[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Ricardo,
Yes, we are planning for a transmission on October 24th.
Startup of the transmitter will begin at 16.30 CET (14.30 UTC) and a message will be sent out at 17.00 CET ( 15.00 UTC)
The entire event can be followed live on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/f6cEm9A71g8

The text to be transmitted is not published in advance, but this year’s message is composed by the Swedish human rights lawyer and sustainability expert Ms. Parul Sharma.
Transmitted speed is usually close to 15 WPM.
You can read more about the entire event here: https://alexander.n.se/saq-grimeton-un-day-transmission-on-october-24th-2021/

Best of luck!
Regards,
Fredrik/AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Emil,
That’s an interesting and exiting twist to this question.
We have never had any visitor (old or young) telling us that they have “heard” the 17200Hz.
One should know that the machine, when running, is creating lots of loud noice in the transmitter hall, mainly coming from the air cooling fan, used to cool and blow out any arcs on the large contactors for modulation of the carrier wave. So to pick up any high frequency sound it that environment would be rather difficult.
One could also wonder why many visiting children, gets restless and sad during the transmitter startup. Could that be the high frequency that they are picking up?
Most likely not. I beleive they just get bored and wants to go out and play on our new playground 😉

Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Juerg,
A receiver kit is available from the shop at World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station.
Link: https://grimeton.org/radioaffaren-2/?lang=en
Please write to info@grimeton.org to order one.
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Mark,
What a beautiful receiver!
Fantastic with the “SAQ – Radio” sign, as well.
Thanks for sharing this with us.
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Whitham,
Thanks for your feedback.
Yes, the frequency was a little low, around 17.180 KhZ.
We could not tune at 17.200 kHz without loosing motor power and we don’t have a clear idea of why this happened.
Propably it is some settings in the combination of idle rotor restance / key-down resistance, and correct tuning of the automatic speed control, that are incorrect.
We will do some more research on this after the summer break and can hopefully do some tests around the UN Day, October 24th.
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Mike,
Sorry, but we have no updated, modern schematics to publish at the moment. An updated set may be available in a while.
You can find the original schematic from April 1923 (large file) here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3A7AtKeUBOqS2hoYTZyNWM2Sjg/view?usp=sharing&resourcekey=0-T5LnmxwbjqrmfFG6JK2GnA

Regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Great to hear that you have your receiver ready.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, there is no confirmed transmission for 2021 but we will do our best to get on air this year.
Keep checking our website and subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about any upcoming transmissions.
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

David,
Thanks for your very nice comment. We are very happy for our successful transmissions.
Kind regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Jens,
The antenna towers are directed towards Long Island, outside New York, where the receiving station was located.
My theory is that its because Googe Maps uses the Mercator projection type for its map images. It gives accurate ‘zoomed-in views’ but this projection also distorts a ‘zoomed-out view’, which will make it look like the antenna towers are pointing in another direction.
Maybe there is a better explantion out there.
Regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Best of luck James. Looking forward to your report.
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Mark,
Exiting to hear about your tube receiver and all luck to you today. Looking forward to receiving your report.
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Whitham,
Yes, all reception reports from the Alexanderson Day June 30, 2019, filed to us via online form or by Email will receive a QSL.
We are currently putting together the complete listeners reports list which will be published any soon.
After that we will issue the QSL cards.

Kind regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Rob,
I am sorry to hear that we may have missed your report.
Did you send us an Email or did you report via bureau or by mail?
Kind regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Duncan,
According to the “Manual for the telegraph co.” (“Handbok för Telegrafverket”) from 1933, they were using the 2-line Creed-system perforator and punch hole reader at Gothenburg Radio. The signal was then relayed to the Grimeton radio station over the telephone line.
The Creed system is a further development of the original Wheatstone system.
At the radio station, we are in the possess of a perforator and punch hole reader from those days, both seems to be for field use.

The punch hole reader used at our start-up sequence, is a “Hell” 5-line type, of a more modern style, propably introduced when Morse code was replaced by Telex/Teletype and frequency shift. For example, the radio telegram connection between Sweden (Grimeton) and New York via Tanger, was using this 5-line system however with slightly higher speed (60 Baud) than with Telex/Teletype (50 resp. 45 Baud).

Regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ (with lots of assistance from Ola Hernvall)

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Christopher,
Sorry for my late reply.
The small plank pieces seen on the live video stream are used to start the circulation pumps in the liquid resistors. There are two liquid resistors used as variable rotor resistance for the electric motor.

The liquid resistors consist of about 2 m high containers, in which electrodes made from stainless steel are dipped into the liquid consisting of water and sodium carbonate. The liquid level in the containers may be varied by “sluices” controlled from the control board (you can see the operator adjuating the liquid level several times during the startup phase). This regulates the resistance between steel electrodes and thus controlled the rotor resistance. The heat generated is cooled off in the liquor through a heat exchanger for cooling station facility. Read more about this and watch video (Swedish language) here:

The Alexanderson transmitter

Best regards,
Fredrik / AlexnderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Laurens,
First, we are sorry for our late reply.
Currently we have two dedicated telegraphists, keying the SAQ transmitter on transmission events.
We schedule two annual transmissions, one on Alexanderson Day, early July, and on Christmas Eve morning.
In between, we do not make any transmissions, other than occasional tests.

Let’s hope you will be able to complete your build of your transmitter in time for the coming Christmas Eve transmission.

Kind regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Ugo,
Here’s a short desciption of the antenna and the ground network:
There are 6 antenna towers, each 127 meters tall, with a total distance of about 2000m between tower no 1 and no 6. The six towers are oriented for best radiation towards New York, though, we have not seen any document that confirms this. The radiation pattern of the antenna is almost omnidirectional, with a slight increase in NW-SE direction and a slight dip in the NE direction.
Along the entire antenna there is a 500 meter wide ground grid and the coils at the towers 2-6 are connected to the ground grid via overhead lines, 100m out from the towers, 7 connections on each side from each coil (no connection near the coils).
At tower no 1 it is a bit different. The coil is connected to the alternator and it is the alternator that is grounded. The alternator is connected via overhead lines to the ground line in 10 points, 5 on each side. The connection points closest to the station building are roughly 100-200 meters away from the buildning so you can assume that there is no ground grid close to the station building. Instead, overhead lines have been supplemented with extra lines closest to the station, which can then be seen as an elevated ground plane that replaces the missing ground line there.

The radiant parts of the antenna are almost vertical at towers 2-5. At towers 1 and 6, the top lines that goes up/down at about 45 degrees, is giving “useful” radiation.

Fredrik (with assistance from Ola Hernvall) / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Hello,
The video clip on our website about “the multiple antenna” is, unfortunately, only available in Swedish language.
Here’s a link to information in English about the antenna:
http://grimeton.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Listening-to-Grimeton.pdf

Fredrik /AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Alex,
Thanks for your message.
The air time for the Old Lady is very limited and has, so far, been dedicated to manual morse code transmissions.
It is certainly an interesting idea to combine more modern transmission technology with the over 90 year old transmitter.
We will give this a thought.

Kind regards,
Fredrik / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Bob,
We cannot hear any sound from the transmitter set that can be connected to the keying. The transmitter set is equipped with two Bartlett Hayward flexible couplings between drive motor/gearbox and gearbox/high frequency generator. According to the RCA description of the transmitter, a special lubricant is needed to these couplings ”to absorb the chock in telegraph service”.

However, the keying is easily heard in the transmitter hall, as four huge relay-switches are operating for the speed compensation. Moreover, these relay-switches are cooled with compressed air in order to blow out arcs and cool the contact surfaces. The sound from the cooling air is very aggressive and varies with the keying, so use of ear protections is recommended.

Ola Hernvall / AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Bob,
Thanks for the question.
No, the alternator load is not kept constant, the load variations are handled by the power network.

In order to keep the frequency constant at keying, additional torque is given by the drive motor at key-down to match the increased power to the antenna. The drive motor is an induction motor. The supply lines to the motor are equipped by transductors, i.e. choke coils with variable inductance, so the voltage to the drive motor can be adjusted between 1500 and 2300 V. The rotor winding of the drive motor is connected to variable liquid resistors, so the rotor resistance can be varied over a wide range. At key-down the inductance of the transductors is reduced and also the rotor resistance is reduced, both measures contributing to increased torque. The additional torque can easily be adjusted by the liquid resistors to match the increased load. A German radio amateur has analyzed the frequency variation at keying and found it to be within +- 10 Hz.
Ola Hernvall /AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Dear Laszlo,
Yes, this is correct. Unfortunately, on this year ‘s Alexanderson Day, we are unable to air any transmission, due to maintenance. There will be start-ups of the Alexanderson alternator which can be monitored live on our YouTube channel. See more information on https://www.alexander.n.se

Regards,
Fredrik/AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Sorry!
Of course its on SATURDAY December 24th and not Thursday…thanks for noticing. 🙂
//Fredrik – AlexanderSAQ

[AlexanderSAQ]

Hi all!
We are looking forward to hearing your stories, how you spent Christmas Eve morning, listening to SAQ.
Please write a short story to info@alexander.n.se and let us know how it was.
Bonus for attached pictures 😉

Thank you!
//Fredrik – AlexanderSAQ
P.S. Don’t forget to see the live video stream of the transmisson on https://www.alexander.n.se

[AlexanderSAQ]

Hi all!
Tests were done today Tuesday Dec 20th at around 10 UTC, see link below.
http://lf-radio.de/cgi-bin/ki/plot_channel.cgi?date=16-12-20&freq=17.2KHz

Next test will be on Friday Dec 23rd at around 09.00 UTC.

Looking forward to hearing from you all on Christmas Eve.
//Fredrik – AlexanderSAQ

[Författare]

Svar