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I read with interest the Readers Forum with regards to copper theft. I found it interesting that the problem still exists as I has an incident happen many years ago, circa 1975, but with a slightly different twist.
I received a call from a metropolitan radio station asking if I could render some assistance with a problem they were having. The AM station on the East Coast was operating in the capital city with an original self-supporting tower atop a multi-story office building located on the city square.
Upon arriving, I was shown the 1 kW am transmitter located in the basement. The chief engineer explained that the transmitter seemed to be operating properly but some of the PA stage reading were different than normal. I looked over the older transmitter logs and could tell things were not normal, and no amount of tuning would rectify the situation. I ask the usual questions: How long has this been going on; any lightening strikes, burnt smells; anything out of the ordinary? No, nothing. Inside of the transmitter looked normal — no visible damage.
I suggested we go to the rooftop to investigate a possible failure in the ATU. I met with some resistance and was told that it was very difficult to get there. Well that’s where the fun began.
We first got into the old cage elevator and rode it to the top of the elevator shaft. Upon stopping at the top, we had to open the trap door in the elevator roof, climb on top of the elevator and open another overhead door to climb into the elevator control room. There we were, surrounded on all sides by clacking relays as the building elevator systems went about their business, all in total darkness. My guide neglected to mention that a flashlight would be helpful.
[Related: “Even EV Charging Stations Aren’t Safe From Copper Theft“]
We finally found a light switch to turn on the one overhead light bulb and located the outside door. Opening the door placed us on the rooftop about 50 feet from the self-supporting tower base and the ATU, which were located in the middle of the building roof.
Initially everything looked normal until I started to walk to the ATU. I suddenly realized there were no radial ground wires on the flat roof. I could make out where they had formerly been located due to the disruption of the gravel roof coating. Well by now you get the picture — someone had stolen all the copper ground radials off the roof of the building.
It gets a little more interesting to realize that there was absolutely no other way to get on the roof other than through the elevator route I had taken. No adjacent buildings, no fire escapes, no ladders on the outside of the building. The only remnant remaining of the grounding system was the 6-inch copper strap that ran down the one side of the building to the ground below.
How did they steal all the copper? Toss it off the side of a 10-story building? They certainly didn’t bring it down the elevator shaft.
Well, the police were notified of the theft and new copper was ordered. The culprits were never identified or brought to justice. It’s just another case of “you just can’t make this stuff up.”
— Walter Konetsco, retired Foreign Service Officer and Voice of America field engineer
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