The WOC-TV and WHBF-TV stations receive video and audio signals from their studios by microwave, using a 6' parabolic antenna mounted on the new tower. WOC-TV and WHBF-TV have power generators and auxiliary transmitters for emergency use.

WVIK-FM and WDLM-FM receive their stereo signals from their studios using small antennas mounted on a sixty foot tower next to the transmitter building.

The combined monthly power consumption of all the stations' transmitters is about 158,000 kilowatt-hours.

The tower stands on a base pier 4' in diameter and is 60' deep. The bottom of the pier tapers to 12' in diameter. Each of the six guy cable anchors utilizes seven caissons 30" in diameter, 50' long and are tied together at the top by a slab of concrete 17' x 20' and 4' thick. Almost 700 cubic yards of concrete were used for the base pier and guy anchors.

The flashing strobe lights are automatic and flash 24 hours a day and have three levels of intensity. Each fixture produces 200,000 candelas in the daytime and 4,000 candelas at night. The beam spread of the fixture is three degrees and each fixture uses about 200 watts of power.

The tower was shipped in pieces from Columbia, South Carolina using 22 trucks. The erection crew was from Texas and required about 5 weeks to assemble the 44 sections. Most of the sections are 30' long. The tower started up August 22nd and was topped out September 22nd. The antenna was lifted up September 27th and was welded to the top of the tower.

There are six bays of "bat wings". The one antenna radiates a 6-1/8" transmission line to the tower top where the signals are combined and fed to the antenna. Each station is completely isolated from the other. The antenna is equipped with an automatic deicer to eliminate antenna ice. After extensive testing, WOC-TV signed on using the new tower November 5th and WHBF-TV signed on December 1st.

The KIIK (FM) antenna is side mounted at the top of the tower. It uses 14 bays and is over 100' long. A 4" heliax transmission line is used to feed the power from the transmitter to the antenna.

This is the transmission line to the 500 foot tower next door which is the broadcasting tower for WDLM and Augustana College. Behind the line is the wench which is being prepped to start its journey up the new tower. In the picture below, the wench is starting its long trip up the side of the tower. Notice that in the right hand side of the picture, the base of the tower is shown. This small upside down pinnacle will balance the incredible structure in place for decades.	The truck is holding the wench which will be attached to the tower. The wench raises the next section up. The wench, once it is attached, holds up the next section until it is attached and the process continues over and over again until the tower is completed. In the picture below, the wench is now being lifted straight up the first section of tower.

In the following picture and the one above, you can see two wenches being hoisted. This must be a type of extension wench and they are both being lifted to the top. Notice the spectacular shot of the base of the tower on the right hand side of the shot.

The big wooden spool is the transmission line for the FM. This line will be going right up the tower once the tower is complete. The line is wound up in the spool, it is coaxis four inches in diameter. The TV is transmitted on what we call rigid pipe. It is 6 inches in diameter, twenty feet long, and they just bolt it together.

In the above picture you can see a door with someone standing in the doorway. The orange truck blocks part of the view. That door is still there and so is the wooden railing. The grey section in front with the white roof is the emergency broadcast generator. If we lose power then that generator kicks in with power for us. WHBF Channel 4 is right behind the white grid section which has the white pipe coming out of it. The little pipe sticking out of the emergency generator building is for exhaust.

In these shots, the workers are tightening up the guy wires as the tower continues to climb. The tower in the far distance is the WOC south tower.

Above, the tower continues to climb. Below, the pieces are being hauled up the tower as they need them this way. There are brackets attached at the base of the tower and they use steel cable to lift the different parts with a pulley system.	In the above picture you can see the seven FM antennas on the other tower. They look like little curly-ques. Today there are fourteen FM antennas which are used. These antennas are called circular polarized. They are like two hooks, almost touching in the middle, one going one way and one going the opposite way.
In the below picture, the tower on the left is the old 1960 tower and the tower on the right is the new 1982 tower which is taking its place.	These are automatic guy wire tensioners. When it gets too cold or too hot they will automatically adjust thus keeping the tower stable.

At this point try to imagine how high this tower has become. You can see way at the top the wench still doing its job as section by section is being attached. The key part is to keep away from the guy wires as it is being built. If one of them were snapped, the whole thing would come down. That is why the trucks are in the field in the pictures. This keeps the new section of tower from coming even close to the guy wires as they are being pulled out and pulled up.

Below, another terrific shot of the base of the tower. To the left, the fly swatter type attachment is a microwave receiver for video from the studio.

In the right hand side picture, the top gold antenna is a microwave receiver for WLLR now, the bottom round one is for WDLM and this is how their signal is received. These are attached to a smaller antenna and were just a good photo shot at the time.

This triangular piece is the top of the tower.

	With the top of the tower attached, it is now time to prep the combined WHBF TV 4 and WOC TV 6 TV antenna.
Above, the antenna is just about ready. To the right, a process called sweeping the antenna is ready to go. This process checks out the antenna one more time for any errors before it is attached. All calibration adjustments are made.
This unique lantern is the flashing beacon light which will be attached on the top. Take a good look at it, this is the last time you will be this close to it for a long time to come.
208 volts will travel through these wires up to the beacon light.
The gentleman on the right is Dick Deeters who was raised in Davenport and was the WHBF Channel 4 engineer. He is on the scene checking it out.	The pole being carried by the two men in the bottom left picture is the transmission line for TV. Below, the cable itself is being pulled up to the top of the tower.
	On the left is a box of clamps for the tansmission line. Below is the TV transmission cable which is in rigid pipe. It looks like large long boxes but it is rigid six inch pipe in wooden crates.
	Above is the base of the 1960 tower. Scoll up and compare the architectural advances compared to the new 1982 base. On the left is last shot ever of the top of the old 1960 tower.
What goes up must come down. Above, the 1960 tower still standing along with the new 1982 tower. Below, the 1960 tower is now on the ground.
	Above, the 1960 becon light shown up close, after being taken down, for the first time in 22 years.
	Mission accomplished, clean up time!
	Above, part of the wench back from its long high journey.
	Howard Kile and Al Starkweather. Howard used to own Kile's gift shop in Duck Creek Plaza. He is making an adjustment to the microwave receiving rack.
Pictures from the basement of the five way trunking radio system. Taken with left-over film after the tower was complete.

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