[IRCA] OT Early Airborne TV experiments

[AM-DXer@xxxxxxxxx (Patrick Griffith, N0NNK / WPE9HVW)]

The August issue of Air & Space magazine has an interesting 1 page story
titled Broadcast Bomber. It is about the 2nd phase of the experimental
Westinghouse Stratovision airborne television transmissions conducted
from a B-29 over Pittsburgh in 1948. It was used to broadcast the
Republican National Convention in Philadelphia to a 9 state area around
Pittsburgh on channel 6. From 25,000 feet it had a coverage area of 525
miles using a 5 kw transmitter for video and 1 kw for audio. The antenna
extended 28 feet from the belly of the aircraft and consisted of a 2
element turnstile for video and a 1 element circular dipole for audio.
It was a direct (live) relay of signals received from WMAR-TV in
Baltimore. The article includes a black and white airborne photo of the
aircraft with the transmitting antenna extended. Westinghouse originally
intended to develop this project into a nationwide network of airborne
transmitters providing TV & FM coverage to 78% of the population using
14 aircraft. However, the FCC delayed approval of the system citing
potential interference issues. By 1949 AT&T had setup a long distance
coaxial network providing an audio/video connection from the East Coast
to the Midwest. This effectively eliminated the need for Stratovision
and in 1950 Westinghouse dropped the idea.

Patrick Griffith, Westminster CO
Broadcast Technician
NRC Broadcasting - Denver
http://community.webtv.net/N0NNK/
http://community.webtv.net/AM-DXer/

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