A 100 kW shortwave transmitter is on the air serving Trans World Radio listeners in sub-Saharan Africa from Swaziland. It was built at the HCJB Global Technology Center in Elkhart, Ind.
The HC100 transmitter began broadcasting in October and replaced a Continental unit; it joined two other HC100s, also made in Elkhart, the manufacturer said.
Primary target areas are eastern and southern Africa, though the transmitters in Swaziland reach locations as far away as Pakistan, the organization said. It broadcasts Christian programming in 30 languages with the three HC100 transmitters.
As part of a collaboration of TWR and HCJB, TWR missionaries work at the Technology Center in Elkhart. (The center was profiled in Radio World earlier this year.) Among those is engineer Larry McGuire, who lived in Swaziland for 16 years before moving to Elkhart in 1990, according to HCJB. He helped build and install the three HC100s at the Swaziland site.
David Russell, director of the HCJB Global Technology Center, said in the past year the organization has worked with TWR on projects in Benin, Kenya and Swaziland. “We are presently refurbishing a used 50,000-watt AM transmitter that will be used at TWR’s Swaziland broadcast facilities.”
Trans World Radio also has purchased approximately 20 “suitcase” transmitters through HCJB.
