Jefferson Elementary School Serving Coquille at 88.5 MHz Location The coordinates provided by the FCC Database incorrectly pinpoint the Coquille Valley Middle School. The translator was installed at the Jefferson Elementary School (geographic coordinates and map). This school has now been closed due to decreasing population in the Coquille School District. Pictures were taken in February 2008. Transmitting Antenna A single antenna appears above the roofline. KSOR's signal was originally broadcast at 88.5 MHz. Health Concerns The transmitting antenna is directly above the translator, which is located in the boiler room of the school. Understandably, the Coquille School District was concerned about the possibility of harmful effects from the radiofrequency energy. We did a careful analysis of the of radiation levels, and then compared them to the governmental guidelines for non-ionizing radiation. Even with a 10-watt translator, the margin of safety was generous. The one-watt power level increased the margin of safety by a factor of ten. The Coquille School District carefully scrutinized the data before approving the installation. Boiler Room Water pipes, electrical conduits, breaker panels, telephone terminal blocks, switches, control boxes for the boiler system, a refrigerator, a fly swatter – and yes, even a translator – fill the space in the small, cramped boiler room. Translator on the Wall The enclosure is locked in order to discourage the curious from playing with circuit boards and connectors. Receiving Antenna The translator picked up a signal from Iron Mountain, 34 miles to the south. As was standard practice, the receiving antenna was located far enough from the transmitting antenna to prevent receiver overload. Wall Mounting: the mast for the receiving antenna was bolted directly to the concrete-block wall. Documents from the FCC Database FCC Authorization 2008 Relative Field Polar Plot 2008 Initial License Grant 1984 Frequency Change 1989 Topographic Map CONTOUR INTERVAL 40 FEET Geographic Coordinates for Jefferson School are 43° 11' 25"N, 124° 11' 49"W (NAD27) |