WLCB is in search of a new transmitter site!

The map at the bottom of this page shows where our transmitter currently is. The area shaded in green and not overlapping the yellow shaded areas is where we could move to pending FCC approval. If you or someone you know owns property in the target area, you might be able to help! There is a contact form at the bottom of this page you can fill out with pertinent information or questions and submit. We’ll review the information and respond as soon as possible.

The following are answers to questions you may have.

Why is WLCB looking for a new transmitter site?
The current location is suitable but some of our listeners have complained of interference from co-channel stations (stations also on 101.5). Moving to the target area MAY allow us to change our broadcast frequency to 92.9 which is much clearer and would provide a better experience for our terrestrial listeners.

Would a tower need to be built and would it need lights?
Not necessarily and we’d prefer not to! We can utilize an existing tower or structure, such as a silo, to attach our antennas to. We use two SWR FM1 antennas spaced 10 feet apart. A picture of our broadcast antennas is shown below, although we may opt for the same model with radomes (covers to protect against ice and snow). The bird sitting on the antenna was not harmed. 🙂

Lighting is required for towers exceeding 200 feet in height. We would not construct a tower that large.

We would, in addition to the broadcast antenna system use a small antenna for our Emergency Alert System to receive emergency and weather alerts from the stations we monitor for those and a small antenna, if needed, for 5G Internet service.

May I use the tower if you have to build one?
Absolutely! Are you thinking about cutting the cord or wanting to improve your TV reception? We’d be happy to supply you with a great antenna to do just that? Are you a ham radio operator like our Station President and always wanted a tower? Here’s your chance!

Describe the equipment that would be on-site.
Our equipment consists of the following:

• UPS (battery backup unit)
• T-Mobile 5G Internet Gateway
• Ubiquiti Router
• Ubiquiti Switch
• BARIX Extreamer 500
• Desktop PC (no monitor)
• Pira.cz RDS Encoder
• BW Broadcast TX300 V2 Transmitter

How much electricity does WLCB use per month?
We use approximately 350kWh per month. The approximate cost is $54.00 per month.

Where would your equipment need to be located?
It would need to be in a safe location, of course. We could locate it inside an existing building or construct a small shed. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to house it in an outdoor cabinet at the base of the structure our antennas are secured to.

It is currently house in a Dell 42U server rack but doesn’t need to be in anything that large. We could easily fit everything in a 12-18U cabinet at least 24 inches deep.

The location of the equipment should be in a location that we could somewhat easily run our feedline (“coax”) to the antennas. The feedline to the broadcast antennas is about 1 inch thick. The feedline to the EAS antenna is about 1/2 inch thick.

Are you insured?
Yes, we will carry a $1,000,000 insurance policy on the site.

How often do you need to access the equipment?
It’s rare we need physical access to the equipment outside of annual maintenance. Most of our interaction with the equipment is performed remotely. There have been less than 5 occurrences since we went on the air in 2018 that we’ve required physical access and only one of those occurrences was urgent. We would always ask, even under urgent circumstances, for permission to access the transmitter location.

My location is just outside the green area. How accurate is your map?
There’s always room for error. Contact us using the form at the bottom of the page and we’ll check if your exact location is acceptable.

What’s in it for me?
Let’s talk about it! Lakes Community Broadcasting is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN: 83-1921352) that operates on a small budget and none of us collect a salary, but we’re not looking for a free ride. We can afford to pay a modest amount for rent ($100-200/month) plus the cost of electricity.