Television translators
Many home and cable systems in Wyoming got their over-air television by way of translators. These stations would receive the "mother" and rebroadcast on another channel. Being located on mountain tops, they extended the television coverage area tremendously. KTWO was able to be recieved south of Gillette on Antelope Butte, a distance of over 120 miles! Some translators worked in "daisy chains". KTWO was relayed to Jackson by 3 such translators, one leg using a 150 mile, non-line-of-site path. These long paths were not always reliable, and I can remember one time channel 2 WXYZ Detroit had skipped in on top of KTWO.
Two of the most memorable characters that built these translators were Don Grimes, based in Sheridan and Darwin Hillberry, out of Riverton. Don worked fulltime for KTWO TV and when he retired, I was assigned his duties. KTWO provided technical assistance to all the translators that carried its programs and operated its own translators at Jackson, Bondurant (feed for Jackson), Lander, Gillette, Laramie and Sheridan.
The first time the KTWO Thiokol snow tractor went out was to install the Sheridan translator on Banner Ridge. Tom Norman, Don Grimes and 3 others built the site, near where the cable company used to have its over-air receive antennas for the Billings TV stations. Banner is south of Sheridan and has a view to the south which allows it to be fed microwave from the Pumpkin Buttes relay from Casper Mountain. KTWO, KCWC and the cable imported Denver TV by this route. After the KTWO translator was built, being TV station owned, was supposed to be must carry on the Sheridan cable system. According to Tom Norman, the cable system put a timer on the main power feed so that it shut down everytime KTWO was doing Wyoming news. That way Arbitron ratings would show minimum viewers and the cable could claim an exemption based on "not significantly viewed" regulations. The cable could stay on because they had battery backup for thier low power equipment.
That site is no longer used by KTWO. In the early 90s the surrounding ranch land was purchased by Skeeter Johnson, owner of Coca Cola of Atlanta GA. He closed the county road leading from the old Banner Store, and decided to charge for the land use. A survey performed by the State of Wyoming showed that the sites used by former Dome Communication (Wyoming Public Radio 91.3 FM) and KCWC (Wyoming Public Television) were in-fact over the line, in the state school section land. KTWO and the cable moved out because Skeeter wanted $5000 a month for use fees. Access is still a delicate issue as the final agreement calls for "4 wheel drive road" which means helicopter. Even in the KTWO days when the roads were still public, I had to helicopter in several times during the winter months.
Above is the current KTWO receive antenna on Antelope Butte, Gillette WY. In the old days it was propped on the wooden posts, pointed down the the hill and somewhat away from the direct line to Casper. This was called a "hot spot", a technique frequently used in rural Wyoming, as a reflected signal could be stronger and more consistant in adverse weather than the direct path. Obviously some later engineer at KTWO thought otherwise.
Bob Price, when he was GM of KTWO TV did not like Darwin, which was strange because Darwin was instrumental on getting KTWO on cable systems, including the one's that he operated. While translators bring no income by themselves, they are a way for cable systems to import TV signals without the expense of microwave relays. While they could be viewed over-the-air, most people prefered to pay for cable service and many did not understand UHF channels.
Translators not owned by the mother station were financed by community groups that functioned as non-profit clubs. Dues were collected annually to pay for the electric and BLM/Forest Service fees. Laramie still has such a group, but others around the state have folded. Engineering for the Laramie translator group is Jim Petty of UW. He also supports the community LPFM KOCA 93.5. Younger audience prefers satellite or programs imported by cable and do not contribute to translator groups. A remarkable exception is Park County WY, where the county runs tax supported facilities on McCullough Peak. KTWO and KCWC are delivered there by microwave relay from Copper Mountain just south of Thermopolis and Billings stations come by fiber to Meeteesee.
FM radio stations can also have translators, and over the years they have helped distribute Wyoming Public Radio KUWR from Laramie WY. With the demise of community associations, WPR now holds the licenses for all of its 8 translators which are in- Driggs ID, Evanston, Lander, Sand Draw [Riverton], Sinclair [Rawlins/Saratoga], Dubois, Worland and Torrington WY. KCSP [Pilgrim Radio] in Casper also has a string of translators across the state carrying religeous programs. Moody Bible Institute was one of the first to implement satellite distribution for translators and serves several Wyoming communities, including Jackson and Casper.
Two of the most memorable characters that built these translators were Don Grimes, based in Sheridan and Darwin Hillberry, out of Riverton. Don worked fulltime for KTWO TV and when he retired, I was assigned his duties. KTWO provided technical assistance to all the translators that carried its programs and operated its own translators at Jackson, Bondurant (feed for Jackson), Lander, Gillette, Laramie and Sheridan.
The first time the KTWO Thiokol snow tractor went out was to install the Sheridan translator on Banner Ridge. Tom Norman, Don Grimes and 3 others built the site, near where the cable company used to have its over-air receive antennas for the Billings TV stations. Banner is south of Sheridan and has a view to the south which allows it to be fed microwave from the Pumpkin Buttes relay from Casper Mountain. KTWO, KCWC and the cable imported Denver TV by this route. After the KTWO translator was built, being TV station owned, was supposed to be must carry on the Sheridan cable system. According to Tom Norman, the cable system put a timer on the main power feed so that it shut down everytime KTWO was doing Wyoming news. That way Arbitron ratings would show minimum viewers and the cable could claim an exemption based on "not significantly viewed" regulations. The cable could stay on because they had battery backup for thier low power equipment.
That site is no longer used by KTWO. In the early 90s the surrounding ranch land was purchased by Skeeter Johnson, owner of Coca Cola of Atlanta GA. He closed the county road leading from the old Banner Store, and decided to charge for the land use. A survey performed by the State of Wyoming showed that the sites used by former Dome Communication (Wyoming Public Radio 91.3 FM) and KCWC (Wyoming Public Television) were in-fact over the line, in the state school section land. KTWO and the cable moved out because Skeeter wanted $5000 a month for use fees. Access is still a delicate issue as the final agreement calls for "4 wheel drive road" which means helicopter. Even in the KTWO days when the roads were still public, I had to helicopter in several times during the winter months.
Above is the current KTWO receive antenna on Antelope Butte, Gillette WY. In the old days it was propped on the wooden posts, pointed down the the hill and somewhat away from the direct line to Casper. This was called a "hot spot", a technique frequently used in rural Wyoming, as a reflected signal could be stronger and more consistant in adverse weather than the direct path. Obviously some later engineer at KTWO thought otherwise.
Bob Price, when he was GM of KTWO TV did not like Darwin, which was strange because Darwin was instrumental on getting KTWO on cable systems, including the one's that he operated. While translators bring no income by themselves, they are a way for cable systems to import TV signals without the expense of microwave relays. While they could be viewed over-the-air, most people prefered to pay for cable service and many did not understand UHF channels.
Translators not owned by the mother station were financed by community groups that functioned as non-profit clubs. Dues were collected annually to pay for the electric and BLM/Forest Service fees. Laramie still has such a group, but others around the state have folded. Engineering for the Laramie translator group is Jim Petty of UW. He also supports the community LPFM KOCA 93.5. Younger audience prefers satellite or programs imported by cable and do not contribute to translator groups. A remarkable exception is Park County WY, where the county runs tax supported facilities on McCullough Peak. KTWO and KCWC are delivered there by microwave relay from Copper Mountain just south of Thermopolis and Billings stations come by fiber to Meeteesee.
FM radio stations can also have translators, and over the years they have helped distribute Wyoming Public Radio KUWR from Laramie WY. With the demise of community associations, WPR now holds the licenses for all of its 8 translators which are in- Driggs ID, Evanston, Lander, Sand Draw [Riverton], Sinclair [Rawlins/Saratoga], Dubois, Worland and Torrington WY. KCSP [Pilgrim Radio] in Casper also has a string of translators across the state carrying religeous programs. Moody Bible Institute was one of the first to implement satellite distribution for translators and serves several Wyoming communities, including Jackson and Casper.
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