, W8UFF, who took me through the VOA transmitter site when I was a young 12 year old ham radio operator. Jim worked there in some capacity at the time.

@vicmiller7191 3 ай бұрын

Wonderful report about the life and history of this fine facility.

@Greg-et2dp 3 ай бұрын

National VOA museum of...your KZbin videos are awesome i like the music 🎶 🎵 😎 😄 😊 😀 🎶 🎵 my friend

@ernestsmith3581 3 ай бұрын

Thanks! I wish these old SW broadcasters could provide worldwide digital news and information in something like a streaming Teletext format. Getting news from a variety of sources, all with different viewpoints always seemed best to me.

@rexoliver7780 3 ай бұрын

Very good photo album of this site. I currently work at the now Marti (former VOA “B” plant) last of the Greenville,NC sites still in use. Broadcasts to Cuba. VOA “A” site is currently abandoned-owned by the state of NC. The former C plant is owned and used by ECU university.

@nationalvoamuseumofbroadca6021 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the update Rex. On every guided tour of the museum we tell visitors about the Greenville operation.

@timmueller5474 3 ай бұрын

Great video. My mom worked there in the middle and late sixties.

@richb.4374 3 ай бұрын

What a shame that such a magnificent radio station is gone now.

@chriswalford4161 3 ай бұрын

I feel the same about Rampisham in Dorset - BBC OSR3

@dyolankester424 3 ай бұрын

Very interesting watching the end of VOA. With lots of pictures and some old voices from the past. P.s the sound is skipping badly. Thanks I enjoyed watching this. Greetings Dyo Lankester, Aussieland

@LelandHiteK8CLI 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the comment about the sound skipping. Every time I do a video the sound is perfect on my computer but KZbin does something to corrupt it, not sure what???

@gus473 3 ай бұрын

@@LelandHiteK8CLIBelieve it has to do with data compression for improved streaming and storage. Still sounds OK. Great story, by the way! Might be fun to have the Geerling Engineering KZbin Channel over for a visit! 😎✌️

@johnhopkins6260 3 ай бұрын

Still remember the abandoned towers, south of Punta Gorda, on VOA Rd.

@prabhakarv4193 4 күн бұрын

Very nice. Informative. Thank you

@StormsRadiosCats 3 ай бұрын

When I lived in Southern Ohio, I used to pass by Bethany and the check engine light in my buick would stay lit until i was far enough away from the transmission towers , VOA is missed.

@LelandHiteK8CLI 3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing you experience. Before automotive companies had EMP labs to test their vehicles for electronic interference, they would sent them to Bethany for testing. The station occupied a square mile of land with a road on each side. Auto companies would send their cars here with a driver or two who spent all day driving the square to see if the vehicle worked in this RF field. Mercedes Benz also shipped cars here for EMP testing. VOA did not publicise the daily broadcast schedule so the driver never knew which antenna(s) were active when. Consequently, the driver had to drive the square all day hoping to be exposed to all the antennas' RF field. You were lucky if the only problem was the engine light came on. Occasionally tractors would stop in the farm fields surrounding the station. The ERP from most antennas were several MW off the end of a rhombic.

@jamesfearing9459 3 ай бұрын

We’ll done video. Keep them coming!

@arcticradio Ай бұрын

VOA is still one of the most powerful broadcasters. Here in Finland its MW signals reach me from Central Africa, Thailand, Korea, East Africa and SW from Botswana and all over the world.

@LelandHiteK8CLI Ай бұрын

Thanks for your meaningful comment Matt. With your permission I would like to use your comment in the museum along with your picture. Lee Hite

@ronz101 3 ай бұрын

Good show. Thanks for everything. 🎉

@dfirth224 3 ай бұрын

And stations were built in Dixon and Delano, California by CBS to broadcast VOA to the Pacific. The stations are still here but the curtain array antennas have been replaced by satellite dishes. They no longer broadcast on shortwave. The satellite feeds go to overseas FM stations.

@TheGreatGastronaut Ай бұрын

well worth visiting if attending the Dayton hamfest. It’s about an hour drive.

@jg2072 3 ай бұрын

Interesting video folks. Good job

@The_DuMont_Network 3 ай бұрын

Was there any provision for power backup? Generators? Marvelous story told in words and pictures. Visiting the site now on my bucket list.

@LelandHiteK8CLI 3 ай бұрын

Yes, there was backup power but no generators. During WWII there were dual power feeds from Cincinnati Gas & Electric and Dayton Power & Light. After the war there were dual power feeds from two different CG&E power plants. At 250 kW each for 6 Tx and the other smaller Tx (50 kw), the station used about 4 MW on a regular basis.

@roncaruso931 2 ай бұрын

Hood old massive vacuum tube transmitters!

@bartonbadani5162 3 ай бұрын

Cool video but had to cut the sound when the music started.

@johnjon1823 3 ай бұрын

Would that America were America these days.

@mattgring 3 ай бұрын

Should have kept it running.

@LelandHiteK8CLI 3 ай бұрын

There are still about 8 high power relay stations operating even though most of the audience receives the broadcast virtually.

@wpiv926 Ай бұрын

The one in Ohio was on the same site as domestic broadcaster WLW-700.

@Subgunman 3 ай бұрын

My uncle turned me on to SWL BACK IN THE EARLY 60’s. Remember listening to many SW stations from all over the world in central Ohio for many years and passing by this station on trips from Dayton to Cincinnati in the late 80’s. Fast forward to 2007 and setting up a receive longwire antenna on an island in the eastern part of the Med and listening to the few stations remaining on the Air. Since moving there we have lost many stations in the last decade plus. Now it seems that China is occupying most of the airwaves spewing their BS propaganda. I do long for the VOA and the BBC broadcasts and music.

@Greg-et2dp 3 ай бұрын

National VOA museum of....my hobbies are painting pictures and listening to shortwave and ssb iam thinking about getting my Grms license

@lomgshorts3 3 ай бұрын

I would have thought to see many more comments here, but only nine ??? Shortwave broadcasting is surely dying, what can bring it off life support ?? The FCC should not be so stingy about licensing transmitters for shortwave broadcasting in the 21st Century. It is not like there isn't enough spectrum available !!!

@LelandHiteK8CLI 3 ай бұрын

We know from listening to visitors at the museum there remains a considerable amount of shortwave interest in the rest of the world. Many visitors emigrated because of listening to the VOA. Today the following VOA locations have large shortwave broadcast stations operational. Afghanistan; Bangkok; Thailand, Botswana, Africa; Burkina Faso, Africa; Djibouti, Africa; Munich, Germany; Greenville, NC - Site B; Kuwait; Mariana islands; São Tomé and Príncipe; South Korea; Tajikistan; Tinang, Philippines; Woofferton, England.

@dfirth224 3 ай бұрын

Younger generations of Americans don't even listen to radio. AM radio is having a hard time making any money. Auto makers want to discontinue AM band on the radios as most people don't listen to AM anymore. But I do. I live in central California and can hear a San Francisco AM station 150 miles away. At night I can hear 2 or 3 Los Angeles AM stations 200 miles away.