10/19/2021

On United Nations Day, Sunday, October 24, the vintage and historical
Alexanderson alternator in Grimeton, Sweden, with call sign SAQ, is scheduled
to send out a message to the world on 17.2 kHz CW. The events of the day will
be livestreamed[1] on YouTube starting at 14:25 UTC. Transmitter startup and
tuning will begin at 1430 UTC, with the message transmission to follow at 1500
UTC.

This year's message was drafted by Swedish human rights lawyer and
sustainability expert Parul Sharma.

SAQ will conduct some test transmissions on October 22, 1100 UTC - 1400 UTC and
will be on air for short periods during this interval. Comments are welcome to
info@alexander.n.se[2].

For a guaranteed e-QSL, use the online report form, which will be open October
24 - November 14.

Dating from the 1920s, the Alexanderson alternator[3] - essentially an ac
alternator run at extremely high speed - can put out 200 kW but typically is
operated at less than one-half that power level. Once providing reliable
transatlantic communication, it is now a museum piece and only put on the air
on special occasions.

The transmitter was developed by Swedish engineer and radio pioneer Ernst
Alexanderson, who was employed at General Electric in Schenectady, New York,
and was chief engineer at the Radio Corporation of America.

Six 400+ foot towers with 150 foot crossarms support a multi-wire antenna for
SAQ. The actual signal radiates from a vertical wire, one from each tower.

Amateur radio station SK6SAQ will be active on these frequencies: 3.535 MHz CW,
7.035 MHz CW, 14.035 MHz CW, 3.755 MHz SSB, and 7.140 MHz SSB. QSL SK6SAQ via
email to info@alexander.n.se[4], via the bureau, or direct to Alexander - GVV,
Radiostationen Grimeton 72 SE-432 98, Grimeton, Sweden. Two stations will be on
the air most of the time.

For a guaranteed e-QSL, use the online report form, which will be open October
24 - November 14.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-83S-l9JKD1iuhsXx3XQ3g
[2] mailto:info@alexander.n.se
[3] http://alexander.n.se/in-english/the-high-frequence-generator/
[4] mailto:info@alexander.n.se

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