SAQ, Grimeton Radio: November 16, 2022

Grimeton Radio

Live, off-air, recording of a morse code (CW or continuous wave) transmission in English from station SAQ, Grimeton Radio, Sweden, on 16 November 2022 beginning at 16:00 UTC on a very low frequency (VLF) of 17.2 kHz. The signal originates from the historic Alexanderson alternator transmitter at Grimeton near Varberg on the southwest coast of Sweden, running at about 80 kW. The antenna is essentially omnidirectional.

The transmitter was tuned up before the broadcast with many sequences of VVV VVV VVV DE SAQ SAQ SAQ being sent. The message, titled UNESCO 50th Anniversary Telegram, began at 16:00 UTC, lasted about 9 minutes and 30 seconds, and is as follows:

CQ CQ CQ DE SAQ SAQ SAQQ <BT> THIS IS GRIMETON RADIO STATION SAQ IN A TRANSMISSION USING THE ALEXANDERSON 200 KW ALTERNATOR ON 17.2 KHZ. <BT> THE 16TH OF NOVEMBER 2022 MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVER4RY OF THE WORLD HERITAGE CONVENTION. UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES ARE IRREPLACEABLE ASSETS OF HUMANITY BUT MANY OF THEM ARE THREATENED TODAY THROUGH UNCONTROLLED URBANIZATION, UNCHECKED TOURISM, ARMED CONFLICT AND CLIMATE CHANGE. TO ENSURE THEIR PROTECTION,INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TO PROMOTE PEACE, INTERNATIONAL UNDERSTANDING AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER. <BT> SIGNED: LENA SOMMESTAD, CHAIR SWEDISH NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCO, WORLD HERITAGE GRIMETON RADIO STATION AND THE ALEXANDER-GRIMETON FRIENDSHIP ASSOCIATION. <BT> FOR QSL INFO PLEASE READ OUR WEBSITE: WWW.ALEXANDER.N.SE <AR> DE SAQ SAQ SAQ <SK>

Note that <BT> indicates the start of a new paragraph; <AR> means end of transmission; and <SK> means end of work.

The broadcast was received by the Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, with a "Mini-Whip" antenna in CW mode with 0.40 kHz RF filtering and real-time noise reduction. The CW tone is about 760 Hz and the message was sent at about 15 words per minute. Reception was fairly good with some occasional atmospheric noise (QRN).

SAQ, Grimeton Radio: July 3, 2016

Transmitter hall and antenna array. Image courtesy YouTube.

ALEXANDERSON ALTERNATOR IN THE GRIMETON VLF TRANSMITTER. THE DRIVE MOTOR IS AT THE EXTREME RIGHT; THE SPEED-INCREASER GEARBOX IS JUST TO ITS LEFT. NOTE THE BRONZE-COLORED SHAFT COUPLING. IMAGE AND CAPTION COURTESY GUNTHER TSCHUCH AND WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.

Live, off-air, approximately seven-and-a-half-minute recording of a morse code (CW or continuous wave) transmission in English from station SAQ, Grimeton Radio, Sweden, on 3 July 2016 beginning about 09:00 UTC on a very low frequency (VLF) of 17.2 kHz. The signal originates from the historic Alexanderson alternator transmitter at Grimeton near Varberg on the west coast of Sweden, running at about 80 kW. The antenna is essentially omnidirectional.

The broadcast was one of two taking place on Alexanderson Day, 2016; the other being at 12:00 UTC. The transmitter was tuned up before each broadcast with many sequences of VVV VVV VVV DE SAQ SAQ SAQ being sent. The message began at about 09:00 UTC, lasted about 7 minutes and 20 seconds, and is as follows:

CQ CQ CQ DE SAQ SAQ SAQ <BT>
THIS IS GRIMETON RADIO/SAQ IN A TRANSMISSION USING THE ALEXANDERSON 200 KW ALTERNATOR ON 17.2 KHZ. <BT>
IT IS NOW 20 YEARS SINCE THE ALEXANDER ASSOCIATION STARTED. THEN MOSTLY WITH MEMBERS OF EARLIER AND PRESENT EMPLOYEES AT GRIMETON RADIO/SAQ. WE ARE NOW 650 MEMBERS AND OF THEM 26 NONE SWEDISH. THE STATION IS NOWADAYS MANAGED BY GRIMETON WORLD HERITAGE FOUNDATION. SIGNED: WORLD HERITAGE GRIMETON RADIO STATION AND THE ALEXANDER-GRIMETON VETERANRADIOS VAENNER ASSOCIATION <AR> <BT>
FOR QSL INFO PLEASE READ OUR WEBSITE: WWW.ALEXANDER.N.SE WWW.ALEXANDER.N.SE <BT>
DE SAQ SAQ SAQ QRX AT 12 UTC <SK>

The broadcast was received by the Web-interface wideband software-defined radio at the University of Twente in Enschede, The Netherlands, with a "Mini-Whip" antenna in CW mode with 0.49 kHz RF filtering. The CW tone is about 763 Hz and the message was sent at about 16 words per minute. Reception was fairly good with some atmospheric noise (QRN).