Poldhu

Poldhu is a region in the south of Cornwall, England, on the Lizard Peninsula, about two kilometers from the village of Mullion. It includes the headland Poldhu Point and Poldhu Cove Bay. The name comes from the language Cornish Poldhu means " black pool ".

Marconi's Poldhu wireless station

The place Poldhu was made famous by the radio station built here. With built by Guglielmo Marconi transmitter transatlantic radio transmission was on December 12, 1901 for the first time allows. The light emitted by this signal was received by Marconi in the receiving station on Signal Hill in St. John's, Newfoundland. The transmitted signal, repeated three short beeps, a "S" in Morse code, overcame a distance of about 2,900 kilometers. On December 17 1902 Marconi was able to replace the first transatlantic test message in both directions between Poldhu and Glace Bay in Nova Scotia and a month later he succeeded the first public telegraph between Poldhu and the Marconi Wireless Station Site in Wellfleet on Cape Cod, in Massachusetts: greetings between President Theodore Roosevelt and the King of England, Edward VII

With the construction of approximately 200,000 m² of John Ambrose Fleming designed station, was started in October 1900, the work was completed in January 1901. Were carried out the work of the Marconi Company. Marconi had chosen this place near the cliffs, as it was open to the west, to enable transmission across the Atlantic. Furthermore, he was so remote that he could work undisturbed by reporters here, and lying in the immediate vicinity of Poldhu Hotel allowed the accommodation of its working group on site. The originally planned antenna system, were tired with 20 each 61 meters high masts that stood by the transmission system in a circle and with 400 ropes, was destroyed even before the actual experiment on 17 September 1901 a storm. Within a week, a temporary antenna was set up with two masts, with the transfer took place.

The transmitter had a power of 13,000 watts and sent with a wavelength of 170 m, which corresponds to about 1.76 MHz. The initially planned mast assembly was not built up again later, four large 66 m high wooden poles were instead placed where the antenna was attached. In 1903 the Prince of Wales visited with his wife's plant. The future King George V ascended even one of the antenna towers that day. Following the former research station was used mainly commercially.

Marconi used the system later for his short-wave experiments, when he completed transfers from here to the yacht Elettra in the Cape Verde Islands in 1923 and to Beirut in 1924. The pioneering results of these experiments contributed to the rapid worldwide dissemination of radio-based communication.

The station was in operation until 1933. In 1935, demolished parts and about 24,000 m² went in 1937 to the National Trust, the rest of the plant was taken over in 1960 by the National Trust, and placed under his protection. Of the old plant concrete foundations are still preserved. In 2001, a new museum building was erected to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first transatlantic radio transmission. Also a monument has been erected on site, is reminiscent of the pioneering efforts of Marconi and his staff. On one of the four panels on the monument is the text: " One hundred yards northeast of this column Stood from 1900 to 1933 the famous Poldhu wireless station designed by John Ambrose Fleming and erected by the Marconi company of London from Which were trans- mitted the first signal ever conveyed across the Atlantic by wireless telegraphy. The signal consisted of a repetition of the Morse letter S and where received at St. John 's Newfoundland by Guglielmo Marconi and his associates on 12/12/1901 british. "

The building of the former Poldhu Hotel still exists and is currently home to a nursing home. The antenna systems that are on the site today are operated by the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club.