Photos and Reviews

Installation Photos and Customer Reviews

From the top of a large broadcast tower in a major US city to the remote mountaintop of an Indonesian island, the advantages and versatility of the Dominator FM Broadcast antenna make them an excellent choice over a wide range of installations.
All photos below can be enlarged by clicking on them.

This is the transmitter site for WEZG 101.5 FM in Greenville South Carolina. Here we can see an ideal example of a Dominator NWE-34 FM Broadcast Antenna installation. One Dominator is producing virtually identical gain and ERP as four CP bays or two dipoles. Communications antennas and a microwave link also share space on this large free standing tower.Update: As of January 8, 2016 WEZG has changed their call sign to WBWT. FCC data can be found at this link WBWT.

Dominator NWE-34 FM transmitter antennas utilize a virtually indestructible DC ground path which allows them to take advantage of the top mounting location on the tower when properly grounded. Over the years several have taken lightning strikes without damage to the antenna or the equipment connected to it. This mounting location produces less distortion in the pattern without tower reflections and a more uniform coverage area. The station operator claims the new antenna is providing a signal with less interference than the one it replaced and notes this is likely because its center of radiation is higher with less obstructions.
Closer analysis has also revealed an error with the installation of the four bay folded dipole stack. The reflector mast these bays are mounted to is not a continuous surface. If you look behind the second bay up from the bottom you will notice the mast is missing here. When antennas are side mounted, the metal surface they are mounted to should be symmetrical behind all of the bays and extend slightly beyond them. Otherwise the pattern will suffer from undesired beam tilt that will shift the signal away from the angle needed to reach the distant horizon.


This busy tower is the home of KTR 94.1 FM in Kapchorwa, Uganda where it was installed in June of 2009. The station owner reports, “It has worked flawlessly, giving very low SWR readings and increasing our broadcast coverage area.” Two cell phone carriers with their multi-panel arrays and separate microwave links can also been seen.

 

This installation is typical of what we might see at any well equipped LPFM or Translator Station. The Dominator NWE-34 antenna is pictured at the 100 foot height limit for these stations. FCC licensed stations in the USA operating the Dominator FM antenna include: KSRP, KPRG, KPGB, KWSI, WCRX, KTRJ, WZDK, KFZR, KHJJ, KLHG, WOGU, KXUT, WWND, KCDI, WOZW, KPKX, WOZO, KPAD, WBWT (previously licensed as WEZG), 4kw backup site for KOLG, WVET, KQRP, KNIU, KVGD, WQJT, KMRD, WHMZ, KZYY, WMSF, KEIM, WYZK, KEWT, WMDI, KAVZ, WSGQ, WDZK, KIVD, K234AQ, K229CV, K271AH, K249EN, K268CN, and K265DW. Licensing information including Transmitter Power Output, Effective Radiated Power and local 60 dBu coverage maps may be viewed by clicking on their call sign.

Need to have a signal present to comply with your CP before the tower is constructed? Here is one option we had not seen before. This crane has the antenna at 90 feet to the top. Its light weight and simple installation makes the Dominator NWE-34 FM broadcast antenna ideal for emergency or temporary applications like these too. The antennas power gain which doubles your ERP means you won’t suffer from compromised coverage noted with other single bay installations.
Note: Although this photo does not show how or if the cable is secured, never hang the transmission line from the antennas connector. While the antenna is rugged enough to handle that abuse, this is asking for trouble with respect to the connector on the cable end pulling out over time.

Station 93.8 FM is located at a shopping center in downtown Johannesburg. In consulting with the client we learned this NWE-34 had replaced a two bay vertical dipole array fed through a two-port power divider. The twin dipole array was also rated at 3dbd, however it had to be removed from the top of the adjacent flagpole mast. The client informed us, “The coverage is better than the 2 dipoles”.
The expected performance of one NWE-34 antenna should be equal to the 3dbd of their old two dipole array. The improvement was most likely due to installation errors with the spacing distances or tuning of the old multi bay dipoles. Easy tuning and simple mounting to a mast combined with its high gain and rugged construction make the Dominator Model NWE-34 FM Broadcast antenna an attractive option for many stations.

Its operator, CBC Canada, best describes these next two photos.”We are the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Moncton, New Brunswick Transmission group. As part of our business continuity planning, we decided to put together a portable FM station. It is housed in a 12′ enclosed trailer. A Kubota 7kw diesel generator supplies the electricity. For one feed we have an off air FM receiver antenna mounted on the side of the trailer with inline filtering to isolate transmit and receive frequencies.”

This is the inside view of the CBC self contained radio station in a portable trailer.
“In the rack we use an Inovonics FM receiver. This way we are able to relay the signal from our nearest operating transmitter. There is a 250 foot reel of audio cable which allows us to go to a site and take the original programming from within the building. Also available is the Bell Express VU receiver which carries our programming. Here we are using a 50 watt exciter (but can install a 1kw amp in the rack space above when needed) into the Dominator antenna which is mounted on the side of the trailer. The antenna is easily tuned with the complete trailer set up and on the air in under 1 hour by a single technician. Heather Narduzzi, CBC/Radio-Canada Transmission.”

The next two pictures are a pair of stations that were set up for an Indonesian refugee camp. They operate off the grid with all electricity supplied by solar or wind. This station has been strategically located on a remote island mountaintop situated off the coast of Indonesia. From this position 1200 feet above sea level, it covers a 60 kilometer radius. This extends the coverage of the station pictured below by broadcasting similar messages about the camp.
They reach refugees in need that in many cases have never seen a radio before this experience. I wondered how this was possible in an area with no electricity or stores to purchase batteries or radios. This problem is resolved by distributing free crank up radios throughout the community and local tribes. Two minutes of cranking the handle provides about a half hour of listening time. These receivers can also be operated in direct sunlight by solar power.

This is the radio building located at the edge of the refugee camp in Indonesia. You can see the wind generator and roof mounted solar panels that supply all electricity to this off the grid station. Every electrical device used here is powered from a single 1000 watt AC power inverter. The efficiency and gain of the FM transmitter antenna used in an application like this is extremely important since no power can be wasted.
Had they used a circular polarized antenna, it would require four times the transmitter power to produce the same coverage area or ERP. The Dominator NWE-34 antenna was easily mounted to the top of a tall mast using a few guy wires. Notice the group of new arrivals curiously staring up in amazement at the apparatus responsible for sending them messages through the air about this refugee camp.

Dominator NWE-34 FM Broadcast Antenna Customer Reviews

Below are the results from a customer who tested the Dominator FM Broadcast Antenna at two different locations. The antenna it was compared to was a Comet 5/8 wave which usually outperforms the common 1/2 wave side mounted dipole.

1) Donald, Antenna received, tested and shipped to our client, they are going to be delighted with this system:

Lightly populated urban area flat horizon most rooftops below 30 feet:

5/8 Comet 35 feet AGL 20watts TPO: Signal verge 4 miles best – 3 miles radius – 4 – 5 miles poor reception then fade out.

Dominator 35 feet AGL 20watts TPO: Signal verge 6 miles best – 5 miles radius – 6 – 7 miles acceptable reception then fade out.

Rural area mostly farm land without obstruction flat horizon:

5/8 Comet 35 feet AGL 20watts TPO: Signal verge 6 miles best – 4 miles radius, 6 – 7 miles poor reception then fade out.

Dominator 35 feet AGL 20watts TPO: Signal verge 11 best miles – 9 miles radius, 11 – 12 miles acceptable reception then fade out.

The efficiency of the Dominator speaks for itself, it delivers almost double the performance of the Comet. There are no questions left to answer except “where is your Dominator”? Best regards, Chris Rea.

2) Dominator antennas are real performers. We have noticed a significant improvement in our coverage area since we began using the Dominator FM antenna. Formerly we had been using a dipole. The radio station KTR FM 94.1 is located in Kapchorwa, Africa. The Dominator is side mounted on a communications tower shared with microwave links and cell phone antennas. It has worked flawlessly since installed with very low SWR and increasing our broadcast coverage. Thanks for making a solid product. Sidney B. Anderson, KTR FM 94.1

3) The Dominator FM antenna made an unbelievable difference for our station. The tower structure is 87 feet high, and the antenna is up at the 100 foot level. I’m using Andrew 1/2″ healiax hardline and driving the antenna with 600 watts. The station covers 35 to 40 miles solid, with some directions 50 miles from the tower site. I had been using a J-pole antenna. When I decided to try the Dominator, I could not believe the difference it made! It was like I went from 600 watts to 2,500 watts! For a small FM, our station covers like a full powered radio station. I had thought the price was high and wondered what the catch was until I put it up. It is truly worth the price as the Dominator increased the coverage of our signal incredibly! For any LPFMs, or medium power stations that want good solid coverage, I recommend this antenna. Anything else and your just throwing your money away. Doug Pringle.

4) Thanks for a great product! It does everything you say it will do. Just installed it last Thursday and was astounded at its performance! It will run circles around any of the expensive ones from the big broadcast equipment companies and its durable too!! Buy it, buy it, buy it! Dave Cash, WRMV Fellowship Broadcasting.

5) Dear Donald, Wow!!! What a wonderful antenna system. We installed it on Sunday and couldn’t imagine the results. Our coverage area has greatly increased with crystal clear stereo and super sound quality. I hope my brother Pastor Charles called you earlier today as well. Ojimba Davies, Head of Broadcast/CEO, Magic 99.2 FM Monrovia, Liberia.

For technical details and specifications on the Dominator NWE-34 FM Antenna please click the following link: Specs.

To purchase the Dominator NWE-34 FM Antenna, please click the following link: Buy Now