DYAS-Viper FM 106.1 Is Now Back On Air

Oct.10,2011


DYAS-Viper FM 106.1 Is Now Back On Air
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Brgy. Ichon,Macrohon,So.Leyte-DYAS-Viper FM 106.1 whose powerhouse and transmitter were damaged by a powerful lightning strike during the first week of June 2010 is now back on air after a tedious pace of repairing, ordering and installing of some parts/equipments of the first Southern Leyte’s hit music station.

The unexpected destruction took a great financial toll for its owner since the FM station’s first new transmitter that was damaged cost about one million,aside from the new replacement which also cost more that one million pesos as revealed by the Station Manager Chito Saludo in an interview here.

“Aside from the new one”,Saludo said “we will be installing a backup transmitter in case of emergency. But for now,if the weather is bad and rains would be pouring we will switch off to protect the radio station”.

The Station Manager said that according to Joy Amora,former GMATV technician, GMA's transmitter despite its sophisticated equipments/gadgets was not spare from being hit by lightning strikes in some occasions. The only thing that differs GMATV from an AM or FM radio is that it has some backup transmitter units which could be used right away whenever the popular network’s transmitter would be struck by lightning.”In any part of the world,when nature strikes like a lightning”,he informed “no one can prevent it or control its powerful force from striking against any object.”

Amora informed that instead of connecting long wires from the station up to the transmitter installed atop a nearby hill Viper FM’s management has decided to make the connection wireless by using the so-called Station Transmitter Link(STL)installed right at the rooftop of the radio station.

During the earlier construction of the music station long wires were connected from the main station up to the 135 feet height tower with antennae and lightning arrester attached to its tip. The place was overlooking the Saludo Ice Plant compound where Viper FM is currently located.

Saludo also said they have maintained Viper FM’s licensed power capacity of 5,000 kilowatt.However,since the music station has just started its operation, as of now only 2,000 kilowatt power was released on the air.

He stressed that the radio station’s tower location atop a nearby hill has its advantage compared to a radio’s transmitter and tower which were constructed on the ground level.”Height is might”,he said. ‘With the power that we have released it can reach farther to distant places than another AM or FM whose transmitter and tower were only placed on the ground level”.

He divulged that he received numerous text messages coming from the listeners of Bohol, Surigao,municipalities of Matalom,Bato,Hilongos,Hindang,and Inopacan in the northern part of Leyte province.Viper FM’s signal can also reach Limasawa Island, Malitbog,Libagon,Liloan,Pintuyan in Panaon Island,St. Bernard,part of Misamis Oriental. It can also possibly be heard clearly in Camiguin Island.The island province is facing Macrohon and Maasin which can be reached by ordinary passenger ship for an estimated 4 hours.But less than 4 hours by a high-powered engine motorboat, it was learned.

However, radio listeners from far away places are advise to raise their radio's antennae to the fullest for clearer reception of radio signal.


The Radio Station Manager further said that they are still installing some equipment to enhance its “on the air” operation and would gradually increased its release of kilowatt power as the operation progresses.


Amora also said that pyrite chokes were installed in some sensitive wire connections including one at the main switch of the music station. Nevertheless, pyrite chokes installations are not 100% sure protection against a lightning strike when it would hit either an AM or FM radio. “It can only contain a lesser force of an electrical discharge from a lightning strike if a transmitter was erected on the ground level”,he explained.”

But when an AM's or FM's transmitter is placed atop an open high hill like the Viper FM’s ,a lightning strike would be so powerful which might hit its powerhouse or any wire connections. He continued to explain that pyrite chokes installations would become ineffective to prevent or block the destructive speed of electrical discharge released by a lightning. Likewise,the same is true with the lightning arrester that was installed at the tip of the radio tower.”

Furthermore,Viper FM’s technician confided that there’s also a plan to make Southern Leyte’s first hit music station to be heard in the internet via live streaming. The radio listeners who listen to music can also view live a disc jockey on board,he disclosed.

He claimed he has already started installing some apps and gadgets necessary for the plan’s realization that might become functional about a month from now.
As of the moment, Viper FM would sign on at 5:00 a.m. and sign off 9:00p.m. Later on as the operation progresses and its listeners would increased in numbers,the sign off would be moved to ten,then eleven or twelve midnight.

We also hope that Viper FM management would include playing the songs of yesteryears popular bands,duets and soloists who were contemporary with the Beatles and Matt Monroe in a round-robin fashion like the Hollies, Beach Boys,Herman's Hermits,Dave Clark Five,The Searchers,Gerry and the Peacemakers,Gary Lewis and the Playboys,Freddie and the Dreamers,The Animals,The Monkees,TheTurtles, Fabulous Echoes,Bee Gees,The Gallery, Celia Black,Dusty Springfield,Brenda Lee,Timi Yuro,Connie Francis,lulu,Patsy Cline,Jerry Vale,Del Shannon,Perry Como,Freddie Fender,Niel Sedaka,Paul Anka,Bobby Vinton,Elvis Presley,Cliff Richard,English songs of Pelita Corrales and Nora Aunor,Louie Levant,Merci Molina,Bobby Gonzales,Eddie Peregrina,Anita Bryant,Pauline Sevilla,Everly Brothers,among others.Some of these bands and soloists can be seen in the internet thru their websites.Their songs can suitably be played side by side with the new songs and current hits throughout the week and on weekends for pleasure and entertainment.

I would further strongly encouraged that music lovers listening in various places where Viper FM’s signal has reached to include and consider Southern Leyte’s new music station on their list because it also caters to different kinds of songs that covers English,Tagalog and Cebuano/Visayan songs.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)