Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tracy Wood, who snapped the photo above as he passed by this former IBB facility. Tracy noted:
The antenna field is still intact.
As a kid, the signals would leak into cheap AM radio sets in Oregon.
I could only imagine they would! Thanks for sharing this, Tracy. Amazing to see that the antenna field is still standing.
Drove by there this morning. The antenna towers are gone.
In 1979 I had the privilege of working as a transmitter engineer at this site. They told me at my 27 years of age I was the youngest transmitter engineer they had ever had most of the engineer were under 60s and 70s. I only stayed for about 7 months as I was given the opportunity to be the project engineer and chief engineer of k y o i shortwave in Saipan. It took me almost a year to get this job at VOA as they required a top secret security clearance which everybody caught which kind of funny as everything came into the station came in on satellite and was broadcast on the radio. Never did figure out what the top secret was all about. They had 10 transmitters and I believe four program audio sources. To control audio they had a semi-automated board that you programmed prior to the next frequency change. You set up what audio channel went to what transmitter then you were able to push one button and everything would switch at one time. Yankee Doodle what’s your theme song that was played several minutes prior to the actual programming beginning. They have the building divided up into two sections for transmitters would the audio control room in the center. Three engineers would work on a shift. You would have a supervisor who would take one side of the transmitters and change frequencies on them and then the other two engineers will be half the shift on audio and have to shift change in transmitter frequencies. Of course you’d help each other necessary speed things up. Some older 100,000 Watts transmitters Continentals. It was a lot of fun in some ways we’re sorry to see myself leave. A couple families kind of adopted me and would take me out to eat and invite me to their home and so it was a good experience.r
How about a story about working at KYOI for a future post?
Great to see the station is still intact, with the new administration it might get some more use. Just needs someone to have the right word in the president’s ear.
I used to get Radio Australia from my home in New Zealand on a cheap Walkman type cassette/radio player
Preserved thanks to an endangered animal that stopped demolition, as I recall.