View source for Ebright Azimuth

{{Short description|Hill in Delaware, United States}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Ebright Azimuth
| photo = Ebright Azimuth sign - SEP 2016.jpg
| photo_caption = The monument sign for Ebright Azimuth, the highest point in Delaware as of September 2016
| elevation_ft = 448
| elevation_ref = <ref name=dgs/><ref name=Schenck/>
| prominence_ft = 32
| prominence_ref = <ref name="pb">{{cite peakbagger |pid=7156 |name=Ebright Azimuth, Delaware |access-date=2012-10-17}}</ref>
| listing = [[List of U.S. states by elevation|U.S. state high point]] 49th
| map = Delaware#USA
| map_size = 180
| map_caption = Location of Ebright Azimuth in Delaware
| label_position = left
| location = [[New Castle County, Delaware]], [[United States]]
| coordinates = {{coord|39.83574|N|75.51915|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| easiest_route = Paved road
}}
[[File:Ebright Azimuth Delaware Sign 3008px.jpg|thumb|right|Elevation marker, August 2006]]
[[File:Azimuth05.jpg|thumb|right|Southbound view of the peak of Ebright Azimuth from the state line, April 2006]]

The '''Ebright Azimuth''' is the point with the highest benchmark monument elevation in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Delaware]]. It is marked with a [[Geodesy|geodetic]] benchmark monument and has an elevation of {{convert|447.85|ft|m|2}} above [[sea level]]. The only state high-point with a lower elevation is [[Britton Hill]] in the state of [[Florida]] at {{convert|345|ft|m|0}} above sea level.

==Description==
The Ebright Azimuth<ref name="ngs">{{cite ngs |pid=JU3626 |name=Ebright}}</ref> is located about {{convert|6.5|mi|km|1}} north of downtown [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]], [[Delaware]], in far northern [[New Castle County, Delaware|New Castle County]], approximately 500' horizontal distance from the Delaware-Pennsylvania border.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ebright Azimuth : Climbing, Hiking & Mountaineering : SummitPost |url=https://www.summitpost.org/ebright-azimuth/154722 |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=www.summitpost.org}}</ref> It is near [[Concord High School (Delaware)|Concord High School]], to the north of [[Delaware Route 92|Naamans Road]], at the middle of the intersection of Ebright Road and Ramblewood Drive. This is an entrance to the Dartmouth Woods development.

Surveying by [[Delaware Geological Survey]] personnel indicates that the mobile home park just west of Ebright Road is at least {{convert|2|ft|cm|0}} higher than the benchmark.<ref name=dgs>{{cite web|url=http://www.dgs.udel.edu/delaware-geology/highest-point-delaware|title=Highest Point in Delaware|publisher=Delaware Geological Survey|access-date=2008-12-17}}</ref><ref name=Schenck>{{cite web|url=http://www.dra73.org/highestpoint.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090306204724/http://www.dra73.org/highestpoint.html|archive-date=2009-03-06|title=Regarding the highest point in Delaware|publisher=Delaware Repeater Association|access-date=2008-12-17 }}</ref>

Ebright Azimuth is named after James and Grant Ebright, who owned the property on which the benchmark was placed.<ref name="ngs"/> An [[azimuth]] is an angular measurement in a spherical coordinate system.

Since the schematic photograph was taken the blue and yellow monument sign has been moved across the street closer to the [[Survey marker|geodetic marker]]. A curb extension has been installed, and the area around the sign has been modestly landscaped.

== Radio tower history ==
The self-supporting [[Radio masts and towers|radio tower]] just south of the benchmark was constructed in 1947 by [[Western Union]] as part of a historic [[C band (IEEE)|C-band]] [[microwave radio relay]] system that linked [[New York City]] and [[Washington, D.C.]]  This site was assigned the name "Brandywine" in recognition of [[Brandywine Creek (Christina River)|Brandywine Creek]] located several kilometers to the west and was licensed with the [[call sign]] KGB29.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://coldwar-c4i.net/WU/station_list_1.jpg|title=Radio Stations Operated by the Western Union Telegraph Company|work=Plant and Engineering Department|publisher=Western Union Telegraph Company (archived by A Secret Landscape)|year=1959|format=JPG|access-date=2008-12-17}}</ref>
Western Union's engineers specified a heavy-duty prefabricated [[Fire lookout tower|fire tower]] structure, which allowed the microwave transmitters and receivers to be installed inside the cab.  [[Parabolic antenna|"Dish" antennas]], mounted behind the window openings, were aimed towards the adjacent relay stations at [[Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey|Mt. Laurel, New Jersey]], {{convert|33.8|mi|km}} to the northeast, and Elk Neck near [[Elkton, Maryland]], {{convert|30.5|mi|km}} to the southwest.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://coldwar-c4i.net/WU/DC_Pitts_NYC-map.jpg|title=Radio Relay Systems|work=New York, Washington, Pittsburg|publisher=archived by A Secret Landscape|access-date=2008-12-11}}</ref>

Like most of their early microwave relay sites, Western Union decommissioned the Brandywine installation near Ebright Azimuth as more-reliable broadband [[Fiber-optic communication|fiber]] systems were developed.  The structure now supports several [[VHF]] and [[UHF]] [[Land Mobile Radio System|land mobile radio]] antennas.

==See also==
* {{portal-inline|Geography}}
* {{portal-inline|Mountains}}
* [[List of U.S. states by elevation]]

==References==
{{reflist|33em}}

==External links==
{{commons+cat|Ebright Azimuth}}
* {{cite web|url=http://archives.delaware.gov/markers/|title=Historic Markers with Google Maps|publisher=State of Delaware|access-date=2008-12-17}}

{{Delaware}}
{{U.S. State Highest Points}}

[[Category:Landforms of Delaware]]
[[Category:Landforms of New Castle County, Delaware]]
[[Category:Highest points of U.S. states]]