Varberg Radio Station
SAQ is the callsign of the VLF transmitter at Grimeton Grimeton, community Varberg, Sweden.
This system has the only still functioning machine transmitter in the world, on special occasions, such as the named after the inventor Ernst Fredrik Werner Alexanderson open day either on the last Sunday in June or the first Sunday in July, on the frequency 17.2 kHz is taken to emit a short message in Morse operation. As a transmitting antenna Alexanderson antenna is used with twelve 2.2 km long copper wires, looking at six, like giant pylons, towers ( height 127 m, width of the cross arms 46 m) are suspended.
The commissioning of the station took place on December 1, 1924 initially with a wavelength of 18.600 m ( 16.13 kHz). The official opening was on July 2, 1925. For this purpose, among others, the Swedish King Gustav V and the inventor were present. Originally, the station was in Grimeton part of a network of 17 stations of the same type, which were equipped with 200 kW Alexanderson alternators. Although more stations were planned, only nine stations in the United States, in Hawaii, in Wales, Poland and Sweden have actually been put into operation. The station was originally used for communication between Grimeton and Radio Central in Long Iceland, United States. After the Second World War, were realized as intercontinental radio communications increasingly short-wave connections, used by the Swedish military nor the transmitter to communicate with its submarines, since the electromagnetic waves of this frequency range can penetrate several meters deep in salt water.
1995, the latter still in perfect working order system for reasons of declining interest on the part of the military has been closed.
At the transmitter system in Grimeton includes some shortwave antennas and in 1966 erected 260 meter high guyed steel lattice mast to the spread of FM radio and TV programs.
Due to the efforts of interest groups to secure the system, the transmitter 1996 has been made by law for the Swedish national industrial monument and thus ensured the financing of conservation measures for an unlimited period. The VLF transmitter in Grimeton is now on the list of the most important places in Sweden.
At the turn of the millennium sent the Swedish King Carl XVI. Gustaf an ajar to the first broadcast message over Grimeton New Year message across the world. According to estimates by the message of about 100 people was received around the globe.
On 2 July 2004, the transmission system from the UNESCO declared World Heritage Site. This makes it the 13th UNESCO World Heritage sites in Sweden. In addition Grimeton is the anchor point of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.
Today the station is taken each year for Alexanderson Day and Christmas in operation. Moreover, even on special occasions, such as sent at UN events. Also, there are test transmissions which are not normally announced. The regular transmissions are received by radio friends around the world. The operators are looking forward for such shipments over a reception report. These reports are summarized in a table and sent by e -mail or can be downloaded from the homepage of the transmitter. This gives a regular audience of 200-300 people, where it can be assumed that many more people hear the transmissions because not everyone gives a reception report. For Alexanderson Day 2013 there was the first time a receiving report from South Africa.