Posted by Russ on
URL: https://www.es-forum.com/Radio-Towers-vs-Cell-Phone-Towers-would-really-appreciate-any-info-thanks-tp4024625.html

Hi all.  Sorry for posting this question again but I didn't get any responses the first time around.  Also I've received notice that my current lease is being terminated at the end of the month so I am in a tough spot trying to find a new place to live in about ten days time.

Anyways, found a place on Vashon Island in Washington State that I like but Vashon is apparently home to a few "massive" AM radio towers and tranmitters.  The place I'm looking at is about 2 miles from the radio towers which I would consider a very acceptable distance if these were cell phone towers, but not sure in the case of radio.

My question is whether radio towers, generally speaking, are on the same level as cell phone towers in terms of their potential to cause trouble for ES folks and the distance we need to keep from them or if they are generally "worse" and require greater caution, greater distance, etc.

Thanks a ton for any info anyone can provide.  I've added some info on Vashon's radio towers below.  It sounds ominous but maybe it's not as bad as I fear if these are no worse than cell phone towers.

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"Maury Island is home to numerous AM transmitters. KIRO 710 (built in 1941) has two massive towers for its 50,000 watts day/night transmitter. KTTH 770, which transmits 50,000 watts during the day and 5,000 watts at night, shares towers with KFNQ. KIRO and KTTH are owned by Bonneville International.
There was a tower originally built in 1946 for KEVR 1090AM, which later became KING radio, is now KFNQ and owned by CBS. It transmits 50,000 watts day/night and now operates 3 towers. This site is shared with KTTH.

On Vashon Island, radio station KVI 570 has a single tower on a beach in Tramp Harbor, nicknamed "KVI Beach." KVI transmits 24 hours a day at 5,000 watts. KOMO 1000 transmits 50,000 watts day/night and has a three tower setup on the northeast corner of the island. Both KVI and KOMO are owned by Seattle-based Fisher Broadcasting.
KGNW AM 820 propagates its signal from three towers in the center of the island. It operates 50,000 watts during the day and 5,000 at night. It is owned by Salem Communications. KJR 950 shares the towers at the KGNW site, transmits 50,000 watts day/night, and is owned by Clear Channel Communications.

These stations have located their transmitters on Vashon and Maury Islands because soil conductivity, important to signal propagation in the AM broadcast frequency range, is greater than elsewhere around Puget Sound.