Front View of Main WGN Transmitter

Engineering Director Jim Carollo describes the operation of the Harris DX-50 main 50kW transmitter to a group of engineers touring the facility from Motorola Labs.

WGN Main Transmitter

The DX-50 50kW transmitter, which is the main on-air unit in use at WGN.

WGN Control Point

Jim Carollo describes the remote control systems in use at WGN. All systems have failsafe back-up components which makes WGN one of the most reliable stations in the US.

Audio Rack

This is the main audio rack. Audio is received from the studio via a 950MHz link, telephone line, or satellite feed. It is processed by an Orban audio processor, before being fed into the C-QUAM Stereo generator. This unit provides the monaural audio, plus the phase modulated stereo RF drive, which is used to excite the Harris DX-50 transmitter.

WGN Basement

Below grade, power enters the building from 2 directions. Here it is switched, automatically, to keep WGN on the air in event of failure of one Edison feed. In addition, if both feeds fail, back-up power is supplied on site by a 300kW generator set.

Bomb Shelter Studio

During the cold war, WGN radio built a bomb shelter at their transmitter site. This was done to insure that WGN would stay on the air in the event of an attack. Today, it still stands as a back-up studio in the event that audio feed is lost, for whatever reason, from the downtown Chicago, Tribune Tower studio location. TX supervisor Ed Wilke descibes the operation.

Generator Set

This is the new back-up generator set used by WGN in the event of all failure of all Edison power feeds. This unit was installed in 2001 to replace a 35 year old unit which served it's purpose well. Fuel consumption is less than 1/2 of the old unit.

3 1/2 Inch Coax

This is a picture of the main RF feedline to the main transmitter tower. The line is presurized with dry nitrogen to insure long term RF properties of the line and prevent any arc-over that might take place if the line were damp and lossy. The line diameter is 3.5 inches.

WGN Antenna Tuning Unit

This is the main tuning panel used to couple the 50 ohm output of the transmitter and feedline to the 80+j300 Ohm impedance of the main tower. Included in the nework, starting form the antenna output point, is an "L" network used to raise the base impedance. This is followed by a series trap, used to remove energy from the newby WBBM transmitter on 780kHz. Finally, a "Tee" network matches the complex impedance to 50 Ohms resistive.

Base Insulator, WGN

The 740 foot tower utilized by WGN radio is series fed with 50kW of RF at 720kHz. The tower stands on a porcelin insulator, RF is fed just above the insulator.

740 Feet of Steel

This is an upward-looking view of the WGN tower. It stands 740 feet tall and was constructed in 1938 to replace the old 2-tower flat-top antenna which had been in use in Elgin, IL.

The 90 foot Yerkes Dome

This is the dome of the building which holds the worrld's largest refracting telescope. At 90 feet in diameter, the dome houses equipment which is still used nearly every clear night to continue research into the proper motion of golbular clusters as well as other projects.

As You Enter the Hallowed Halls...

Yerkes Observaotory, operated by the University of Chicago. Built in 1895 - 1987 under the direction of George Ellery Hale and William Rainey Harper, with funding from Charles T. Yerkes. Hale ws the original director, Harper the first president of the University of Chicago, and Yerkes was a prominent Chicago businessman that provided $450,000 in funding to construct the building, telescope, and pay the first years salery for all employees.

Butterfly

While taking pictures of the Chihuli exhibit in Chicago, I noticed this butterfly feeding on nectar from some small flowers. I decided to test the limits of my digital camera - I was quite surprised at the quality of the picture that resulted.

Blue Saguaro

That is not the name of this glass sculpture, but it is what came to mind when I saw it. Really nice stuff - and that comes from a guy that really deosn't like art too much!

Peppery Cacti

The colors contrasted each other so well that it almost seemed natural. Had to snap a shot....

The Colorful Clam

Once again, I do not know the real name, but I thought this glass sculpture, sitting on green grass, was one of the most beautiful and interesting items on display.

Tivoli (Namibia) Star Hut

Telescopes are kept in seperate buildings at Tivoli with roll-off roofs. The structures protect the equipment from the rains during the late summer, and keep the optics clean and cool during the day. They are simply to operate and very efficient.

Dr. Helmut Schaefer and I

This is a picture of Dr. Schaefer and I in his star hut at Tivoli. His 5 inch Astrophysics refractor is a natural for the dark, southern skies of Namibia.

Blue Water River

This photo was snapped in Iceland before the 31 May, 2003 eclipse. The water is so blue in Iceland, oweing itself to the clear skies and lack of pollution. Iceland is 85%heated by geothermal sources and 100% hydroelectric dependant. They also have the first hydrogen refueling station for fuel cell-based cars and buses.

First Contact

Making sure the video camera is running correctly at the point of first contact, around 3AM!

Vicki at Telescope

Eclipse day, fighting clouds, trying to see the progression of annularity. Vicki and I were successfuli in seeing the annularity phase at about 4:06AM local time.

Mr. Eclipse!

Fred Espenak, Pat Totten, and I after a successful eclipse viewing. Fred is "Mr. Eclipse" at NASA and, with meteorologist Jay Anderson, publishes the NASA eclipse circulars prior to each event. Fred is probably the most knowlegable authority on solar eclipse prediction and the study of these events.

Finding the Cache

What is geocaching? Check out www.geocaching.com to find out. I am looking for a cache in Iceland in this photo that was reported to have a travel bug in it.

Found IT!

This geocache did, indeed, have a travel bug in it - a blue dragonfly. I snagged it up. Not sure where I will drop it off, but I just placed a wonderwoman travel bug in Iceland, and she is already on her way to Italy.

Hot Water

Smells like sulphur, but feels really good. These ponds are abundant in Iceland and make for a good soak after a long flight to the couontry or a long day hiking to see the sights.

Really Hot Pond

This one will cook eggs for you...at nearly 300 degrees F, I would not step in!

Vicki and Lisa

While in Iceland, Vicki wanted to ride an Icelandic horse. She had the chance to ride Lisa - and thought it was a great experience. She hopes to ride another Icelandic horse again someday.

Lisa

Another shot of Lisa, the Icelandic horse - still friends with Vicki even after she rode her for nearly 2 hours.

Fred and I

While I had breifly met Fred in Zambia during that eclipse, I never really got to talk to him much. On this trip, I was fortunate enough to do the site checkout with him the day before the eclipse. While some people in the hobby are unapproachable, Fred, much like my friend Joel Harris, is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. It was such a great experience to learn from Fred - I look forward to going with him again!

Vicki and I

This waterfall was so incredaly beautiful - it seemed like a natural place to get a picture of Vicki and I.

Eclipse Day

Vicki grabbed this quick shot of me the morning of the eclipse. I had everything set-up, including the Ketral 4000 weather station and the camera and telescope. Now, the waiting began...

Natural Holes

A result of natural lava flows, these holes are found in many rocks in Iceland. These seemed to have a certain natural beauty about them - depite the rain, we ran back to the car to get more film and capture this shot!

Sunset Progressing

While ti takes a mere 2 minutes for the sun to set here at home, it takes over 30 minutes from the time it first hits the horizon in Iceland during the month of May and June. The sun only drops 4 degrees below the horizon on June 1, and it never really gets dark. This picture was taken 20 minutes after the earlier shot in this gallery.

Tone - The Hard Rock Valentine Girl

The Hard Roick Cafe was a great place to get a burger and a beer in Reykjavik. Like many HRC's, they sell pins that commemorate your visit to their establishment. One of the pins was a girl riding a whopping swan to celebrate Valentines Day, 2003. Turned out that the girl that modeled for that pin was named Tone (pronounced Tone - ah), and she was there. Since Matt and I bought the pins, we had to pose with her!

Vicki and the Crater

Vicki poses above a volcanic crater. The clear, blue water really looked like that. It was about a 200 foot slide down the rocks to the water. We did not chance it...

Eclipse Day

Vicki's birding telescope doubles as a good astronomical telescope - especially for solar eclipses. A Thousand Oaks filter is fitted to the scope, and the variable occular allows her to zoom from 15X to 60X. This scope gives the best views of an eclipse that anyone could ever hope for.

America and Europe Divide

It is a little known fact that the 2 plates that seperate America and Europe meet in Iceland. Here, Vicki straddles the 2 plates. It was a long way down - maybe that is where they got the idea for Journey to the Center of the Earth!

Shear Beauty

That is the only way to sum up Iceland. This waterfall is but one of dozens that can be enjoyed while traveling in the country.

Cumberland Falls

The waterfall at Lake Cumberland in Kentucky taken in October, 2003. Poor quality 640x480 size.

Wildflowers in Kentucky

Just like the title says.....once again, 640x480 quality.

Kentucky at Peak Color

Poor example, 480x640 files size.