# Berlin Radio Tower-the only observation tower standing on insulators



## Obelixx (Apr 14, 2005)

Berlin's old Radio Tower is not only a nice landmark of Berlin, from which you have a nice view over the town, it is also I believe the only observation tower standing on insulators. This results in the fact, that the tower was originally design as support tower for a T-antenna for medium wave (the second tower was an 80 metre high guyed mast, which was demolished in 1935, when the T-antenna was demolished).
The insulation of its feet was done in order not to disturb the omnidirectional diagram of this antenna. But this measure was not good for people entering the tower (they would have used an insulated way and not to touch the construction, otherwise they would have got an electrical shock), so the tower was grounded by the elevator shaft, although this redirected the radiation power away from Berlin. But although the tower is since 1935 not used any more for mediumwave transmission, it stands still today on insulators. They show the visitors how costly it is to insulate a free-standing lattice tower against ground.









Radio Tower Berlin, total height: 150 metres, height to restaurant level: 51.652 m, height to open-air observation deck: 121.492 m 









One of the four feet on which Radio Tower Berlin stands

*History of Radio Tower Berlin*
*December 1924: After the end of the First Radio Exhibition, construction of the radio tower was started. For this fair, at the location of the today's radio tower, a 120 meters tall antenna mast was erected, which served as crane for building the tower. 
*April 1925: The radio tower is finished in the infrastructure. 
September 25, 1925: Inauguration of the transmitter on medium wave frequency 520.8 kHz. A single T-antenna was strung between the top of the tower and am 80-meter-high guyed steel framework mast. 
*1925-26: To protect visitors from electrical hazards, the radio tower was grounded about its elevator shaft, although this directed the beam of the radio transmitter away from the center of Berlin. 
*March 28, 1926: Acceptance of the radio tower by the construction offices. 
*September 3, 1926: Radio tower opened to the public at the inauguration of the Third Great German Radio Exhibition (Funkausstellung). 
*1929: Retuning of the medium wave transmitter to 716kHz, first television transmission tests. 
*December 20, 1933: the new large transmitter in Berlin Tegel takes over the broadcast transmissions from the radio tower. After this, the medium wave transmitter at the radio tower is only a backup transmitter for Berlin Tegel. 
*1934: Retuning of the medium wave transmitter (as a backup unit for Berlin Tegel), to 834kHz 
*March 22, 1935: From an antenna of the top of the radio tower, the first regular television program of the world is transmitted 
*August 22, 1935: Major fire in the exhibition hall at the radio tower destroys all transmission devices at the radio tower. Flying sparks also burn out the tower restaurant. 
*December 23, 1935: Resumption of television broadcasts. 
*1938: Television transmitting equipment removed from the tower. 
*1939-1945: The radio tower serves as warning and an observation post. 
*April 19, 1945: Projectiles destroy one of the four legs of the tower at a height of 38 meters. The restaurant is again burned out. 
*1945: Repair of the destroyed tower leg with 800kg screws and 7.2 tons steel. 
*1948: Experiments with directed radio transmission toward the mountain of Harz. 
May 28, 1950: The tower restaurant reopens. 
*1951: Assembly of one batwing antenna on the top of the tower for the broadcast of FM radio and television programs. With this antenna, the tower grew around 12 meters, from 138 metres to 150 metres. 
*October 1, 1951: Resumption of the television transmissions which were disrupted by World War II and the immediate post-war period. 
*May 15, 1963: After completion of the 230-meter-high transmission mast near Scholzplatz, regular transmissions of television and broadcast programs from the tower were almost terminated. 
*1973: End of any regular broadcast transmission from the radio tower. 
*1989: Disassembly of the tower's last transmitters for broadcast of radio and television. 

*Weblinks*
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funkturm_Berlin
*http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0000339
*http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0011530
*http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0011531

Does someone know further observation towers standing on insulators?


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## eddyk (Mar 26, 2005)

Ive been wondering where you have been.


Do you ever tavel anywhere to see these masts?


And do you know the tallest masts in the UK?


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## samsonyuen (Sep 23, 2003)

Neat. Why is it on insulators?


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