Vakarel radio transmitter, Radio transmitter in Sredna Gora mountains, Bulgaria
The Vakarel radio transmitter is a 215-meter tall facility located in the Sredna Gora mountains near Sofia, Bulgaria. The site featured a lattice tower structure with broadcasting equipment designed to send radio signals across the surrounding regions.
The facility was built in 1937 by Telefunken and served radio broadcasting purposes for several decades. It ceased all transmissions on December 31, 2014, ending a long era of mountain-based radio broadcasting.
The transmitter facility connected the main radio studio in Sofia to audiences across Bulgaria through an underground cable system spanning 36 kilometers.
The transmitter sits on a mountain in a remote location accessible through regional road networks. Expect hilly terrain and changeable mountain weather conditions when visiting this exposed site.
The facility relied on a specialized water-cooling system to keep its high-frequency tubes from overheating. This engineering solution was necessary to manage the enormous heat generated by continuous broadcast operations.
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