East Coasters are well situated to give it a shot.Īnd of course, there’s an app for that. But given that the original purpose of these behemoths was transcontinental Morse code transmission, it only seems sporting to try to pick it up in the USA. If you’re in Europe, it’s a lot easier because the station, SAQ, is located in Sweden.
Most of the challenge in receiving the Alexanderson transmitter broadcasts are due to this very low broadcast frequency your antenna is not long enough. Weighing in at around 50 tons, the monster powering the Varberg Radio Station is essentially a high-speed alternator - a generator that puts out 17.2 kHz instead of the 50-60 Hz that the electric companies give us today. The Alexanderson Transmitter design dates back to around 1910, before any of the newfangled tube technology had been invented. But if you’d like to tune in one that is, or if you’re just a ham radio geek in need of a bizarre challenge, don’t miss Alexanderson Day 2015 tomorrow, Sunday, June 28th Is your ham radio rig made of iron and steel? Is it mechanically driven? Classified as a World Heritage Site? We didn’t think so.
