Titahi Bay Transmitter

Mast of Titahi Bay transmitter
Mast of Titahi Bay transmitter

The Titahi Bay Transmitter, New Zealand's second tallest structure, transmits AM radio signals from a 212-metre tall radio mast insulated against ground at Titahi Bay in New Zealand.[1] The station also has a second smaller mast with a height of 137 metres. A third - even smaller - mast can be found at 41.100478 S 174.847981 E. The tower and its surrounding buildings were opened in 1937.[2] Five radio stations broadcast from the transmitter:

  1. Radio New Zealand National on 567 kHz
  2. Southern Star and AM Network on 657 kHz
  3. Wellington Access Radio on 783 kHz
  4. Newstalk ZB on 1035 kHz
  5. Te Upoko O Te Ika on 1161 kHz

In 2004 the tower was refurnished, badly corroded parts were removed and replaced, the whole tower was sand-blasted and repainted, and an array of LED warning lights were added at the behest of the NZCAA.

According to workers refurbishing it, scaling the tower takes 45 minutes. From the top there are views of the entire Kapiti coast region.

The site formerly transmitted Radio New Zealand's shortwave service, these broadcasts used a series of shorter free-standing masts supporting curtain arrays.

Under the right conditions, the AM signal for National Radio can be received as far north as Norfolk Island and as far south as Dunedin.

The Department of Conservation owns the land surrounding the tower, which is leased to Radio NZ for the transmitting towers, to the local Titahi Golf Club, and as farm land. The site is located within Whitirea Park, and is planned to come under the control of the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Only in recent years has the station's emergency power generator been replaced. The previous one, supplied by the American military after the Second World War, formed part of the driving machinery of a submarine which was no longer required.

The site was never used for overseas telephone links, which (before the advent of undersea cables and satellites) were provided by two New Zealand Post Office radio stations, Makara Radio (receiving) west of Wellington and Himatangi Radio Station (transmitting) near Himatangi Beach. Only a limited number of voice circuits were available, and overseas toll calls were expensive.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Radio New Zealand National : Programmes A-Z : Mediawatch : Archive : 2004 : 1 February 2004 - The Titahi Transmitter
  2. ↑ "Historic site: Radio New Zealand Transmission Station".

External links

Coordinates: 41°5′46″S 174°50′34″E / 41.09611°S 174.84278°E