Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-12-26
Radio Station To
Open At Frederick
First OF January
Rockville One OF Communities
Which Will Be Served By
New Outfit

RADIO STATION WIND, at Fred
erick, Maryland, goes on the air as
the country's newest station, with a
signal strength of 500 Watts occupy
| ing the 900 kc. regional channel.
| WFMD has been planned with great
elaboration. Field strength measure
ments were begun as early as May
and June 1885, for the purpose Of de-
termining the most suitable location
| for the transmitter. This was in it
self no small task, as Frederick is
bounded on the west with two lengths
of mountainous terrain which varies
from the valley level of 400 feet to a
maximum heigth of 1900 feet, fact
which caused reflection angles and ir-
regular waves inconsistent with suf-
ficient coverage of assigned territory
to the west. The transmitter site was
finally established about two and a
half miles southwest of Frederick on
the Feaga farm, where Chief Engin-
eer A. v. Tidmore and Experimental
Engineer Glenn D. Gillett found very
satisfactory soil conditions. A total of
thirteen acres was leased by the
company.
From the engineering standpoint
WIND will be completely modern
unit. Eight miles of number eight
copper wire was stretched as the
spokes of a wheel from the central
copper mat under the transmitter tow
err. The area involved by this huge
wheel Of 1926 radial spokes is measur-
ed with a 900 foot diameter. The
transmitter tower itself, designed and
built by the Truscon Steel Company,
is the newest and most modern of it's
kind in the country. The tower bases
are sunk seven feet under the sand
stone subtrata, and are IL feet 11%
inches apart. The tower is triangular,
of structural steel, and tapers from
the base dimensions to one foot
triangle at the 237 foot height, which
dimension is maintained to the top
of the tower-257 feet. The tower, be-
sides it's radio usage, is also link
in the chain of Department of Com
merce air beacons for planes on the
Washington- Cleveland Chicago run.
Although there have been many tri-
angular towers constructed, features
of the new WIND vertical radiator
are new, as this is the first of these
towers to vary in hypotenuse dimen-
sions at successfully higher levels.
The sharp squire top of the tower
will deliver a clear sharp signal de-
void of the foggy qualities of the
first vertical radiators. The tower was
erected by the H. C. Koeppe Company,
Steel Erectors.
The transmitter eqipmenU as well as
the studio speech in-put was designed
for WIND by R. G. Powell, using the
Glass B meditation meters. This feat
ure, one of the first to be installed
in a commercial transmitter, provides
for an alarm gong to sound whenever
the meditation falls too low or rises
too high. 1t is expected that this auto
matte alarm system will greatly over
come the fading due to low program
levels. so noticeable before.
The stuulo seJ-up was constructed
in the lower lobby of the Francis
Scott Key Hotel. The main Studio
measures % by 40 feet, while the
second studio measures 10 by IL feet.
Walls are constructed on the
FLOATING" principle. In addition to
the two studios WIND houses the
General Manager, Production and Pro-
gram Departments, Commercial De-
partment and Auditor, Office Staff
and Control Room. Decorations are in
a modern trend, with bright colors,
predominating.
The personnel of WIND includes;
A. v. Tidmore, General Manager and
Chief Engineer; Robert L. Longstreet,
Production Programs and Chief An
nouncer; George G. Smith and Bever-
ly M. Middleton Commercial Repre-
sentatives; j. Spangler Kieffer, Sec
rotary; Nat Westcott control operat-
or; and Lewis Rice, Engineer in
charge of the transmitter. Additions
to this skeleton staff have not as yet
been announced, but will include two
announcers, an engineer, and several
staff musicians.
WIND is owned and operated by
the Monocacy Broadcasting Co., a
Maryland Corporation, taking it's
name from the historic Monocacy Riv-
er which flows near Frederick, Mary
land, and which gave it's name to the
decisive battle of the Civil War which
saved the capitol city of Washington
from capture by the Southern armies.
l. r n