Wachenbrunn transmitter

Antenna of "Voice of Russia" in Wachenbrunn

The Wachenbrunn transmitter is a large broadcasting facility for medium wave in Germany, established in the 1950s. Until 1993 the main transmitter of this facility, the medium wave transmitter for 882 kHz was run with 250 kilowatts. In that year the transmission power of this transmitter, which was formerly used for transmitting the "Voice of DDR" and since the beginning of the 1990s for "MDR info" was reduced to 20 kilowatts.

As an aerial two guyed steel tube masts insulated against ground with heights of 142.8 metres (464 feet) are used. One of these masts was until 1988 a reflector mast at the transmitter Berlin-Koepenick, before it was demounted and rebuilt at Wachenbrunn. This type of transmission aerial allowed a better radiation toward the south-west. Furthermore, there was until the mid-1990s a triangle area aerial and a small guyed mast, which was insulated to ground. Neither installation still exists.

Since 1988 the transmitter Wachenbrunn is also a site of a medium wave transmitter of the Russian foreign radio service Voice of Russia (formerly Radio Moskau) on 1323 kHz. This transmitter is like the transmitter of "MDR info" run by Deutsche Telekom. In the afternoon and evening there are German speaking transmissions of the Voice of Russia. This transmitter is in respect of its transmission power with 1,000 kilowatts the third strongest in Germany and it uses as aerial a directional aerial consisting of four 125.1 metre (407 feet) high guyed steeltube framework masts, which are insulated against ground, with triangular cross section. These masts, which are called by the people "Russian Quartet", are from the other parts of the facility 800 metres (½ mile) away, in order to avoid undesirable interference. For the transmission of the radio frequency power until the modernisation of the facility in 2002/2003 a reusen line from the transmitter, which was located close to the transmitter of "MDR info" and the "Russian Quartet" was used. In doing the modernization in an old store building close to the "Russian Quartet" a completely transistorized transmitter with a power of 1,000 kilowatts was installed.

Therefore, the reusen line was for its greatest parts obsolote and therefore shortened. By shortening the transmission line the effiency of the new transmitter, which is 85 percent, is still made bigger.

During the modernisation the masts of the "Russian Quartet", which had until that point of time a grey colour, were painted red-white.

The Wachenbrunn transmitter on 882 kHz closed down on 1 July 2011, according to the MDR website. The 1323 kHz frequency used by the Voice of Russia and Universelles Leben was not affected by the closure, as it operates from a separate site located about 1 km from the first. However, the high power has been the cause of complaints from nearby residents about interference to electrical equipment.

See also

List of masts

Coordinates: 50°29′34″N 10°33′59″E / 50.49278°N 10.56639°E / 50.49278; 10.56639

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