TWiRT 753 - Alpine, FM, and the Genius of Edwin Armstrong
Friday, June 20, 2025 at 1:25PM
Join us for a special on-location episode of This Week in Radio Tech, recorded at the historic Armstrong Tower in Alpine, New Jersey—the birthplace of wideband FM broadcasting. We’re joined by electronics designer and radio historian Steve Hemphill, along with Chuck Sackermann, who owns and oversees this iconic site. Together, we explore the groundbreaking legacy of Edwin H. Armstrong and the enduring impact of his tower and technology. Tim Braddock also joins us with comments about the famous Alford Antenna, in service for over 50 years on the Empire State Building.Don’t miss this fascinating journey through radio history, innovation, and preservation!
Show Notes:
Wikipedia article about the Armstrong Tower
History Above the Treetops: The Alpine Tower - from Radio World
The Birthplace of FM Broadcasting, Alpine, N.J. - by Scott Fybush
Guests:
Charles Sackermann - President at K2 Communications
Steve Hemphill - Owner of Solid Electronics Laboratories
Tim Braddock - Broadcast Technology Consultant
Tom Lawler - Field Technical Services at RCS
Host:
Kirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, Star94.3, South Seas, & Akamai Broadcasting
Follow TWiRT on Twitter and on Facebook - and see all the videos on YouTube.
TWiRT is brought to you by:
Broadcasters General Store, with outstanding service, saving, and support. Online at BGS.cc.
Broadcast Bionics - making radio smarter with Bionic Studio, visual radio, and social media tools at Bionic.radio.
Aiir, providing PlayoutONE radio automation, and other advanced solutions for audience engagement.
Angry Audio and the new Rave analog audio mixing console.
The new MaxxKonnect Broadcast U.192 MPX USB Soundcard - The first purpose-built broadcast-quality USB sound card with native MPX output.
Subscribe to Audio:
iTunes
RSS
Stitcher
TuneIn
Subscribe to Video:
iTunes
RSS
YouTube
