Transmitter Project

The Lancaster/Lebanon Translator we were using started transmitting in the fall of 1978 and was removed from service in 1999. It was a state-of-the-art FM Translator designed with the cutting edge technology of that day. Over the years it has faithfully performed its duty 24 hours a day, automatically receiving WKDN-FM on 106.9 MHz., amplifying and filtering the signal and retransmitting it on 97.7 MHz. to the listeners in the Lancaster and Lebanon areas of Pennsylvania. From time to time, it required a little help from our Technical Director to "nurse it back to good health." Overall, it has served us very well, but with the advent of much more advanced technology, it was time to have it step aside to let a much younger translator do the day to day work of providing Christ centered, non-commercial Family Radio to the local listeners.

In 1998 the Board of Directors of New Life Broadcasting of Pa., Inc. decided that it was time to replace the original translator with a new Crown FM100R FM Translator. Like the original translator, it also is state-of-the-art for its day. Technology has advanced tremendously over the last twenty years, making it even more dependable, versatile and able to provide a cleaner, more stable radio signal to the local listeners. The one they planned to purchase looked similar to the FM100 shown below.

Their goal was to have a significant portion of the funds needed for the new Crown FM100R Translator before replacing the existing one. The board targeted Spring of 1999 as the time to do that. The total cost of a Crown FM100R and new cable is about $5,100. The funding goal wasn't reached so the order for the new Crown Translator was delayed until June of 1999. To their surprise, they learned that there was a slightly used Crown FM100T Transmitter available which can be converted to an FM100R Translator by adding a new receiver module. By doing this, they were able to save about $1,000 in the total project cost. An additional bonus is that the transmitter contains an audio processing module which will be useful for adding local voice identification in the future.

The FM100T arrived just in time the second week of June. Due to an air conditioning failure in the building which houses the translator, the original translator overheated, damaging its power supply. The "new" Crown FM100T Transmitter is now operating with an FM receiver module to create a functioning translator. This represents a savings of about 20% to our organization. The Lord is quite amazing in his provision and wonderful timing.