WLW’s 500,000 Watt Transmitter

Tour of the historic WLW AM monster broadcast transmitter facility located in Mason Ohio. WLW has kept a major piece of broadcasting history alive by keeping much of the old high power transmitter intact. Recorded while at Hamvention, Dayton OH, in 2013 Back in 1932 WLW increased their power from 50,000 watts to 500,000 watts. They were the only AM broadcasting station in America ever to operate at 500,000 watts. Much of the old transmitter still exists. It is really a high power amplifier with a high level modulator (360,000 watts). The amplifier was driven from their existing 50,000 watt Western Electric transmitter. The system used 20 100,000 watts tubes ($1,600 each in 1932) that required water cooling that used a cooling pond located outside the station. Tons, and tons, of hardware was required to achieve the 10 dB gain. According to WIKI: But Crosley still wasn’t satisfied. In 1933 he obtained a construction permit from the Federal Radio Commission for a 500 kilowatt superstation