VashonRadio.com
Tower Tour - KPTK & KTTH
VashonRadio.comTower Tour - KPTK & KTTH |
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The Satellite dishes were originally used for KING TV, they are no longer in use. The KTTH 770Khz transmitter moved to the site in the late 80’s. There is a generator to supply power during power outages. |
| This is the KPTK and KTTH transmitter site. Three towers make up the antenna array. The Building was originally built in 1946 for then KEVR on 1090Khz. | |
Originally Built in 1946 to house the KVER transmitter. This is now a shared tower site. Calls: KPTK (Originally KING, KEVR) Calls: KTTH (Originally KXA) Click on any Photo to enlarge, opens in new window. |
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 When I stoped by to snap some photo's for the Tour, I found Jim Tharp (Bonnneville) and Arnie Skoog (CBS) fixing the night 1090 Phasor |
This cabinet of parts splits the power between the three towers giving the station a directional pattern to the signal. |
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The Blown up part from the phaser. 50,000 watts can have its way with parts. |
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| Standing in the original 1090 transmitter room. On one side stands a Harris MW50A 50,000 watt transmitter that was purchased by then KING in the early 70’s to replace the original 50KW GE transmitter as the main transmitter. The MW50 was placed where the 10,000 watt backup transmitter sat. The MX50 was used as the main transmitter from early 70's until they bought the Nautel Solid state transmitter in the 90's The Nautel now stands on the opposite wall where the original GE 50KW transmitter sat. The Nautel was purchased in the mid 90’s to be the main transmitter. It replaced the original GE transmitter which was removed. Looking behind the Nautel, red floor air grates leading to the basement where a huge blower pumped air through the tubes of the Huge GE Transmitter when it sat in the building. Now the Blower supplies a steady stream of filtered air for the Nautel. Also Pictured are the front of the Day and Night Phaser. |
 Behind Nautel |
 Night Phaser |
 Day Phaser |
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When 1090 Moved to Vashon they built a Building with a full shop, bathroom and a separate room with a bed and a broadcast console set up if the need arose to originate programming from the transmitter. Here you can see the Shop with cabinets of spare parts to ensure that the station can stay broadcasting 24 hours a day. The Tubes in the upper right are from the Harris MW50 transmitter. The tubes on the bottom are the finals for the transmitter. Below are the main equipment racks for 1090 KPTK. Antenna Monitor on the left, remote control in the middle and audio on the right. The QEI Cat Link supplies audio over a T1 from the Seattle Studio. The door to the right leads to the 770 transmitter room.
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This is the 770Khz DX50 Main transmitter |
 770Khz 5kw Backup transmitter and equipment racks |
Originally the high voltage and modulator transformers for the 50KW GE sat here. When the Nautel transmitter was installed it opened up this space, which eventually became the home for KTTH 770. Transmitter on the left. Antenna phasing equipment on the right. Next to the transmitter is a rack holding the remote control, antenna phase monitor and antenna switching controls, pictured right. |
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| Extra Stuff: See this Location on VashonMap.com or Google Maps (opens in new window) |
* Built date refers to when station transmitter site was built on Vashon Island. Not the date the station license was issued. |
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Tower, Building Photos and Text by Steven Allen |
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