MOUNT MANSFIELD, Vt. (WCAX) – Vermont’s highest peak is home to the transmitter and antenna that sends Channel 3′s broadcast signal across the region.
While there are now many different ways viewers today can watch WCAX, it all started 70 years ago with an over-the-air signal from atop Mount Mansfield.
For 70 years, WCAX has been appearing in your living rooms, but the road to get from our studio into your TV is long and complex and it started from the top of Mount Mansfield.
To learn how our broadcast signal works, we turned to the pros. Starting from the base of the Toll Road, it’s a steep journey full of twists and turns to the top of Mount Mansfield.
“This is a ski slope in the middle of winter so we end up using either tracked ATVs or snowmobiles, and it’s a process,” said WCAX chief engineer Dana Nahumck.
At the top, we pause to take in the breathtaking views. “It’s beautiful, especially in the fall it’s beautiful,” Nahumck said.
Until a few years ago, engineers lived inside the transmitter building to keep the equipment running smoothly. Now, the trek is less frequent. “This is our living quarters up here when it used to be manned 24/7,” Nahumck said. “With today’s technology, we’re able to do a lot of things remotely and come up for the emergencies that need hands-on.”
Then there is the transmitter itself. From our South Burlington studio, the signal makes its first stop at the transmitter. “We receive it up here. We process it through our transmitter, which converts it from a standard digital stream and makes it an RF signal, which your TV at home can receive.,” Nahumck explained.
The station’s antenna stands 191 feet tall with a 360-degree, tri-state view. For Nahumck, it’s a privilege to serve the Green Mountain State from the tippy top.” It’s exciting. It’s nerve-racking, you know. It’s great being able to deliver this service to
all the viewers out there. I’m very proud of working here and being able to deliver these signals to everybody,” Nahumck said.