Message-ID: <alpine.NEB.2.00.1405310011170.21503@panix2.panix.com>
From: Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>
To: Cyb <cybermind@listserv.wvu.edu>, Wryting-L <WRYTING-L@listserv.wvu.edu>
Subject: 1907 Radio Station in Operation!
Date: Sat, 31 May 2014 00:13:59 -0400 (EDT)
1907 Radio Station in Operation! http://www.alansondheim.org/radio046.jpg http://www.alansondheim.org/massie.mp4 East Greenwich, RI, has The New England Wireless and Steam Museum, home to the earliest operating radio station in existence. The antenna has a dummy load so the spark transmitter doesn't interfere with contemporary broadcast (highly illegal); for the most part, the signal goes nowhere. This is a short video of it in operation; the operator is Robert W. Merriam, who is responsible for a good part of the collection (housed in five buildings outside of town). The station is Massie Station "PJ" from Point Judith, RI. PJ is in its original building, which was moved to the museum site. It's remarkable to see and hear spark-gap transmission. The museum is maintained by a group of volunteers and the collection of extremely early radio artifacts is the best I've ever seen. The Corliss steam engine (developed in RI) is amazing as well, but I'm personally more interested in extremely early radio; I have a loose coupler, variometer, and other equipment from 1910-1925; I used the equipment at an installation at Eyebeam in 2011. If have have a chance, visit the museum!
