| The original Aerial was 60.96 metres
long and was strung between the tower and the highest point of the main
factory building. Later the length was reduced to 24.38 metres in length
and was inserted into the centre of the original span.
The photograph above shows the final
version - the single wire was substituted with SIX wires
in the form of a cage of 1 metre
diameter. The vertical section of the aerial was taken down to
the transmitter room, which was
located under the stairs adjacent to the conference room in
the Research building.
The Transmitter ran initially at
an input power of approximately 60 watts. Later equipment
purchased from the Radio Communications
Company (RCC) ran a power of approx 700 watts.
The Aerial appears to be Vertically
Polarised - the top section acting as a 'capacitance hat'.
In 1922 there occurred one of
the outstanding events of the century - the birth of broadcasting in the
U.K.
Arthur Fleming (Head of Research
Department at Metropolitan-Vickers), had taken a keen interest in
Telecommunications, and after completing a number of successful tests,
was instrumental in securing a licence for the Manchester Radio Station
Call-sign 2ZY.
The first public 'test broadcast'
from 2ZY at Trafford Park was transmitted on 450 metres (666KHz) on 17th
May 1922. The transmitter used 'Choke Modulation'.
After a series of tests, the General
Post Office (GPO) agreed to grant a two year licence to
the British Broadcasting Company
- a collective name given to the six large British companies
wishing to operate Radio Transmitting
Stations. The companies were: Metropolitan-Vickers;
GEC; BTH; Marconi; RCC and Western
Electric. This was the forerunner to the modern BBC.
On the 14th November 1922, the
British Broadcasting Company started broadcasting in London
and this was followed by '2ZY'
on the 15th November 1922 from Trafford Park. |
