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Pioneer Short-Wave Station

Pioneer Short-Wave Station from directly overhead

Pioneer Short-Wave Station is a historic site in Pennsylvania, at a modelled elevation of 359 m. Pollocks Knob stands 407 m to the south-southwest, 13 miles off. The nearest named place is Forest Hills Westinghouse Recreation Center, a park less than a tenth of a mile away. Grand View Scenic Byway passes 8.3 miles off.

What the record says

Material
steel
Inscription
On this site in 1923, Westinghouse opened a special radio facility to experiment with long-distance transmissions. Led by Frank Conrad, engineers here demonstrated the vital role of high-frequency short waves in sending broadcasts around the world.

How to reach it

Coordinates40.41826, -79.84143

Named places within 25 miles

Parks
  • Forest Hills Westinghouse Recreation Center: 0.0 mi
  • Forest Woodland Park: 0.1 mi
  • Forest Hills Park: 1.0 mi
  • Brinton Park: 1.0 mi
  • Braddock Hills Walking Park: 1.1 mi
Nature reserves
  • Churchill Valley Greenway: 2.2 mi
  • Pioneer Park: 2.7 mi
  • Cottonwood-Sunnyfield Park: 3.2 mi
  • Glenwood Park: 3.7 mi
  • Monroeville Community Park: 3.9 mi
Historic sites
Peaks
  • Clayton Hill: 3.5 mi
  • Cowboy Hill: 3.5 mi
  • Riverview Hill: 3.7 mi
  • Gascola slag dump summit: 4.1 mi
  • Prospect Hill: 5.1 mi
Artworks
Picnic sites: 22
  • Picnic Place at the Schenley Plaza: 6.1 mi
  • Picnic Area: 6.4 mi
  • Picnic Pavillion: 7.3 mi
  • Picnic Pavillion: 7.4 mi
  • Grove: 11.2 mi
Attractions: 19
Beaches: 7
  • Thornburg Beach: 12.4 mi
  • Tiger Beach: 12.9 mi
  • Aquatorium Beach Left Side: 15.4 mi
  • Aquatorium Beach Left Side: 15.5 mi
  • Aquatorium Beach Right Side: 15.5 mi
Cliffs: 2
  • Hay's Wall: 5.7 mi
  • Fossils Cliff: 16.2 mi
Waterfalls: 1
  • Thompson Run Falls: 2.8 mi
Springs: 1
  • Francis Spring: 6.3 mi

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 17.1 miles of Pioneer Short-Wave Station. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

SummitBearingElevationDistance
Pollocks KnobSSW 207°407 m12.8 mi
Bald HillSE 141°397 m17.1 mi
Herron HillWNW 292°384 m6.7 mi
Rich HillN 0°365 m11.3 mi
Mt. SycamoreN 352°229.2 m5.2 mi

When to go

Light through the year

The recorded facing catches the sunrise.

DateSunriseGolden hourSunset
March equinox07:2418:5619:32
June solstice05:5020:1320:54
September equinox07:0818:4219:18
December solstice07:4016:1316:57

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Oct.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg °F303140516170747366554435
Precip in3.22.73.33.23.94.73.83.73.32.92.93.0

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Braddock Lock 2, 2 mi away.

Where this comes from

Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.

OpenStreetMap

OpenStreetMap element node/12049315782

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