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GB1002MT Writtle Broadcast Centenary |
2MT Writtle Centenary
February-2022
Writtle Village Hall & On Air"GB100-2MT on Air"
By CARS Members
2MT Centenary, Feb-1922
On Tuesday 14th February 1922, a small group of Marconi employees turned on a medium-wave transmitter in a 'long low hut' at Writtle, and began an experiment which is now regarded as the Birth of British Broadcasting.
Led by the irrepressible Peter Eckersley, the 2MT team broadcast every Tuesday evening. What started as a station for 'calibration purposes' for the fast growing number of radio hams, transformed into an entertainment programme like none before. The result was the formation of the BBC and 2LO in later in 1922.
GB100-2MT Special Event Station, Feb-2022
To commemorate the centenary of these momentous broadcasts CARS will be running a special event station. With Writtle Parish support, Ofcom have kindly granted the use of special callsign GB100 2MT.
Writtle Village Hall has been booked for the afternoon and evening of Monday 14th February 2022 - the exact centenary of the first transmissions.
Operating: We plan to have HF and V/UHF stations on the air CARS members are invited to come and operate or just drop in for a chat. If you are interested, please contact Paul G4PVM – g4pvm@g0mwt.org.uk
The special callsign is also available for CARS members to use from home. It will also be used for the club nets.
Writtle itself are marking this starting on Friday 11th February. Look out for further celebrations on 14th February on BBC Essex, Phoenix FM, and Hospital radio, including a broadcast by Chelmsford Community Radio from the hut at Sandford Mill at 7.30pm, and an outside broadcast by BBC Essex from the original site at Writtle. Emma Toc, by Jim Salmon 2E0RMI, will also be streaming online.
Marconi historian Tim Wander G6GUX has recorded some material and will be in Writtle on the day. He may even drop in to see CARS in the village hall.
Times/Bands
- HF: SSB on Monday Feb-14 from1pm at Writtle with plenty of CW on other times/dates thru February (check the RBN link below or Twitter)
- VHF/UHF: FM-Simplex and GB3DA inc a slot starting at 7pm close to the precise anniversary (with handover to GB2MTC at~7:30)
- Club Nets: GB3DA (8th Feb 8pm), GB3ER (15th Feb, 8pm) 80m / ~3756kHz (22nd Feb 8pm)
Useful Links:
- amateur radio news
- RBN: GB1002MT Spots
- QRA: JO01FR
- QRZ: GB1002MT
- eQSL: GB1002MT
- iNews: 2MT Tim Wander G6GUX Interview
- Daily Express: How Radio Was Shaped
- Southgate: GB100 2MT
QRZ: GB2MTC - Essex Hackspace, Hockley BBC: GB100BBC - BBC SES call for their centenary of 2LO et al later in 1922
EmmaToc: 2MT Internet Stream - by Jim Salmon 2E0RMI 2017: GB95-2MT - the previous 95th Annniversary of 2MT
Writtle Village Hall: 18 The Green, Writtle, CM1 3DU - Location Map
Locator: JO01FR, WAB: TL60
Writtle: Parish Council/Events NB: LOTW or eQSL are preferred to confirm QSL.
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