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Re: [IRCA] [NRC-AM] WBEY 1370 Calera, AL "Fallen Flags"



Speaking of Les and Paul...
Two mighty fine DXers
And a darn good guitar
As was Lucille 
RIP BB

Saul

Date: Fri, 15 May 2015 15:28:35 -0400
From: bobgale@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: walkerbroadcasting@xxxxxxxxx
CC: abdx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; am@xxxxxxxxxxx; irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [NRC-AM] WBEY 1370 Calera, AL "Fallen Flags"


  
    
  
  
    Thank you, Les and Paul, for the pix!

      

      Bob Galerstein WB2VGD

      Monroe, NY

      

      On 5/15/2015 12:17 AM, Paul B. Walker, Jr. wrote:

    
    
      And here we go, here are Les' pics of DWBYE 1370
        Calera, Alabama.
        

        
        The sign out front of the station near the road
        http://www.onairdj.com/wbyesign.jpg
        

        
        The front of the WBYE building, close up
        http://www.onairdj.com/wbyefront.jpg
        

        
        The front of the WBYE building a little further back, from
          a different angle
        http://www.onairdj.com/wbyefront1.jpg
        

        
        Enjoy.. or, well not... seeing as what these pictures
          show... a dead, gone and never coming back radio station.
        

        
        Paul
        

        
      
      

        On Thu, May 14, 2015 at 9:33 AM, Paul
          B. Walker, Jr. <walkerbroadcasting@xxxxxxxxx>
          wrote:

          
            
              Les,
              

              
              If you took pictures and want to
                email them to me, I will be glad to post them in a way
                that all members can access them, since i'm not sure
                this list can accept attachments and i'm not sure
                members would liek a ton of photos flooding their inbox.
              
                  

                  
                  Paul
                
              
                
                  

                    On Thu, May 14, 2015 at
                      9:31 AM, ROBERT GALERSTEIN <bobgale@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
                      wrote:

                      Les,

                        

                        Is it possible to post some of these photos, or
                        submit them to the NRC website?

                        

                        Bob Galerstein WB2VGD

                        Monroe, NY

                           

                           

                           On Thu, May 14, 2015 at 10:02 AM, Les Rayburn
                          wrote:

                           

                           >

                        
                        
                            Out driving yesterday, when my wife and I
                            passed a run-down sign that was so
                            sun-bleached as to almost be unreadable. But
                            a quick glance at the business associated
                            with the sign made me realize that I was
                            looking at W-B-E-Y, 1370 AM.

                            

                            I turned around and went back for a closer
                            look. A quick turn of the dial told me that
                            the station was off the air...and I couldn't
                            recall if it was in my log book at home. I
                            took a few pictures using my cell phone
                            camera, as we had a look around.

                            

                            In back of the building was a large
                            fiberglass C-Band satellite dish, that I
                            imagined had once received programming from
                            some other source. But no evidence of an STL
                            link. Instead, I found a tall telephone pole
                            with what looked like the remains of a 40
                            meter dipole mounted near the top. 50 ohm
                            coax ran from inside the building to the top
                            of the pole. Could someone had loaded up

                            this for use as the stations antenna?

                            

                            The large faded letters on the front of the
                            building were almost like the voice of a
                            ghost. It was sad, and nostalgic---all at
                            the same time.

                            

                            Railroad fans use the term "fallen flags" to
                            refer to railroads that no longer exist.
                            Think of companies like Conrail, or
                            Southern. Their boxcars can still be seen on
                            trains today, echoes from railroads past. I
                            couldn't help but thinking of the term
                            "Fallen Flag" when it came to this station.
                            Had it once been a hometown hero, reporting
                            on local happenings, lost dogs, and
                            obituaries. Or was it one of the many
                            gospel/religious stations that seem to dot
                            the southern landscape more than any other?

                            

                            A quick check of Wikipedia revealed a little
                            more, but not much. It looks like the
                            station went off the air in 2002---but it's
                            absent from my logbook. How could I have
                            missed a 1,000 watt daytime only station,
                            less than 15 miles from my home? Hmmm....

                            

                            I wonder if anyone out there logged this
                            station? And I can't help but wonder how
                            many more stations like this we'll lose in
                            the years ahead.

                            

                            

                            -- 

                            73,

                            

                            

                            Les Rayburn, N1LF

                            Maylene, AL

                            EM63

                            

                            Member NRC, IRCA, & Medium Wave DX
                            Circle

                            Former CPC Chairman for NRC/IRCA

                            

                            Elad FDM-S2 SDR, SDR-IQ,Funcube Pro,
                            Wellbrooke ALA-1530+ loop, Clifton Lab
                            Active Whip,

                            Quantum Phaser, Kiwa Loop, Palstar MW
                            Pre-Selector

                            

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