Our logos...

The brief history of NECRAT.

• While my records on it are not clear, file dates indicate that NECRAT officially debuted on the internet
in October of 1999. For reference, NECRAT launched 10/04/99.

• Initially NECRAT was just tower maps and a message board.

• The inspiration to put photographs came from Garrett Wollman's "Boston Radio Archives"
after a late night search of the internet for a picture of the WHDH-TV tower in Newton.
This opened the door to a whole new world for me. It was here where I met Scott
Fybush for the first time.

• NECRAT first put pictures on the internet in December 1999
The first set of pictures were the four Newton-Needham towers in the Boston area.

• NECRAT's first fans include: Scott Fybush, Bill Peluso, and Dan Donnelly, who
passed away shortly after the launch.

• April 2000, NECRAT begins the transition from Geocities to Tripod.

• September 2000, NECRAT ends the transition.

• March 2001, NECRAT's first "breaking news" change, pictures taken
of the emergency antenna installed for WXXA-TV.

• April 2001 , Nationally famous broadcast historian and columnist Scott Fybush
teams up with NECRAT for his tower site of the week column featuring
pictures of the Keene, NH area.

• 2005, NECRAT teams up with John DeSesa of Geek With Us
hosting to launch a completley new website and domain.
"NECRAT.COM" is born.

• 2006, NECRAT's sub-site "Stewart's Shops Fan Pages" is
launched. Quickly becoming one of the most popular
sections of the website, and a section almost completley
unrelated to broadcast! (Just the love of good milk and ice cream!)

• June 2007 NECRAT "moves" from Springfield to Rhode Island, as
the sole webmaster Mike Fitzpatrick relocates from WWLP to WPRI.

• August 2008, NECRAT debuts rarely seen pictures of one of the
country's most famous broadcast sites, Mount Washington, NH.

AND SOME QUICK FACTS.

• The oldest picture on NECRAT was the WBZ-TV tower in Boston.

• My first camera used here was Pentax K1000 with zoom lens.

• The first TV transmitter tour was WTEN-TV in Albany, NY.
(The pictures never did come out!)

• The first FM transmitter tour was WFLY in Albany, NY.

• The farthest, highest, tallest, etc...

West tower is WKSE Niagra Falls, NY
East tower is WMME Augusta, ME
North is Park Du Mont Royal, Montreal, QU.
South is WPCH (WTBS) Atlanta, GA
Tallest is: WMTW Baldwin, ME (1660 feet)
Highest is: Mount Washington, NH
Largest is: WWKB/WGR Buffalo, NY
Closest to NECRAT central: WHJJ Providence, RI

• Cameras owned
Pentax K1000
Fuji
Kodak DX6490
Kodak P710 (Currently in use)