Bouw Radiozendstation

Malabar

 

This is a unique photographic album

Documenting the establishment of the Radio Malabar station project

 

This photo series starts in 1920, thus 94 years ago

 

Please notice first the two drawings explaining the Poulsen spark-gap transmitter and the way the famous Malabar canyon antenna was constructed.

 

 

The way this album has been created is causing to us a tremendous problem, as unlike usually having the option to remove photographs for scanning, but these are all pasted onto the dark brown album pages.

 

We luckily possess a CD-rom once made by Benny Emaus, who was the publisher of Klaas Dijkstra's book (Radio Malabar)

 

We nevertheless are facing a compatibility problem. Benny is using, like all book printer do, an Apple computer system.

 

His files do not have an extension whatsoever. A solution is, to extend the file-name with the extension '.jpg'. But, he separates all individual album pages; though, all starting with 1, 2, .. . We have to deal many times with the same very number sequences. A second problem arose, the newly created jpg document is being rejected systematically by Photoshop. The solution was found: opening each photo in Windows Photo Viewer and then storing it like a jpg format. This is also allowing me, to enter a name and additional sequential information. Now Photoshop is still commenting: 

 

Accepting 'Doorgaan' and we eventually can process what is necessary

 

Viewing the foregoing problem, it is evident that what we have done previously, it will take time before all can be added onto this webpage.

I therefore have decided, that we should contribute page by page. This may take a rather long time, but there is no other practical way around.  Counting the page-numbers it brought to light that it concerns 72 photo pages!

 

On 20 June 2014 we have accomplished 26 photo pages 

 

This series was initiated on: 15 June 2014

 

Please notice that there hardly exist photo captions. I therefore have added accompanied text, mainly reflecting what might contribute to the viewers understanding. Occasionally I can have it wrong. We would be honoured when experts can put matters right. Please contact us at:

Please type in what you read

 

 

Current status: 3 July 2014

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For your convenience please notice the following two drawings first.

 

It is evident that the antenna current flows through the lower inductor coil, as well as, of course, through the spark-gap plasma. Both coil bias has the function to extinguish the continuous plasma periodically. The upper coil section carries a constant bias current. The lower is acting more dynamically

 

 

It is found, that for better understanding an antenna drawing might enhance the understanding of what the Malabar canyon antenna was about. From this drawing we also learn, that roughly the eastern antenna cross-lines, which carries the antenna, was mounted at the slope of Gunung Poentang, and the western lines were anchored at the slope of Gunung Haroeman. It becomes also clear, that the antenna wires within the canyon hung between 246 and sloping up to 715 m above the Malabar station level. We should not believe, in my perception, that the canyon antenna had much directivity, as its length was too short in respect to the transmitter λ of 18.75 km. Its main function was to create a capacitance against ground.

We might sometimes giving a different impression, but this is what actually was the state of affairs. 

 

 

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* For practical reasons, we have decided that its unpractical to create for each album-page separately a new webpage. We therefore, combine some successive album pages together.

 

By Arthur O. Bauer

 

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