Every once in a while we like to pat one of our advertisers on the back and say nice job. They are out there making things happen just like managers, salespeople and program directors inside a radio station. This is one of those stories. Harris also happens to be a vendor that has been serving the radio industry for a very long time. WXXC-FM in Indiana came calling after an electrical storm and years of weather brutality took its toll on a very old transmitter. Harris was there to take care of business.
The station decided to stop spending money on repairs and shop for a new transmitter. WXXC GM Race Ashyn said ?We had a 30-year old transmitter that had been costing a ton to maintain and repair, and it was hard to find parts. We discovered there had been arching in the plate power supply that gradually blew a gunshot-sized hole through one of the transformer sections. That was the last straw.?
WXXC remained on air during the transition, first running on reduced power from its backup tower with a seasoned 10kW 1968 Gates transmitter. This worked well until lightning struck a second time ? a direct hit to the antenna. WXXC engineers revived the main transmitter to broadcast at 350 watts, giving the station enough power to cover the market until the Harris transmitter arrived. The HPX30, outfitted with a Harris DigitCD exciter, arrived soon after. The station returned to full power (50KW) on Sunday, July 17 at 1:30pm, transmitting at 27.5 kW TPO. ?I am a fan of Harris, and have had very good luck with their transmitters over the years,? said Ashlyn. ?Harris transmitters are designed well, and the HPX30 is especially efficient as it only requires two cabinets as opposed to the usual three for a transmitter of this size.?
If you have a success story about a vendor, we'd love to hear about it. Send it in to edryan@radioink.com
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