[K6BW] Alexanderson Transmission on Christmas Eve

[Bill Smith]

Merry Christmas. Here's a little nostalgia for us old timers from the
Antique Wireless Association newsletter.  One question, does anyone have a
working receiver that will tune to 17.2 kHz?  Note the length of the wave as
described in the article.  This is truly "long wave" radio!

Subject: Alexanderson Transmission on Christmas Eve at 08:00 UTC, 17.2
kHz CW

SAQ Transmissions

Transmission on Christmas Eve
The traditional Christmas transmission takes place on December 24th. A
message will be sent at 08:00 UTC, and we start the transmitter about
half an hour in advance for tuning. The frequency is 17.2 kHz CW.

QSL-reports are kindly received:

QSL reports can be given via:

- E-mail to: info at alexander.n.se

- or fax to: +46-340-674195

- or via SM bureau

- or direct by mail to: Alexander - Grimeton Veteranradios Vaenner,
Radiostationen, Grimeton 72,
S-432 98 Grimeton, SWEDEN

Note: SAQ is now a member of the Swedish Amateur Association (SSA) and
"QSL via bureau" is OK.

-----------------

In 1895 the Italian physicist and later Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo
Marconi (1874-1937) had realised wireless telegraphy, i.e. the
possibility of transmitting information with the help of radio waves.

The communication across the Atlantic did not function well during
World War I and the need of telegram traffic with America was great.
The Swedish Parliament therefore decided in 1920 that a Swedish long
wave transmitting station and a receiving station should be built
under the direction of the "Telegrafverket".

Important for the location of the establishment was that the wave
propagation path was run across open waters - south of Norway and
north of Denmark and Scotland. In Grimeton, east of Varberg, the open
landscape gave free way for the radio waves out towards the Western
Sea and besides, the name was easy to pronounce for Americans.

The Great Radio Station was built during the years 1922-1924.

The transmitter, the heart of which is an alternating- current
generator (alternator), was developed by the Swedish engineer Ernst
Alexanderson, pioneer in radio, employed at General Electric in
Schenectady and chief engineer at Radio Corporation of America (RCA).

In the autumn of 1923 the establishment was ready except for the six
127 meters high antenna towers, which were delayed one year because of
strikes at the ironworks. The towers are placed at intervals of 380
meters with the 46 meters long cross-arms on top carrying the eight
copper wires, which make up antenna capacitance and feed energy to the
six vertical radiating elements.

A little village with dwelling houses for seven families was built for
the employees.

On December 1, 1924, the great radio station Grimeton went into
traffic with the call signal SAQ on 16.1 kHz (wavelength 18.6
kilometres) soon enough changed to 17.2 kHz (wavelength 17.4
kilometres).

On July 2, 1925, the establishment was formally inaugurated. King
Gustaf V arrived by car from the Varberg railway station in company
with among others the constructor Ernst Alexanderson.

During the station's now more than 75 years of history much has
happened. 1938 short-wave tests were made. World War II accelerated
the development and the number of short-wave transmitters increased
rapidly and there are still some twenty transmitters at work. FM- and
TV-transmitters were placed here and base stations for different
mobile services were also established gradually.