Rugby VLF transmitter
The
Rugby VLF transmitter is a large
VLF transmission facility near the town of
Rugby,
Warwickshire in
England. It went in service at
January 1 1926 and was originally used to transmit
telegraph messages to the Commonwealth. After the
1950s this transmitter, active as callsign GBR (short for
Great Britain) on 16 kHz, was used for transmitting messages to submerged 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" callsign 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 60 kHz 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.
The GBR transmitter was shutdown on
April 1 2003 after the
Royal Navy didn't renew their contract with
BT in favour of a new contract with
VT Communications. On 1 April 2007 BT's contract to transmit the MSF time signal will also pass to VT Communications, who will use their
Anthorn transmitter, Cumbria.
The aerial system at the VLF transmitter existed between 1926 and 2004 and consisted of twelve 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 of
1940. After shutdown of GBR the facility is now 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 19,
2004 to
June 20,
2004.
 |
A radio mast after demolition |
*
List of masts*
List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain*
List of radio stations**
List of radio stations in the United Kingdom*
Morse signs from GBR on records*
A History of Rugby Radio*
Rugby Radio Station Masts*
The Official History of Rugby Radio Station*http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b45614
*http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b45615
*http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b45616
*http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b45617
