[BC] Re: The Absolutely Worst Transmitter of All Time

[R J Carpenter]

The absolutely worst FM transmitter of all time was likely the 1 kW
composite I put together to get WHFS on the air in 1961.

It was based on a unit that had been built for propagation tests in
western New York and thus originally had a 25-Hz power supply. That
supply is still in my garage. Maj. Armstrong gave/lent it to Ev
Dillard and it was used at the WASH Wheaton site until Ray Rosenberg
(my high school classmate) assembled the RCA 3 kW rig that arrived at
WASH in bushel baskets.  The old rig was then pushed back into a
corner.  I had to cut the rack into three pieces to get it out.  I
built a 60-Hz power supply and a doubler to get the output of the RCA
Iron-Fireman to 102.3 MHz. Stereo came from an HH Scott stereo test
generator. The rig was fairly reliable if I was within a few miles. It
got us on the air as the first multiplex stereo station in the DC
area.

We ran out of money after a couple of years and the next owner went
bankrupt from other causes.  The third owner moved to fancy new
quarters - but foolishly spent money on fancy, not on a good
transmitter.  It took them months to get it back on the air after the
move and they were too proud to ask my help.  IIRC, Frank Macintosh's
son was their CE.

I think the FCC designation was WHFS-1.

OK, ok, it wasn't a commercial unit, but it was certainly a real dog.

bob carpenter