Eilvese transmitter

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Eilvese transmitter was a facility of Transradio AG for intercontinental VLF transmission of telegrams at Eilvese, Germany. It went into service in 1913 and used machine transmitters. There were two antennas: an umbrella antenna, which was mounted in the middle on a 250 metre tall guyed mast and at the sides by 6 20 metre tall wooden masts and a ring antenna, which was spun between the central mast and the radial masts. The central mast, which was grounded, but at a height of 145 metres divided by glass insulators, was when built the tallest structures of Germany. The umbrella antenna was used for frequencies around 30 kHz, the ring antenna for frequencies around 20 kHz. In 1915 the wooden ring masts were replaced by 6 122 metre tall guyed lattice steel masts. These masts were replaced between 1922 and 1925 by 4 guyed masts 139 metres tall, which were arranged in a semi-circle. Between these masts and the central masts three triangular antennas were installed.

In November 1928 the Reichspost central office started to examine how useful it would be to buy the station. Although the station, which was last used on April 15th, 1929, did not meet the technical requirements it was bought in 1930 by German Reichspost. However it was uneconomic to modernise the station and so it was dismantled in 1931. Today there is only the office left, which is used as dwelling. From the former transmitter building there are some wall remnants left. When digging for peat one can still find remains of the antenna as the central mast fell to the ground in 1931.