VLF transmitter Rugby
The VLF transmitter Rugby is a large VLF transmission facility near the city of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. It went in service at January 1st, 1926 and was originally used to transmit telegraphical messages to English colonies. After the 50ies this transmitter, which had the callsign GBR and worked on 16 kHz was used for transmitting messages to dived submarines. Around 1930 a second transmitter was installed for transatlantic telephony on 60 kHz using the carrierless single-sideband modulation. This transmitter went out of service in 1956 and transformed to the time signal transmitter MSF. This new function (and the "MSF" name now commonly used) developed from the decision, in 1951, to use the station to transmit modulated standard frequencies for scientific reference purposes. In 1972 these transmissions were consolidated onto the present frequency of 60KHz and a further reference, that of a time signal, was added. In 1977 this took the form of the rolling "slow code" in use today. A curiosity in the history of the VLF transmitter Rugby is that the records tubular bells of Mike Oldfield show the callsign of GBR on 16 kHz. The callsign came onto the record, because it was produced in Middle England. It is not audible and only detectable by methods of sound frequency spectral analysis.
The transmitter GBR was shutdown on April 1st, 2003 after the British Navy cancelled its treaty to the British Telecom and made a new treaty with Merlin Broadcasting.
The aerial system of the VLF transmitter Rugby consisted from 1926 to 2004 of 12 250 metre high guyed steel framework masts insulated against ground and carrying an aerial wire. This wire was mainly destroyed by heavy iceloads in the winter 1940. After shutdown of GBR the facility is only used for transmitting the time signal of MSF on 60 kHz. Therefore 8 of the 12 masts were obsolete and demolished in the night of June 19th, 2004 to June 20th, 2004.
See also |
|
