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"Wavescan" is a weekly program for long distance radio hobbyists produced by Dr. Adrian M. Peterson, Coordinator of International Relations for Adventist World Radio. AWR carries the program over many of its stations (including shortwave). Adrian Peterson is a highly regarded DXer and radio historian, and often includes features on radio history in his program. We are reproducing those features below, with Dr. Peterson's permission and assistance.


Wavescan 398, August 11, 2002

KHBN relay via KSDA

One of the interesting events regarding the AWR station KSDA on Guam was the relay a few years ago on behalf of another Gospel shortwave station, one that was not yet on the air. This is how it happened.

Back in the year 1989, High Adventure Ministries was constructing their own shortwave station on the island of Palau, one of the many islands of Micronesia in the western Caroline Islands. However, they encountered several construction delays due to environmental concerns.

As an interim measure, High Adventure Ministries took out a temporary relay via AWR KSDA on Guam during idle transmitter time. This relay consisted of four hours daily, Monday to Friday, and these programs were on the air under their own callsign, KHBN.

This unique program relay began on September 11, 1989 and it was on the air a little over half a year. The transmitter was KSDA2, and the frequency was 15225 kHz. Less than two years later, a series of low powered test transmissions began from their own station, KHBN on Palau.

During the era when KHBN was on relay via KSDA, QSL cards were issued by both organisations for these broadcasts. Very few QSL cards were issued by KSDA for the KHBN relays, though many cards were issued by KHBN. The QSL card for KHBN shows the location as Guam. Either way, these QSL cards are now collectors' items.


The Story of AWR in the Exotic Pacific

In our continuing saga about the development of Adventist World Radio over the years, we come now to the story of the AWR station located at Agat on the island of Guam. On this occasion we take our information from the book written by Dr. Allen Steele, who was the station manager at the time of construction. Additional information comes from a mutitudinous variety of AWR publications and documents.

Allen Steele states that most people begin their Guam story by talking about the weather, which is warm and humid year round. However, he states that he prefers to start his Guam story by telling about the people, who are warm and friendly, and he refers to the happy welcome that he and his wife Andrea received when they first landed at the international airport at Agana.

Their first view of the undeveloped AWR property on the edge of the blue Pacific near the village of Agat seemed so uninviting. The site is on the extended slopes of Mt. Lamlam, the highest mountain on Guam; scant vegetation covered the property, and eroded areas looked like a mini-Grand Canyon. They had not yet thought about typhoons that would blow in from the Pacific, nor of earthquakes that would rumble up from the deep underground.

The first office for the new radio station was established in Agana at the headquarters building of the Seventh-day Adventist church for Guam and Micronesia. Later the office function was transferred to a dwelling in Agat, and finally into the new AWR building.

In these changing circumstances, Allen and Andrea administered the construction and installation of the large new shortwave radio station which would soon become Adventist World Radio. During their tenure, the facility would contain four shortwave transmitters at 100 kW and four large curtain antennas directing Gospel programming into the countries of Asia.

After a period of unexpected delays due to heavy rain storms, the first transmitter was activated at 2:35 pm local time on Thursday, March 5, 1987. The frequency on this first new unit was 11720 kHz. At 7:00 pm the following evening, transmitter KSDA1 began regular programming, and in those days, all programming was assembled and presented at the station itself.

Six months later another 100 kW transmitter was activated as KSDA2 and it became fully operational just before the Christmas season, 1987. Seven years later again, another 100 kW transmitter was installed and activated as KSDA3. The fourth and final unit was activated as KSDA4, with a regular schedule early in the New Year, 1996.

The first two transmitters were manufactured by Thomson in Europe, and the second set of two transmitters were manufactured by Continental in the United States. However, at the present time, AWR is replacing each of the four current transmitters with four newer ABB units procured from Africa. A 5th transmitter will be constantly hot, ready for emergency usage.

The antenna system consists of four TCI curtains with passive reflectors. These antennas are strung from six towers in two clusters, three towers on each side of the main building.

On several occasions, major events at the station have been celebrated with public ceremonies. On the first auspicious occasion, back in 1987 at the opening of the station, the Governor of Guam was an invited guest, and the "Voice of Prophecy" choir from Korea flew in to provide special music.

The AWR station on Guam has seen its share of typhoons and earthquakes, but on each of these occasions it has survived with very little major damage, though at times it may be off the air for a few days until needed repairs are quickly completed. The AWR property at Facpi Point is no longer an abandoned wilderness; instead, it is now a showcase on Guam that has won several awards and commendations for beautification and conservation.

The signal from the four transmitters at the AWR station on Guam can be heard far and wide, depending on the time of day, the season, and the frequency in use. In the Far East, the signal is loud and clear. In other countries of Asia, it can be heard on a daily basis. In the United States, for example, all four transmitters can be heard around sunrise and sunset. Likewise in Europe, a multitude of listeners have reported nice reception from this station.

A large number of QSL cards have been issued for broadcasts from AWR Guam, and these are processed these days mainly from the AWR office in England. If you have not yet verified each of the current four transmitters at KSDA Guam, you should do so quite soon. The first new transmitter is expected to take to the air after a couple of months.