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Jun. 19, 2009
TV Tower is on its way up
By GINA B. GOOD
Pahrump residents throughout the valley have been unable to view their favorite television shows broadcast from Las Vegas since October 2008, when the communications tower located behind the Valley Auto Mall toppled. Their wait will be over around July 7, when the upgraded communications tower is complete. The tower will rise 180 feet into the air, almost double the height of the old tower. But that's not the only difference. "This tower is free standing," explained Matt Lewis, manager of Pahrump's building and grounds department. "The old tower went straight up and was secured by cables. It came down because the cables corroded and slipped from their moorings." The new tower is shaped like a tripod and can stand on it's own, and more than 26 cubic yards of cement make it secure. The old tower was installed with just one and a half cubic yards. "We will receive the signal off Mt. Potosi," said Lewis. "This tower will magnify and repeat it out." While the new tower will receive an analog only system from Mt. Potosi, due to the cost of converting Mt. Potesi to digital, Pahrump's new tower is digital ready. "All the components being installed are ready to receive digital signals in the future," said Lewis. The good news is the tower is not costing the town anything since the previous tower was covered by insurance. However, that's also what caused the delay in construction. After the project went out to bid by the town, it took months to convince the insurance company that the structure had to be upgraded due to Pahrump's high winds. The actual structure, which closely resembles a giant erector set, came from a firm in Indiana. "After the insurance was straightened out, we had to wait for all the parts and pieces," said Lewis. GWRC LLC won the bid. They are working with Delta Electronic on the actual construction of the tower. Both firms operate out of Las Vegas. |
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