Bob Holcomb

An RF transmitter engineer doing operation and maintenance of 5 plants for Fisher Broadcast, KOMO Radio, KOMO TV and FishCom Satellite operations. Covered everything from repair to custom building parts and equipment. On call 24/7 and plants were in Seattle, Vashon Island, home base, to Belleuve. covered everything from sweeping the floor to substation 9700 VAC hiline to 480 VAC, 240 Vac three phase and 120 VAC. Backup duel generators 375KW 855 TBA Cummins. Five ATS switches, duel paralleling 500 amp breakers to emergency buss. Generators paralleled in under 10 second.These were backup power for 50,000 watt AM transmitter, 3,000 watt satellite transmitter and all associated equipment. Fm transmitter is 40,000 watts with ERP of 100,000 on top of Cougar mountain in Belleuve, Washington. Backup power another smaller Cummins. KVI on Vashon island 5,000 AM with another Cummins generator for backup power. TV plant is on top Queene Anne in Seattle with another Cummins gen set for backup power. travel to Vashon Island is by ferry boat that stop at 2 AM and starts at about 5 AM. Property on Vashon Island for KOMO Radio is 100 acres plus and 20 acres for KVI. Half wave antenna about 500 feet high for non directional one tower and three towers at night. KVI about 400 feet high for day and night operation. KOMO tower are guyed and KVI self supporting tapered three legged. Tower at Cougar Mountain three legged tower with FM antenna at the top. Antenna is a nichrome heliax wrapped around the supporting structure. element inside is heated for deicing. KOMO TV tower is three legged and has had a new digital antenna installed and at that the operation there was given to another engineer. I worked for Fisher Broadcasting 34 years at retirement moved to Bigfork, Montana. I built a large shop and equipped with all type of welders, bandsaws both metal and wood, table saw, metal lathe, and a lot of handtools. I love to built things including my home everything except foundation and septic system. I fish as much as possible. I am a ham radio operator winter months mainly.