Organizational Resources To Explore The 1921 Centennial Of The Transatlantic Tests

The Radio Club of America joins several other organizations in celebrating the centennial of the 1921 Transatlantic Tests on station 1BCG in Greenwich, Connecticut. These organizations have partnered and shared information, event planning, and research regarding the centennial. RCA recommends our members explore these other organizations and their website links for further information. The organizations are presented in alphabetic order.

1BCG

The Antique Wireless Association has compiled an online resource for information about the 1921 transatlantic tests. The website contains historical information as well as information about commemorative events and activities. Links to other sites and organizations are also included, and additional information from others can be posted here. For further information, please see http://1BCG.org.

ARRL

The Amateur Radio Relay League is the largest organization of amateur radio operators in the world. ARRL publishes QST, which in 1921 and 1922 published original research results from the transatlantic tests. ARRL has publicized events regarding the 1921 centennial and placed links onto its website. Fall 2021 issues of QST will also carry historical articles about the centennial. For further information, please see www.arrl.org/transatlantic.

AWA

The Antique Wireless Association is a partner to RCA and shares resources. AWA will be operating a replica of the 1921 transmitter at its QSO party, as well as operating the replica at the centennial events in Greenwich, Connecticut. AWA has placed research material about the 1921 transatlantic tests onto its 1BCG.org special event website A historical presentation about the 1921 tests by Bruce Kelly, AWA’s founder, is also available. For further information, please see https://www.antiquewireless. org/homepage/. AWA publications include information about the people and the technology of the era.

IEEE

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is the largest professional society in the world. It maintains considerable online resources for research. It and its predecessor organizations published numerous professional papers by the principal people involved in the 1921 transatlantic tests, including papers regarding the technology used in those tests. Several of those individuals received prestigious awards from IEEE and its predecessor organizations, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Institute of Radio Engineers, AIEE and IRE, respectively, during their lifetimes. The IEEE maintains the ETHW, Engineering and Technology History Wiki website that provides biographical material, articles, and searchable links to historical articles, oral history transcripts, and original research publications, much of which is available to the general public. For further information, please see https://ethw.org/Main_Page.

RCA

The Radio Club of America played an important role in the 1921 tests through its members, which worked with the ARRL to perform the experiments. Many of these members later received awards from RCA or other organizations for their work. RCA has provided information about the centennial on its website with links to other organizations and historical material. RCA will operate a QSO event on November 13-14, 2021. RCA’s publication the Proceedings of the Radio Club of America, previously published original research and historical discussion of the 1921 events, which are described elsewhere in this issue. For further information, please see https://www.radioclubofamerica. org/transatlantic-test-centennial.

RSGB

The Radio Society of Great Britain has organized several anniversary events regarding the 1921 transatlantic tests in prior years, notably the 90th and 95th anniversaries. RSGB is operating a centennial QSO party on November 13-14. RSGB has published several historical articles as well as placing historical material onto its website. For further information, please see https://rsgb.org/main/activity/transatlantic-tests/.

SARN

Southgate Amateur Radio News provides information to the United Kingdom amateur radio community. SARN is publicizing U.K. centennial events and providing historical information about the 1921 transatlantic tests, including links to other U.K. organizations, such as RSGB’s Radcom and CRAG. A QSO party will be hosted in December 2021 with a special event station, 2ZE. For further information, please see http://www.southgatearc. org/news/2021/june/transatlantic-tests-100-centenary.htm#. YRapKohKjIV.

1BCG Transmitter Section at the Greenwich, Connecticut Radio Shack

Four Radiotron UV204 vacuum tubes are mounted on the center of the table: the oscillator is on the right and the three amplifiers on the left. The oscillator circuit with ribbon inductance and mica condensers are in the left foreground, and the power amplifier variable plate tuning condensers are in the rear center. One of the keying relays is on the table in the front center. A choke coil of the filter system is left of the plate tuning condensers just below the other keying relay mounted on the wall. The counterpoise lead-in insulator, antenna coupling coil, radiation ammeter, and antenna lead-in are shown in the upper left. The 2000 volt DC motor-generator is in the lower right and the filament transformer is under the table in the left foreground. The electric fan for cooling the high voltage generator is on the floor to the left of the motor.

1BCG Receiver at the Greenwich, Connecticut Radio Shack

The short wave Paragon RA 10 regenerative receiver and amplifier are shown on the table at right center. The long wave set for copying the nightly reports from WII is mounted on top of the Paragon RA-6. The small cabinet to its right contains the frequency monitor. The sending key and the two transmitter power control switches are on the right in from of the Magnavox loud speaker.

1921 TRANSATLANTIC TESTS WHAT DID THEY HEAR IN SCOTLAND?

FIRST NIGHT -- Godley first heard a transatlantic signal from 1BCG at 0050Z Saturday, Dec. 10, 1921 on 230-235 meters (1300 kHz). During the 1920s this was known as shortwave. No other U.S. stations were heard that night. (QST, Feb. 1922, p. 24)

SECOND NIGHT -- Godley copied many more U.S. stations on Sunday, Dec. 11, 1921. The stations, listed in time order, were: 1RU, 2FP, 2BML, 1ARY, 1BDT, 2BK, 2DN, 3BP, 1BDT, 1BGF, 1YK, 1XM, 2FD, 2EH, 8ACF, 8XV. (QST, Feb. 1922, p. 27)

THIRD NIGHT -- Godley copied “the first message” of congratulations from 1BCG at 0252Z Monday, Dec. 12, 1921. He copied many fewer U.S. stations that night: 1BKA, 1RZ, 2ARY, 2AJW, 3FB. (QST, Feb. 1922, p. 28)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Since the objective was to copy a meaningful shortwave message, the message sent by 1BCG on Dec. 11 as received in Ardrossan on Dec. 12 is considered the moment of success, and this is the date etched into the monument in Greenwich, CT. Note, previous transatlantic radio traffic was performed with low frequency (longwave) technology, including the Marconi Station MUU’s transmissions from Wales to R.C.A. in New York where Godley confirmed his receipt of the 1BCG shortwave messages.

Godley’s original copy of the first transatlantic message from 1BCG.