Being the modern day pioneer of Kite-Antennas I will be joining in the festivities at Ballycastle sometime during the week. The site at Ballycastle located on the Northern Coast of Ireland was used by Marconi for his very early experiments in Wireless Transmission and predates the Poldhu site by a few years.
2.. It would be wonderful if everyone who owns a Kite-Antenna joined in the celebration from their own location. Other Northern Ireland Radio Amateurs will be in attendance at Ballycastle. The details are currently inchoate but will be fleshed out as time and discussion permit.
Please keep in contact with me and furnish me with the latest news and I in turn will update this page with the new information you give me.
Email Adrian GI0SMU
- Included in this page are a few details regarding Marconi's activities in the U.K.
- Map and locations of the Marconi transmission sites
- Many thanks to everyone who has taken the trouble to contact me since I uploaded this page.
Your comments have been most kind and encouraging.
I think we will have a very good turnout for the Festival. Please keep the information coming.
- Full details of the Live-Wire Group are given below:-
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3 To mark this special event I am making a limited number of kites available. They will be supplied on a first come first served basis.
Anyone wishing to avail themselves of a kite should E-Mail me using the above address as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
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4Latest ..... "Radcom" The Journal of
The Radio Society of Great Britain are issuing QSL cards in Celebration of Marconi's Achievement. They are described as full colour gloss and are being sold for £9:99 per 1,000, Size 140 x 90mm. Coins and gift sets are also available. Check ....
www.rsgb.org/shop for full details.
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5Marconi, Guglielmo
Marconi was born in Bologna, Italy on April 25th 1874.
His mother was Annie Jameson whose family owned the
Jameson Whiskey Distillery in County Wexford, Ireland.
The 12th December 1901 was a cold, wet, dismal day.
The new century was less than a year old when Guglielmo
Marconi received the historic transatlantic wireless signal
dit, dit, dit, the letter "S" in Morse Code.
A wireless signal had at last spanned the mighty Atlantic Ocean,
the world would never be the same again.
The signals had been transmitted from Poldhu, Cornwall on
the Lizard Peninsula, England. Poldhu is situated about
one mile North of the village of Mullion at approximately
50.01N x 5.14W almost at the most Southerly Point of
England. (Location "A" on attached map)
6
Marconi was stationed to receive the signals at
St John's Point, Newfoundland, Canada. 47.34N x 52.41W
The receiving aerial was elevated by a Baden-Powell
Levitor kite.
The height achieved was approximately 120 meters (350 ft)
there was a very strong wind was blowing and a kite was
lost, a second kite was more successful.
The unrefined Baden-Powell Levitor kite is basically
unstable and should have been flown with a drogue
The bridle arrangement used was a further cause of the
instability.
It was George Kemp who received the first trans-Atlantic
wireless signal at the receiving station at St. John's, Point
Newfoundland, Canada on that momentous day.
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7It should be noted that there were two persons named
Baden Powell one founded the Scouting Movement the
other built Kites....
1.. Robert Stephenson Smyth BADEN-POWELL ...
Kites.
2.. British General Sir Robert BADEN-POWELL ...
Scouting.
Marconi's work on Rathlin Island and at Ballycastle covered a
relatively short period from June 4th to September 2nd
1898. See the maps below.....
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55.17N x 6.15W Rathlin I.
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50.01N x 5.14W
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8Marconi himself visited for four days during that
time. The experimental work was carried out by his
assistant George Kemp, who was in turn assisted by
Edward Glanville, also employed was a John Cecil from
Rathlin Island. They carried out experimental transmissions
between the East Lighthouse on Rathlin Island manned by
Edward Glanville and the ‘White Lodge’ house situated at
the harbour in Ballycastle manned by Marconi’s assistant
George Kemp. The experimental work was commissioned
by Lloyds of London.
Accounts tell of the death of Edward Granville when he
tragically fell down a cliff on Rathlin Island.
For a full account of the Rathlin / Ballycastle experiments
see the Web Page at:-
North Antrim
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9A descendant of John Cecil, Tommy Cecil was to
rescue the Balloon flown by Sir Richard Branson after he
successfully flew across the Atlantic with Swede Per
Lindstrand. Sadly Tommy Cecil was lost in a SCUBA diving accident
about a year after he rescued Sir Richard.
Radio equipment was aboard the Titanic 1912 when
wireless distress messages in the new form S.O.S. from her
summoned rescue ships saving over 700 lives.
It should be noted that by 1913 the use of wireless
telegraphy had entered service with the U.V.F. during the
Ladies Signalling Camp at Tynan Abbey, which included
practice in Wireless with qualified instructors.
For information visit:-
The U.V.F. Page
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10Incidentally, I live next to the descendants of the man who
designed the Titanic, Thomas Andrews, one end of my
Long Wire antenna is in their Demesne by kind permission
of the Andrews Family. It should be noted that Thomas
Andrews was sadly lost when the Titanic foundered. He is
prominently featured in the recent film Titanic.
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11..Live-Wire Group
Seven Days Of Making Contacts - Our Kite-Antenna Celebration Week will run from 0000Z Monday, December 10th through 2400Z Sunday, December 16th 2001. Stations are invited to operate from kites anytime during this week. You may wish to announce when you will be on the air through the
"Live-Wire Group"
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12..
SUGGESTED SSB CALLING FREQUENCIES
75 meters - 3955; 40 meters - 7245; 20 meters - 14.285; 17 meters - 18.155;
15 meters - 21.355; 12 meters - 24.955; 10 meters - 28.355; 6 meters - 50.155
SUGGESTED CW CALLING FREQUENCIES
75 meters - 3705; 40 meters - 7135; 30 meters - 10.115; 20 meters - 14.055; 17 meters - 18.075;
15 meters - 21.125; 12 meters - 24.895; 10 meters - 28.155; 6 meters - 50.055
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