NET Goes On-Air with New Culbertson, NE Transmitter

Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) recently installed a new 1.4Kw translator near Culbertson, NE in the south-western area of Nebraska. The site is located in a rural area 16 miles southwest of McCook, NE where we spent the week. During the week the weather varied from a beautiful spring day to a storm dropping snow, rain and cold weather as a last-ditch effort for winter to remain in effect through April. The trip from Lincoln took about 4 hours and the equipment movers did another fine job of delivering the goods while removing the old system which had been serving customers since the digital transition.

There we some challenges from everything to weather, logistics and dealing with working during a world pandemic. The change of system comes on the heels of the FCC Spectrum Auction as the channel was required to relocate to CH-21 as soon as possible. 

Once arriving at the hotel in McCook there are only a dozen or so guests mostly essential personnel in communications, road work, etc. As with everywhere in NE, the local restaurants are take-out only but the food is good and the locals welcome the business. I don my mask and stop by a local Walmart to get water and supplies. I noticed they had Charmin bathroom tissue so I grabbed one to take back home, yes only one. Though the Coronavirus is not wide spread in this small-town people are conscientious and maintaining social distancing. 

We spend the first day getting the tower crew going, delivering the new transmitter, and assisting the local electricians with installing the new electrical. The second day goes well as the antenna and transmission line installation continues until the winch dies. The tower crew go into town to look for parts to repair it while we try to figure out how to secure the harmonic filter to the mask filter so we can start testing to load. We determine we may need a custom bracket to keep it in place. We decided to drive into town to see what we can find to resolve it when we come upon a welding shop whose owner promises he can fabricate something for us that day. 

Once we return from visiting the welding shop and hardware store with some items needed to anchor the rack our friend from the welding shop shows up and hands over the needed bracket he has fabricated which fits perfectly. I offer to pay but he is a big fan of NET’s radio and television programming so that he offers it gladly at no charge. Meanwhile the tower crew returns to continue what work they can do as the part for the winch is now on order and expected the following day.

The third day the snow storm comes along with no part for the winch. We spend the day testing and ensuring everything will be ready once the tower work begins back up. 

On the fourth day the part arrives and we’re all back in business. It takes another two days to finish removing the old antenna and transmission line and installing the new antenna and line. After testing everything works as planned and NET is back on air for the McCook/Culbertson communities. As I return back to Lincoln, NE I will remember the folks in McCook who like everyone in American are working through the challenges of the coronavirus. I won’t forget the hospitality, friendly service and great Mexican food. I hope to return someday. 

This project is part of an overall project to replace nearly a dozen translators around Nebraska for equipment refresh and those displaced by the FCC repack. The vendors include Gates Air, Rohde and Schwartz, ERI, Katherine and K-Tech. 

Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET), including Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations, is the statewide public media service dedicated to creating opportunities for Nebraskans to engage with critical issues, compelling stories and quality entertainment. NET serves each of Nebraska’s 93 counties with 52,560 hours of programming each year on four television and two radio channels, plus online and mobile content. In addition to providing free, high-quality educational programming for children, NET provides programming in the arts, award-winning news and current affairs information and emergency alert services. 

NET Technology is hiring; check us out at https://netnebraska.org/basic-page/about-net/career-information.