Gartow-Höhbeck transmitter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The masts of Gartow transmitter

Another view with a watch tower of the former frontier between East and West Germany in the foreground

Gartow-Höhbeck transmitter is a large facility for FM- and TV-transmission in Lower-Saxony, situated behalf of the community of Gartow and Höhbeck.

Gartow-Höhbeck transmitter uses two guyed antenna masts, one with a height of 327 metre, the other with a height of 344 metres. This makes Gartow-Höhbeck transmitter the only transmission site in Europe with two super tall towers, that was never used for transmissions in the VLF, LF or MF-range. The 327 metre mast, which is situated on the area of Höhbeck community was built in 1970, the 344 metre mast, which is situated on the site of Gartow community was completed in 1978. At time of completion it was together with the mast of Richtfunkstelle Berlin-Frohnau the tallest structure of former West Germany and served for a directional radio link to the latter mentioned tower. Therefore it is equipped with platforms for directional radio antennas on its top. Because structures used for directional radio links have to withstand great wind forces, as the antennas cause much wind load, the mast is of a very strong type and anchored by double guys. The mast, which is also used for meteorological measurements carry also several rooms with technical equipment in its structure.

By the radio link between Gartow-Höbeck transmitter and Berlin-Frohnau the first non-scatter directional radio link between former West-Germany and Berlin could be realized. This link was in service until the German reunification in 1990.

Beside these two masts, there is also a free-standing directional radio tower built of reinforced concrete on this site. This tower, which is much lower than the masts, carried until 1990 huge disk antennas for the scattered directional radio link to former West-Berlin.