How do you provide electric power to your FM translators when, 1) It’s really expensive, 2) Commercial power isn’t reliable, 3) The public depends on your service working? KCAW-FM is installing both solar- and wind-generated electrical systems at their translator sites, serving tiny towns and villages in the archipelago of Southeast Alaska. Becky Meiers with KCAW, and Pete Tridish, a longtime consultant to low-power, community, and startup broadcast radio stations both join Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack to explain the motivations for and approaches to renewable power sources for these FM translators.
Show notes
- SuperWind – Micro Wind-Powered Generators
- Pete mentioned Paul Gipe as a resource for wind power info. Here’s Paul’s website.
- KCAW Radio, Sitka, Alaska
- “BUILDING A RENEWABLE ENERGY POWERED TRANSLATOR FOR KCAW” by Pete Tridish
- Radio World article – “Powering an Off-Grid translator With Renewable Energy” by Pete Tridish
Guests
Becky Meiers – Operations Director at KCAW-FM, Sitka, Alaska
Pete Tridish – Director of Electromagnetism at International Media Action
Hosts
Chris Tarr – Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.Media
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting
Follow Kirk on Twitter – @kharnack
Follow TWiRT on Twitter – @TWiRTshow and Facebook
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