[CW] The Sound of SAQ - Grimeton Radio at 17.2 kHz.

David Ring n1ea at arrl.net
Wed Jul 2 17:55:09 EDT 2008


SAQ this year! 29 June 2008 transmission.  Using the only operational
General Electric Alexanderson Very Low Frequency (VLF) alternator on
17.2 kHz (yes - right at the bottom of the radio spectrum), SAQ makes
one or two transmissions a year.  The Winter transmission is much
easier to copy in the Western Hemisphere.

Listen to file (or download for keeping!) here:
http://mikea.ath.cx/www.n1ea.coastalradio.org.uk/grimeton3.wav

More information and pictures of Grimeton Radio/SAQ are here:
http://www.alexander.n.se/

Before WW2 there were a network of these, the first one was at New
Brunswick, NJ (Edwin "Jay" Quinby was one of the operators there)
(call sign WII), - see a list of the stations here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexanderson_alternator#Stations

Since this is the CW reflector - this is the FIRST CW signal to ever
be broadcast.  All the others at the time were spark which was damped
waves - type B emission.

73

DR

From a good friend of mine, LA7CFA/Øystein, I received the enclosed
sound file which confirms the 29 of June  transmission from SAQ at
09:00 UTC as heard in Bergen, Norway.


Øystein writes:

QUOTE. Using a Marconi spectrum analyzer in manual mode with
500 Hz band pas filter and external beat frequency oscillator,
antenna was a 20 meter wire antenna 10 meter above
ground. Signal at analyzer was approximately 5 μ Volt. UNQUOTE


He sure beat my own attempts to copy SAQ on an old Marconi ATALANTA
receiver connected to a longer and higher antenna not many km from his
QTH. Both the old ATALANTA and my ears are probably not what they used
to be any more. (hi)

Enjoy the sound of SAQ.

Hans Chr./LA2EG

 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~


More information about the CW mailing list