Warsaw radio mast
Warsaw Radio Mast | |
---|---|
Radiofoniczny Ośrodek Nadawczy w Konstantynowie | |
radio mast) | |
Civil engineer | Andrzej Szepczyński at Mostostal M-4 Zabrze |
Other designers | Alimak Het from Sweden (elevator) Brown, Boveri & Cie from Switzerland (transmitters) Several Polish companies |
Main contractor | Polish Broadcasting Company (Polskie Radio) |
The Warsaw Radio Mast (
Designed by Jan Polak, its construction started with
The mast was designed for national pride, mainly because of the height of the mast, which made it the tallest structure in the world at the time, surpassing the KVLY-TV mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, US. It was also designed to broadcast the "propaganda of the successes." Due to the mast's height, listeners from all over the world could tune in to Polish radio broadcasts, including those in remote places such as Antarctica.[3]
The official name of the facility was Radiofoniczny Ośrodek Nadawczy w Konstantynowie (Radiophonic Transmission Centre Konstantynów), Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie (Radio Transmission Centre Konstantynów; RCN Konstantynów) or Warszawska Radiostacja Centralna (WRC) w Gąbinie (Warsaw Central Radio Station Gąbin). It broadcast
Construction
The mast's location, which was finalised to be in Gąbin, was chosen because of its high soil conductivity and the need for a position in the centre of Poland.[9] A large amount of research was utilised to decide where to build the mast, which included factors such as soil resistance, ownership of property, and the quality of infrastructure (especially roads).
The mast was initially constructed to replace the Raszyn radio transmitter, which had been constructed in 1931 and rebuilt in 1949. The Raszyn transmitter was designed to cover the Eastern Borderlands, and so Polish authorities did not consider reception in the Recovered Territories. When it became evident that Raszyn could not provide coverage to the entire country, the station received an increase of power to 500 kW, but this too failed. In the late 1960s it was decided to construct a new central transmitter at the geographical centre of Poland (post-WWII borders). Gąbin was chosen not only due to its central position, but also its high soil conductivity.[10] During storms, when the mast could not operate, the signal would be temporarily switched to Raszyn, a process that was eased thanks to direct phone lines from RCN Konstantynów to both Raszyn and the energy sector.[10]
The Warsaw radio mast was a
In the lower half of the mast, there was a vertical steel tube, attached to the mast's outer structure with large insulators. This tube was grounded at the bottom, and connected electrically to the mast structure by an adjustable metal bar at a height of 328.68 metres (1,078.3 ft) when the tower transmitted on 227 kHz longwave and at a height of 334.18 metres (1,096.4 ft) when it switched to 225 kHz on 1 February 1988.[13] This technique allowed adjusting the impedance of the mast for the transmitter and worked by applying a direct current ground at a point of low radio frequency voltage, to conduct static charge to ground without diminishing the radio energy. Static electrical charge can build up to high values, even at times of no thunderstorm activity, when such tall structures are insulated from ground. Use of this technique provides better lightning protection than using just a spark gap at the mast base, as it is standard at most mast radiators insulated against ground.[12]
The mast was equipped in 16 levels with arrays of six air traffic warning lights with 200 W power. At the top there was a flashing beacon consisting of two lamps of 1,000 W.[14][15]
A 600 metres (2,000 ft) long special
To supply power to the station, a 110 kV
Problems
Approximately ten years after completion of the mast, inspections revealed structural damage caused by wind-induced oscillations at the mast, the backstay insulators and the guys. Repair work was considered to be expensive and difficult, so replacement of the mast by a stronger construction of the same height was considered; but this was not carried out due to Poland's worsening economic situation. Repainting was started in 1988, but could not be completed due to not enough paint being available.[19] A lack of equipment and training of maintenance teams led to a severe degradation of the mast's condition by the late 1980s. An inspection in May 1989 found that 13 strands of the upper guys had been fractured and, by the time of the collapse of the mast in 1991, seven guy wire insulators had been damaged. Another cause of the structure's deterioration was insufficient knowledge of the strains exerted on structures of such a great height. Additionally, on 23 March 1992, Adam Brzeziński, managing director of Mostostal Zabrze at the time, stated to Dziennik Zachodni that Mostostal should have prepared a technical report before starting construction on the risks faced during repair of a strained mast.[20]
Specifications
General characteristics
- Weight: 420 tonnes (930,000 lb)[1]
- Height: 646.38 metres (2,120.67 ft)[1]
- Coordinates: 52 22 3.74 N 19 48 8.73 E[21]
- Frequency: 227 kHz (before February 1988), 225 kHz (after February 1988)[13]
- Type: Guyed steel lattice mast
- Designer: Jan Polak[5]
Transmitter
- Model and Manufacturer: Brown, Boveri & Cie, Brown Boveri SL 61 B3[22][18]
- Power: 1,000 kW (1 MW)[1][18]
- Total Power: 2,000 kW (2 MW)[1][18]
Transmitter building
- Volume: 17,000 m3[16]
- Distance from mast: 600 metres (2,000 ft)[16]
- Method of signal transportation: Overhead Radio Frequency Transmission Line[16]
Elevator
- Model and Manufacturer: Alimak[13][12]
- Maximum Capacity: 3 people[13][12]
- Type: Climbing elevator[13][12]
- Power supply: Internal combustion engine[14]
Staff
The manager of the radio station from 1974 to 1980 was Zygmunt Duczmalewski (died 2016). His successor, Witold Czowgan (1947–2017), served as the manager from 1983 to 1986.[23][24]
The mast had a total of 30 engineers and technicians. It also had 15 administrative staff. Because a large portion of the staff was recruited from around Poland, a new
Collapse
At 16:00 UTC on 8 August 1991 a
Since the collapse of the 640-metre (2,100 ft) Warsaw radio mast, the tallest structure in Poland has been the FM radio and TV transmission mast at Olsztyn-Pieczewo, 385 metres (1,263 ft) tall.[1][29]
Replacement
After the collapse, Polskie Radio used the old
Because of the importance of Polish longwave transmitters to
After the inauguration of the transmitter at Solec Kujawski, the transmitter at Raszyn was again used for transmitting on the frequency AM-LW (long wave) 198 kHz for Polskie Radio Parlament until it ended LW transmissions in 2009.[35]
At Gąbin, there was also a radio link relay tower, commissioned in 1974, last used in 1998 and demolished in 2021. It was used as a radio relay link to receive Polskie Radio Program I programming from the microwave link at the RTCN Warszawa (PKiN) transmitter to Konstantynów. In front of the entrance to the mast, a cross was erected by local residents associated with the now defunct Association for the Protection of Human Life at the Highest Mast of Europe.[30]
From 2001 to 2012, the facility was managed by the Real Estate department of Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. (TP SA). Due to the 2012 merger of TP and Orange Polska, the facility is now managed by the Orange Polska SA Real Estate Sales Office. The facility is protected against unauthorised access, as it is worth approximately PLN 3,650,000 (approx. $1 million USD).[36]
State since 1991
Except for the mast and the
In 2018, the Swiss Brown, Boveri & Cie 2 piece radio transmitter (Brown Boveri SL 61 B3) was donated by Orange Polska, a Polish telecommunications provider, to the Babice Transatlantic Radio Station Culture Park Association. It was then transferred to Warsaw for renovation. There are plans to restore the transmitter for active usage in a museum.[18][22][37]
At the end of September 2021, the Konstantynów relay tower was decommissioned and demolished.
-
Foundation of former mast
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Former helix building
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Tower used for marking the northern end of span field of the guylines
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Guard tower at southern limb
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Radio relay tower
In popular culture
The Warsaw radio mast was added to
The Warsaw Radio mast's successor and predecessor, the
The Polish Film Chronicle, a Polish newsreel typically shown in cinemas before a movie, showed the Warsaw Radio Mast.[3][42]
See also
- Radio masts and towers
- List of catastrophic collapses of broadcast masts and towers
- KVLY-TV mast
- List of tallest structures
References
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- ^ a b Kępa, Marek (2021). "The Sky is the Limit: Poland's Highest Mountains & Tallest Buildings". culture.pl. Adam Mickiewicz Institute; Polish Ministry of Culture, National Heritage and Sport.
- ^ a b c d Polish Film Chronicles nr 39 1991 on Warsaw Radio Mast w/English Subtitles, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-04-12
- ^ "Marian Siedlarek about the lift on the mast in Konstantynów". radiopolska.pl (in Polish).
- ^ a b c Andruszkiewicz, Wojciech (January 21, 2006). "Maszt Radiowy w Konstantynowie (Gąbin, Polska) - najwyższa budowla na świecie". Budowle.pl (in Polish). Wojciech Andruszkiewicz. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie cz. 2/5, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2021-04-12
- S2CID 27536503– via Elsevier.
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- ^ Meier, Allison (2013). "Lost Wonders: The Warsaw Radio Mast". atlasobscura.com.
- ^ a b "Katastrofa masztu" [Mast catastrophe]. www.rcnkonstantynow.pl (in Polish). Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie. Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
- ^ Warsaw Radio Mast, Google Maps
- ^ a b Now Gąbin | Equipment from the Radio Center in Konstantynów will get a new life. Will any exhibit go to Gąbin? - Now Gąbin, [1] Archived 2018-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie". www.rcnkonstantynow.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-04-13.
- ^ a b "Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie". www.rcnkonstantynow.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "Radiowe Centrum Nadawcze w Konstantynowie". www.rcnkonstantynow.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-04-12.
- ^ "25 years ago today, the tallest structure on earth you've never heard of collapsed". newstalk.com. 2016. Retrieved 2020-12-07.
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- ^ PAP News Wire, April 7, 1992, NEWS, 106 words, RADIO MAST IN GABIN TO OPERATE AGAIN
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- ^ Żółtowska-Tomaszewska, Urszula (2018). "Co dalej z masztem z Konstantynowa?". PolskieRadio.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2021-04-14.
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