The Rheinsender (Rhine transmitter) is a large medium-wave transmission facility near Wolfsheim south-west of Mainz for the frequency 1017 kHz. The Rhine transmitter was established in 1950 and went on the air May 15th, 1950. It belongs to SWR (until 1998 to SWF) and transmitted until the middle of the 1990's with 600 kilowatts. In the last years the transmission power was reduced to 100 kilowatts. As transmission aerial from 1950 to 2003 two 150 metre high guyed steel tube masts were used, which are insulated from ground and which were separated by an insulator in the mast construction electrically in two parts for double feeding as fading reducing aerial.
By the usage of two masts a direction minimum toward South East was obtained according to international regulations when working with a transmission power of 600 kilowatts at nighttime. After transmission power was reduced to 100 kilowatts a direction minimum toward South East was not necessary any more and running the transmitter with omnidirectional radiation was possible.
Therefore the second radio mast was obsolete and it was demolished on February 26th, 2003. On the remaining radio mast of the Rhine transmitter there are also aerials for FM broadcasting as for SWR 4 on 94.9 MHz.
List of masts
