How do you provide electric power to your FM translators when, 1) It’s really expensive, 2) Commercial power isn’t reliable, 3) The public depends on your service working? KCAW-FM is installing both solar- and wind-generated electrical systems at their translator sites, serving tiny towns and villages in the archipelago of Southeast Alaska. Becky Meiers with KCAW, and Pete Tridish, a longtime consultant to low-power, community, and startup broadcast radio stations both join Chris Tarr and Kirk Harnack to explain the motivations for and approaches to renewable power sources for these FM translators.

Show notes

* SuperWind - Micro Wind-Powered Generators

* Pete mentioned Paul Gipe as a resource for wind power info. Here’s Paul’s website.

* KCAW Radio, Sitka, Alaska

* “BUILDING A RENEWABLE ENERGY POWERED TRANSLATOR FOR KCAW” by Pete Tridish

* Radio World article - “Powering an Off-Grid translator With Renewable Energy” by Pete Tridish

Guests

Becky Meiers - Operations Director at KCAW-FM, Sitka, AlaskaPete Tridish - Director of Electromagnetism at International Media Action

Hosts

Chris Tarr - Group Director of Engineering at Magnum.MediaKirk Harnack, The Telos Alliance, Delta Radio, & South Seas Broadcasting

Follow Kirk on Twitter - @kharnackFollow TWiRT on Twitter - @TWiRTshow and Facebook

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