Heusweiler radio transmitter

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The Heusweiler transmitter is a facility for medium wave broadcasting near Heusweiler, Germany, which originally went into service on 23 December 1935. On June 19th, 1946 transmitter Heusweiler went in service again.

1 Original transmitter
2 Replacement transmitters
3 Current transmitter
4 External links
5 See also

[edit] Original transmitter

It used a t-aerial, which was up-hung on two 35 and 31 meters tall wooden towers. The Heusweiler transmitter was destroyed on March 17th, 1945 by war damage.

First a t-aerial was used, which was, in the same year, replaced by a 50 metre tall steel framework mast insulated against ground, which exists still today and serves as reserve antenna.

[edit] Replacement transmitters

In 1948, a 120 meter high steel framework mast in Heusweiler, which is insulated against ground was built. In the following years, the transmitting power of the transmitter Heusweiler was steadily increased.

In 1965, another radio mast with a height of 120 meters in Heusweiler was built, and in 1973 the transmitting power was increased to 1200 kilowatts. However, at nighttime the power was reduced to 600 kilowatts. The transmitter Heusweiler was thereby the most powerful mediumwave transmitter in Germany and the most powerful transmitter of the ARD.

From 1973 to 1994 the Heusweiler transmitter served for transmitting the program of Europawelle Saar.

[edit] Current transmitter

Since 1994, the transmitter has been used for broadcasting the program of Deutschlandfunk. The transmitting power is permanently 600 kilowatts.

In order to prevent a disturbing influence of car electronics by the transmitter, a wire net was strained over the federal motorway A8 running in the direct neighbourhood of the transmitter. The Saarland broadcast plans to take a second medium-wave transmitter for an information program in Heusweiler in the day hours in Heusweiler in service.