transmitter station in Kidia

Driving up the slippery road to Old Moshi- Kidia

Taking down the ladder to read the electricity meter on the power pole

Gate to the national Park, way up to the transmitter site

Tree blocking the road

Up to here only with the car. We have to continue by foot!

No way a car can pass here during rainy season!

We reached transmitter site at 2500 metres!

Checking the battery charger

Transmitter on air again!

We left the ladder at the forrest department!

On Friday 27th April 2012 suddenly our telemetry data stopped coming from the transmitters. We did not know what had happened, but since the transmitter was still on air and could be heard strong we wanted to wait unto Monday to repair it.

On Monday our watchmen came to the studio and told us the electrisity supply stopped on Friday night. So the transmitter was running on battery since! But since it was still strong on air we thought the electricity alerady came back.

But on Monday night the transmitter went off air!

First we thought the link transmitter at the studio was tropubling us again. But it was still working fine on Monday night.

But on Tuesday morning, May 1st, not this was on air again any more!

What had happened?

The Link transmitter has been broken too!

Actually we wanted to have a holiday this day. But Troubleshooting had to continue. We replaced the transmitter with the one we returned from Lushoto. A signal came back on air! But it was too weak to quiete totally Radio Bahari coming from Kenia.  And after some while even Kidia main Transmitter station came on air again, but just for a short time and it was silent again.

We went up to the electricity meter of the station. The electricity was cut off by the company. But why? we had payed the bill just the Monday before! Since it was puplic holliday there was no way to get help from the company!

We set up an emergeny station on the frequency of Kidia Transmitter to ensure the Link to Arush at least. Then we replaced again the transmitter at the studio to ensure people in Moshi could continue to listen.

The next day Deo went to the Power company, showed the bill we payed allready. They promised to put us back to the grid unto afternoon. But it took unto 9 o`clock the next morning until power came back!

We went up again to Kidia to our power pole with the electricity meter and found everythin all right! But the road was so slippery from the rain. We think onl our driver Temba did manage it to bring us up there this day!

Then we continued to the transmitter site way up in the rain forrest. Our Watchman greeted us. When we came the batteries were starting to charge well and the transmitter came back on air as usual. We just had to reset the telemetry computer to get full output power again.

When we came down the rain had stopped and the roard was much easier to pass!

Martin

Transmitter broken. We have to solder new adapter cables to connect another transmitter!

We tried the transmitter we took home from Lushoto. But it sounded awful and was too weak!

This small transmitter had more power to drive the amplifier!

emergency transmitter to keep listeners in Arusha to continue listening