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Stations Off-Air for Antenna Re-installation

While we're off-air, listen to KWGS and KWTU online through this web page or by using NPR's iPhone app, iPad app, or Android app.

Fri, 2/1 • 4:44 pm: The weather might be nice enough this weekend, but there's a sudden change in plans due to a breakdown in equipment used to hoist the antenna onto the tower. Both Public Radio 89.5 and Classical 88.7 will stay on-the-air this weekend. We'll repair the equipment this week and continue to watch for a good weekend with low winds.

 Fri, 2/1 • 10:48 am: This might be the weekend that we've been waiting for to reinstall our repaired main antenna. While the weather forecast looks nice right now, the deciding factor will be wind speed at the 1000' level on our tower in Coweta. Too fast and it's not safe to hoist hundreds of pounds of antenna sections into the air, much less trying to bolt them together on a tower leg at exact positions and orientations. The plan is to work on the tower during daylight hours and then switch to the backup antenna to go on-air overnight.

Thu, 1/10 • 1:33 pm: We've scratched plans to go off-air this weekend in light of a less than favorable weather forecast. A cold front is forecast to come through Tulsa on Saturday morning, which will bring strong winds through the area. Winter is always an iffy time to be doing tower work in Oklahoma (along with Spring, Summer, and Fall.) We'll keep watching for a favorable weekend.

Sun, 1/6 • 4:25 pm: Once again today, the wind speed was to high to safely work on the tower at the 1000' level where the antennas are located. Plans are being made to try again this coming weekend, January 11-13.

Sat, 1/5 • 12:31 pm: Winds continue to be too strong to safely work on the tower to re-install our repaired main antenna. Both stations will continue to stay on-the-air today and tonight. We'll watch the weather on Sunday morning to see if work can begin.

Sat, 1/5 • 9:37 am: 40 mile-per-hour winds at the 1000-foot level on our tower, where our antennas are located, have delayed the installation. Both stations remain on-the-air while waiting to see if the winds will lighten up today.

Fri, 1/4 • 9:49 am: Plans are in place, weekend weather permitting, to take both stations off-air early Saturday morning. There's the possibility of rain or snow on Saturday, although the greater potential problem is high wind. First, the backup antenna that we've been using since September will be disassembled and lowered to the ground. Then the repaired main antenna raised and mounted on the tower. Although the backup antenna has operated reliably during this emergency period, it was loose on the tower following September's wind storm that caused the main antenna to burn out. It will be inspected, repaired if necessary, and reinstalled at a later date, which will once again require both stations to go off-air since it is not safe for the tower crew to be working in the presence of an energized antenna.

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