Around North Caddo Parish

I can’t remember exactly which weekend, but I believe the last weekend of July I drove around the local area. Specifically, I drove up into Caddo Parish towards the Caddo Lake dam and draw bridge.

Along the way I wanted to stop at two transmitter sites for two different radio stations. One being 710 AM KEEL, and the other fir 1130 AM KWKH. You’ll notice that each site has an array of antennas. They all work together to broadcast one signal. This part of Caddo Parish seems to be used for all the over-the-air broadcasts for TV and radio in the local area. The AM transmitters are set up this way to allow for signal propagation to be directional. While some of the propagation will travel in all directions. Most of it will be directed in two directions. Those directions being perpendicular to the array of antennas. In this case, both transmitter sites are set up to focus the bulk of their transmissions east and west. This directionality allows for AM stations on the same frequency to be closer together, since their transmissions can propagate long distances under the right circumstances.

KWKH is a clear channel station. Meaning that it can broadcast at its full power 24/7. That power being 50,000 watts, which is typical of a clear channel station. KEEL also broadcasts at 50,000 watts, but only during the day. At night it powers down to 5,000 watts since AM radio signals can travel much further at night. A station broadcasting at 50,000 watts can be heard well over 400 miles away at night. That’s what allows me to tune in to WSM and listen to the Grand Ole Opry all the way in Nashville with my radio.

I find the six-antenna array of KEEL eye catching as it dominates the surrounding landscape with its presence. And it looks like something out of a sci-fi/horror movie when captured in black and white. I should also note that the KWKH transmitter is a historic sight.

After a visit to the I proceed to the Caddo Lake dam and then the draw bridge. While at the draw bridge a train passed by overhead which I attempted to capture with my movie camera. I’m still waiting for that film to come back from development. I’ll make a post about that movie when I get it back.