Putting new life back into old damaged equipment to return it to service is one of the hallmarks of my work at SonSet Solutions.
SonSet Solutions’ partner, Inspiracom, which operates along the tumultuous U.S./Mexico border, has two high-power transmitters in operation, and a third would be a valuable backup. A deal was arranged with a Christian radio station in Canada to acquire their decommissioned Crown FM 10kW transmitter. If resurrecting it didn’t work, it would still be a valuable source of parts for Inspiracom’s existing transmitters.
Inspiracom broadcasts uplifting messages of hope and love in both English and Spanish, touching the hearts of seven million listeners along the U.S./Mexico border with the transformative power of Jesus Christ. Inspiracom has 13 transmitter sites that cover almost the entire border to accomplish this goal. This spare transmitter will enable them to continue these broadcasts.
With the volunteer help of Larry Humphrey, a technician with Crown Broadcast, many hours were spent cleaning, troubleshooting, repairing and testing the individual amplifiers, power supplies and controllers that make up this transmitter.
The bulk of the troubleshooting, particularly on the commercial power supplies, involved analyzing circuitry without the benefit of schematics. This could be compared to traveling across the U.S. without a GPS or a road map to help you find your way. Despite the lack of schematics, these supplies were successfully repaired.
At last, the transmitter was finished to the point where it could be tested to see if it would work as a complete unit. I had a co-worker help me get the transmitter connected to power and the RF load used for testing. With Larry present, we put power to the unit and, after some finesse, we were able to get the transmitter operational at full power, a full 10,000 watts!
What a joy it is to see this transmitter operational again knowing that it will be used to spread Christian programming along the U.S./Mexico border.
By Alan Good, November 2024