THE TREASURE ISLAND STATION OPENS

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 35, 10 February 1939, Page 39

THE TREASURE ISLAND STATION OPENS

First Shortwave Station West of Mississippi Gives G.E.C. 24-Hour Service THE first shortwave radio transmitter in the United States west of the Mississippi River wiil be erected on Treasure Island, site of San Francisco’s World's Fair, and will be in readiness for operation with the opening of the fair ebout the middle of February.

od HIS announcement was made recently by Chester H. Lang, manager of broadcasting for the General Electric Company, upon reeeipt of word from the Federal Communieations Commission in Washington that they had approved the building of this station at the fair instead of at Belmont, as asked in the original applieation. The station will operate on two frequencies, 9530 kilocycles, or $1.48 metres, and 15,330 kilocycles, or 19.56. metres, which are dupli eates of the wavelengths used by General Blectric for many years in its shortwave broadcasting over W2ZXAF and W2xXAD from _ this city. However, because of the difference in time, it will be possible for this new Pacific Coast station to operate without interference and provide more or less a 24-hour shortwave service on these two wavelengths from America. The station, operating ou 20 kilowatts, will be equipped with diree tional antennas of the latest type, designed by Dr. E. F. W. Alexatderson, with beams directed to the Far East and South America. These beams, concentrating the transmitter output within an angle of about 30 degrees, will increase the effective carrier power i0 times. To Serve Far East In order to serve the Far Hast, at present radio signals following @ great circle path from the existing international broadcast stations located only in the eastern part of the United States must pass dir eetly over the north polar regions The magnetic field of the earth and the daylight-darkness distribution over this path are subject to extreme variations, and their effects on radio signals are believed to be the cause of the failure of radio transmissions to the Orient and have prevented . reliable broadcast service from the United States. Such service as can now be ren dered from Schenectady to the Far East is "spotty," varies from sea gon to season and from hour to hour, aud to a large extent is un: available during the evening hours ~ £ the Orient. On the other hand, the great circle path from the proposed focation in California does not pass over the north polar regions, is a more east-west path, and therefore should not be subject to the extreme variations found in the signals transmitted from Schenectady, New York. This technica information indicates that it should be possible to render a satisfactory and reliable broadcast service to the Far East from Treasure tsland throughout the greater part of the year. , The programmes of this station will consist of the best features . originating at the exposition, as well as outstanding programmes of red and blue networks of the NBC.

Schedules In operating from midnight to 6 am., EST, this station will provide programmes for evening reception in Manila from 4 to 10 p.m.; in Tokio, from 5 to 11 p.m.. in Calcutta, from 1 tc 7 p.m.; in Shang: hai, from 4 to 10 p.m., and in Sydney, from 6 p.m. until midnight. The 9530 kilocycle or 31.48 metre band will be used when the path between the transmitter and listening points is entirely dark, while the 15,330 kilocycle or 19.56 metre band is most useful when the path is part Fight and part dark. "Operating on high power and with specially designed antennas, this station should send American programmes to parts of the world that receive practically none of this service now," states Mr. Lang. "Incorporating the best ideas which have been gained from years of experience, the station will fill @ long-felt need for better shortwave radio facilities in the United States under licences for W2XAF and W2XAD, both well known to people of the world. Because of the difference in time, it will be possible to share time with the two Schenectady stations, causing no interference, but rather providing more or less a 24-hour shortwave service from America."