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West Mountain (Utah)
Encyclopedia
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
and 4.7 miles (8 km) west of Benjamin, Utah
Benjamin, Utah
Benjamin is a census-designated place in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. It is home to a radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
tower for KTCE
KTCE
KTCE is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Payson, Utah, USA, it serves the Provo area. The station is currently owned by Moenkopi Communications, Inc. The station first became known as KTCE beginning in 1989. Although the station is lower power, it has...
, an FM station licensed to Payson, Utah and operating on 92.1 MHz
Hertz
The hertz is the SI unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. One of its most common uses is the description of the sine wave, particularly those used in radio and audio applications....
. The mountain is also home to various FM radio translators and an observatory used by students from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. It can be accessed from a main road that starts near Benjamin, Utah. A small census designated place east of the mountain is known as West Mountain
West Mountain, Utah
West Mountain is a census-designated place in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 838...
as well.
Geology
West Mountain's highest point is at 6805 feet (2,074 m). The mountain is on the southern segment of the Wasatch Range, though it is not connected to the main range. The mountain is located on the southern shore of Utah LakeUtah Lake
Utah Lake is a freshwater lake in the U.S. state of Utah. On the western side of Utah Valley, the lake is overlooked by Mount Timpanogos and Mount Nebo. The lake's only river outlet, the Jordan River, is a tributary of the Great Salt Lake and is highly regulated with pumps. Evaporation accounts...
.
Radio uses
The following are translatorsBroadcast relay station
A broadcast relay station, relay transmitter, broadcast translator , rebroadcaster , or repeater is a broadcast transmitter which relays, repeats, or reflects the signal of another radio station or television station, usually to an area not covered by the signal of the originating station...
and radio stations located on the mountain (in order of frequency):
- K202CCCSN InternationalCSN International, broadcasting under the callsign KAWZ, is an FM radio station in Twin Falls, Idaho, operating on a frequency of 89.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW at 302 meters above average terrain....
-88.3 FM, from parent station KAWZ-FMCSN InternationalCSN International, broadcasting under the callsign KAWZ, is an FM radio station in Twin Falls, Idaho, operating on a frequency of 89.9 MHz with an effective radiated power of 100 kW at 302 meters above average terrain.... - K208BZ-89.1 FM from parent station KBYU-FM.
- KTCEKTCEKTCE is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Payson, Utah, USA, it serves the Provo area. The station is currently owned by Moenkopi Communications, Inc. The station first became known as KTCE beginning in 1989. Although the station is lower power, it has...
-92.1-FM, a hot adult contemporary format station licensed to Payson, Utah. - K252DB-98.3 FM, from parent station KEGH.
As well as radio stations, the mountain houses several cellular telephone transmitters providing service for AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless
AT&T Wireless Services, Inc., founded in 1987 as McCaw Cellular Communications, Inc., and now legally known as New Cingular Wireless Services, Inc., formerly part of AT&T Corp., is a wireless telephone carrier in the United States, based in Redmond, Washington, and later traded on the New York...
, Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
and T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
. The mountain also contains towers for local emergency services, and state and federal government services. An older tower, once operated by AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
, is known more commonly as a "Long Line
Long line (telecommunications)
In telephone systems nomenclature, a long line is a transmission line in a long-distance communications network such as carrier systems, microwave radio relay links, geosynchronous satellite links, underground cables, aerial cables and open wire, and Submarine communications cables...
" tower, and was used for microwave communications is located on the summit. It is the tallest tower on the mountain, and is the most predominant feature. With the invention of fiber optics, the use of these towers gradually declined, and other similar towers have fallen into disrepair. This particular "long lines" tower, is connected to other towers in Riverton, Utah
Riverton, Utah
Riverton is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 38,753 at the 2010 census. Riverton is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state of Utah, and was ranked by CNN Money Magazine as the 60th best...
and Levan, Utah
Levan, Utah
Levan is a town in Juab County, Utah, United States. The population was 688 at the 2000 census. It is often said that the name of the town derives from its location at the center of Utah, because the name is navel spelled backwards. Several other origins have been suggested for the name, from...
. A ham radio repeater, known as WA7FFM is located on the mountain as well.
Observatory
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. It was constructed for the astronomy department of the university in 1981. Two other telescopes were constructed during the next decade and the observatory is still in use to this day. It is the largest and most modern telescope in the state of Utah. A residence was built on site, and is currently occupied by astronomer Dr. David Laney and family.
Access
West Mountain road, which leads to the summit, begins on Lincoln Beach road, directly northeast of the summit. It is a winding road, which may or may not be in good condition, depending on the season. Those wishing to access the mountain are suggested to use four wheel driveFour Wheel Drive
The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...
vehicles.