Radio World's Visit to the Alpine Tower

When it comes to radio history, it doesn’t get much bigger or better than a visit to the Alpine Tower, constructed by Edwin Armstrong in northern New Jersey in 1937 within sight of Manhattan, to facilitate his development work that led to modern FM radio.

What a view! Looking up at the Armstrong Tower.

The Armstrong or Alpine Tower is the site of the world’s first experimental FM Station in the world, W2XMN. The call sign is still etched in cement above the front door of the Major’s original station building on the site today.

The Armstrong Field Lab as it looks today with the original W2XMN building and the radar tower.

The distinctive 400-foot, three-armed tower overlooks the Hudson River north of NYC.

Thanks to David Amundsen of K2 Communications and Radio World friends Steve Hemphill and David Antoine for facilitating our visit.

From left: Antoine, Hemphill, Amundsen and McLane stand in front of the original transmitter building from 1937.

Check out these snapshots captured by Radio World Editor in Chief Paul McLane, who’s currently in the Big Apple for NAB Show New York (psst, check out our show coverage here).

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