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Beverage Antenna Used in WW2
Hi All, I have some info on a Beverage antenna that I believe you'll find interesting. During 1942-43 I was with the Radio Intelligence Division of the FCC in Hawaii, monitoring enemy transmissions. One assignment by the State Department was to determine whether the Japanese in Japan were getting the same information from their local broadcasts as the propaganda broadcast on HF, or different information concerning the progress of the War. On searching the AM broadcast band for Japanese stations we found JOAK, Tokyo, on 650 kHz, with an exceptionally strong nighttime signal. However, KNX, Los Angeles, also on 650, was equally strong, making copy of JOAK impossible. Consequently, two of my colleagues, Prose Walker, W4BW, and Edwin Rudisuhle, K6SAC, installed a Beverage antenna on the northern shore of Oahu to reduce the interference from KNX. The Beverage was more than one-half mile long at a height of 10 feet, aimed directly at Tokyo, and terminated with a variable resistor. The signal from KNX was totally nulled out with the adjustment of the terminating resistor. The State Department was pleased with the results, because we were then able to record the JOAK broadcasts daily, with the records sent to Washington daily by US Army planes from Hickam Field, Honolulu. Walt, W2DU |
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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:28:32 GMT, Walter Maxwell wrote:
snip The State Department was pleased with the results, because we were then able to record the JOAK broadcasts daily, with the records sent to Washington daily by US Army planes from Hickam Field, Honolulu. Walt, W2DU Sorry, Guys, I had trouble learning how to get a file into the rraa. Please excuse the mess I made. I got an error msg that said the first post above was not posted. Walt |
#3
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Walter Maxwell wrote:
On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 12:28:32 GMT, Walter Maxwell wrote: snip The State Department was pleased with the results, because we were then able to record the JOAK broadcasts daily, with the records sent to Washington daily by US Army planes from Hickam Field, Honolulu. Walt, W2DU Sorry, Guys, I had trouble learning how to get a file into the rraa. Please excuse the mess I made. I got an error msg that said the first post above was not posted. Didn't get a file, but I enjoyed the story! - Mike KB3EIA - |
#4
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snip
Sorry, Guys, I had trouble learning how to get a file into the rraa. Please excuse the mess I made. I got an error msg that said the first post above was not posted. Didn't get a file, but I enjoyed the story! - Mike KB3EIA - Glad you enjoyed the story, Mike, but you lost me saying 'didn't get a file'. Walt, W2DU |
#5
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I was doing some work in central Oahu a few years back, and stayed out at
the Turtle Bay hotel on the North Shore. One day we were out nosing around the area and ran across the site of that old Beverage. Some of the old timers who live out there still remember it. Also, there is a road named Radio or something in that vein which is what first attracted our attention. -- Crazy George Remove N O and S P A M imbedded in return address "Walter Maxwell" wrote in message ... Hi All, I have some info on a Beverage antenna that I believe you'll find interesting. During 1942-43 I was with the Radio Intelligence Division of the FCC in Hawaii, monitoring enemy transmissions. One assignment by the State Department was to determine whether the Japanese in Japan were getting the same information from their local broadcasts as the propaganda broadcast on HF, or different information concerning the progress of the War. On searching the AM broadcast band for Japanese stations we found JOAK, Tokyo, on 650 kHz, with an exceptionally strong nighttime signal. However, KNX, Los Angeles, also on 650, was equally strong, making copy of JOAK impossible. Consequently, two of my colleagues, Prose Walker, W4BW, and Edwin Rudisuhle, K6SAC, installed a Beverage antenna on the northern shore of Oahu to reduce the interference from KNX. The Beverage was more than one-half mile long at a height of 10 feet, aimed directly at Tokyo, and terminated with a variable resistor. The signal from KNX was totally nulled out with the adjustment of the terminating resistor. The State Department was pleased with the results, because we were then able to record the JOAK broadcasts daily, with the records sent to Washington daily by US Army planes from Hickam Field, Honolulu. Walt, W2DU |
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On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 18:25:44 -0500, "Crazy George"
wrote: I was doing some work in central Oahu a few years back, and stayed out at the Turtle Bay hotel on the North Shore. One day we were out nosing around the area and ran across the site of that old Beverage. Some of the old timers who live out there still remember it. Also, there is a road named Radio or something in that vein which is what first attracted our attention. Veery Interrrresting! I'd like to add that during my piddling around with antennas at RCA Princeton from 1949 to 1980 I had the prviledge of knowing Dr. Harold Beverage. What a great man he was in furthering the art and science of communication. Walt, W2DU |
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Veery Interrrresting! I'd like to add that during my piddling around with antennas at RCA Princeton from 1949 to 1980 I had the prviledge of knowing Dr. Harold Beverage. What a great man he was in furthering the art and science of communication. Walt, W2DU Hi Walt, did you have anything to do with AT&T Rhombic site at Ocean Gate, NJ? I recently went to look at it, what a FARM! 73 Yuri, K3BU |
#8
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Hi Walt, did you have anything to do with AT&T Rhombic site at Ocean Gate, NJ? I recently went to look at it, what a FARM! 73 Yuri, K3BU No Yuri, I was with RCA, the chief competitor of AT&T Communications. The RCA Communications system was on Long Island. The 100 kw transmitters were at Rocky Point and the receivers were at Riverhead. Each of these locations were huge antenna farms also, acres and acres. After satellites took over from hi-speed CW the Long Island operations ended and the acreage was given to the State of New York to be used as a State Park. However, the State wouldn't accept the property until all the antennas were removed at RCA's expense. This occurred in the late 1970's. A group of my colleagues went out there to pick up souvenirs. I have some 8" insulators used as separators for the long open wire transmission lines, and some of the 1/4" diameter copper wire used in the lines. I should add that Dr. Beverage was the chief engineer for many years, and was also the one who designed the original system. Lot's of V beams and rhombics directed to many points on the globe. Walt, W2DU |
#9
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After satellites took over from hi-speed CW
the Long Island operations ended and the acreage was given to the State of New York to be used as a State Park. However, the State wouldn't accept the property until all the antennas were removed at RCA's expense. This occurred in the late 1970's. A group of my colleagues went out there to pick up souvenirs. Walt, W2DU Thanks, very interesting. Looks like the Ocean Gate site is probably the last one with chance to be preserved. Rhombics farm is on the marshes, dept. of wildlife and fisheries took over that, but antennas are still there. We are trying to turn it into historical landmark and get the museum going at the building. Hopefully also home for Tesla RC and do some operating from there. Still a chance. Yuri, K3BU |
#10
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Walter Maxwell, W2DU wrote:
"The Beverage was more than one-half mile long at a height of 10 feet, aimed directly at Tokyo, and terminated with a variable resistor." 2 wavelengths at 650 KHz is a little more than 1/2 mile and is likely the point of diminishing returns in lengthening a Beverage according to some reports. I used a Beverage in Portugal to listen to the CBS Nightly News from WCBS in New York or from WWL in New Orleans, whichever was better at the time. Both carried the same program and were adjacent points on the frequency dial. It worked like a charm using a SP-600. RFE constantly monitored news and commentary broadcasts from behind the "iron curtain" during the "cold war" from a receiving station in Germany. A multitower directional array and various super loopsticks were used to pick out the broadcasts monitored. These were more flexible than Beverages and many possible sources were available for programs to be monitored. Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI |
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