Commemorative Armstrong broadcast on 42.800 MHz 6/19/25

[902]

Found this, but it's not QRZ.com:

W2XMN Callsign on QRZCQ.com

Ham radio call database for everyone

www.qrzcq.com

Major Edwin H Armstrong Memorial Radio Club

Loxahatchee 33470
United States, FL

There was, for a time, the Major Armstrong Memorial Amateur Radio Club, MAMARC, which had primarily a 440 and a 220 MHz repeater, as well as an APRS digipeater on the tower. Those were originally housed in the bulkhead compartment at the top arm of the tower and one could get in from a portable radio over a very wide distance. There was a small following of hams who helped the owner, Charlie Sackermann, maintain the grounds in exchange for the tower space. It was a very amicable relationship and, in 1987 or so, the group was allowed to put an HF station into the second floor of the Armstrong Field Lab building (the one with W2XMN engraved over the main doorway). The globe off to the left of the stairway was a replica of what the Major, obviously not afraid of heights, had done a hand-stand on, while it was on another tower.

The HF station had a long wire that went from the room outside to the microwave tower (which has a radar radome on it now), and then up to the top arm. It used to collect tons of static electricity and at one point, charged the dropped ceiling grid with arc'ing in heavy winds in advance of a thunderstorm. There was a KLM KT-34 tribander antenna and rotor on a small tower on the roof. I was one of the guys who put that up. I was up there most weekends, and one of my friends at the time, just about lived there (probably because his wife wanted him out of the house). We also had another guy, an electrician, whose nickname was "CQ Contest" who just about lived there. I had the privilege of seeing some of Armstrong's blueprints - particularly the one detailing his superheterodyne receiver - and also got to climb the tower (it's basically Navy-type stairs up).

I don't think the person in Loxahatchee had anything to do with our former group, or the core group of others who were there before us kids infiltrated their repeaters.

 

[902]

According to the 1990 Popular Communications article I posted the link to above, Major Armstrong had made $15 million from his invention of FM. The article, however, is not clear as to how much he spent battling Sarnoff/RCA.

Also per the article, Major Armstrong's widow received a $1 million settlement with RCA/NBC and "other monies and royalties on the heels of the settlement added $4 million to the amount his widow received".

It's funny how death eventually works things out.

The problem with he one-time payout method was that it would do nothing for sustainment after the patent wore out. Had they agreed to the royalties, Armstrong, and his estate, would have received a payout beyond the sunset date for the patent.

 

[YalekW]

I'm sorry, but that's not what happened. Not even close.

Edwin Armstrong's death had to do with his battle with David Sarnoff over the use of his patent for frequency modulation. RCA, under Sarnoff, offered a one-time payment, whereas Armstrong sought a percentage of sales. Armstrong knew his invention was groundbreaking and had continued to battle with RCA and Sarnoff for his rights as the patent holder.

These legal battles left him financially devastated and exacerbated his wife's mental illness causing her to jump into the East River and be committed for a time. Some time after her release, he got into an argument with her because he wanted to dip into their retirement money for continued legal expenses and ultimately hit her with a metal fireplace poker. He moved out, fearing he would hurt her. He went to live in a Manhattan apartment at 435 East 52nd Street and, 3 months after their split-up, jumped out of his 12th floor window.

She later took up the battle with Sarnoff, took somewhat of a settlement, and continued to find that the other entities involved in the court battle had infringed upon her deceased husband's patent. The courts had also determined that Armstrong was indeed the inventor of frequency modulation.

And that is why being "good" gets you used. Same thing happened with George Westinghouse, even though the brand still lived on. Same thing also happened with the bibilical figure of Jesus Christ (Not to bring religion into here, but its only here to prove my point). And the same things also happen with people who are inherently good, righetous class acts.
Even if my response wasnt what happened, it still is dangerous.

 

[kc2asb]

It's funny how death eventually works things out.

The problem with he one-time payout method was that it would do nothing for sustainment after the patent wore out. Had they agreed to the royalties, Armstrong, and his estate, would have received a payout beyond the sunset date for the patent.

That is often how these court battles go, and the only real winners are the attorneys. It's unfortunate that Major Armstrong did not live to see FM become successful and reach its full potential.

 

[YalekW]

And that is why I dont like most justice systems on this planet. They do the same thing. "Winner is the attorney and/or prosecutor, not the victim or criminal". Its a damn shame that its like this.

 

[902]

And that is why being "good" gets you used. Same thing happened with George Westinghouse, even though the brand still lived on. Same thing also happened with the bibilical figure of Jesus Christ (Not to bring religion into here, but its only here to prove my point). And the same things also happen with people who are inherently good, righetous class acts.
Even if my response wasnt what happened, it still is dangerous

I get it, Yalek. I think we all do.

Also, add Nicola Tesla to the list of persons taken advantage of. Then again, he was a co-developer with Westinghouse, and their nemesis was Thomas Edison. It seems the more beneficial they were to not only the art of communication, but the benefit of humanity, the more grand their sacrifice was. Sadly, a generation of people will recognize Tesla's name not for his genius, but for a car.

I'm fortunate to be in the crowd of people who know these great innovators and might even consider them to be their inspiration.

 

[902]

That is often how these court battles go, and the only real winners are the attorneys. It's unfortunate that Major Armstrong did not live to see FM become successful and reach its full potential.

I think he knew what he did. He was just a passionate man, driven over the edge (literally). I mean, look at the romance here! Which one of us guys wouldn't try to woo his newlywed wife with a new radio on their honeymoon at the beach?

 

[kc2asb]

I get it, Yalek. I think we all do.

Also, add Nicola Tesla to the list of persons taken advantage of. Then again, he was a co-developer with Westinghouse, and their nemesis was Thomas Edison. It seems the more beneficial they were to not only the art of communication, but the benefit of humanity, the more grand their sacrifice was. Sadly, a generation of people will recognize Tesla's name not for his genius, but for a car.

I'm fortunate to be in the crowd of people who know these great innovators and might even consider them to be their inspiration.

Reginald Fessenden is another of these great innovators. He invented Amplitude Modulation(AM) and in 1906 made the first broadcast of entertainment and music to a general audience. He did receive much recognition during his lifetime, but is not a household name like Marconi.

Nathan Stubblefield is another inventor whose work included early experiments in wireless telephony. Unlike Fessenden, Stubblefield did not enjoy success and at the end of his life he was living in self-imposed isolation. There are those who claim that Stubblefield was the true inventor of radio.

Nathan Stubblefield - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

..... based on contemporary descriptions, it appears that they initially employed induction, similar to a wireless telephone developed by Amos Dolbear, which was issued U.S. patent 350,299 in 1886. Information for this period is very limited, but in 1935 a former neighbor, Rainey T. Wells, reported that in 1892 Stubblefield gave him a telephone receiver, and had Wells walk a short distance away from Stubblefield's shack, after which he was amazed to distinctly hear the words "Hello, Rainey", followed by additional speech from Stubblefield.[6]

Because later references refer to earth connections, it appears that Stubblefield subsequently switched to using ground currents instead of induction. Following a decade of research and testing, he felt that his wireless telephone had now been perfected to the point that it was ready for commercialization, and began a series of demonstrations to publicize his work and attract investment. On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1901, he successfully transmitted 1⁄4 mile (400 meters) to his home, where "A party of children were gathered there and at the receiver obtained messages from Santa Claus", and had local residents sign affidavits attesting to the success of his tests.[7]

 

[dave3825]

Not near my stuff at the moment. Anyone receiving the broadcast?

 

[jaymatt1978]

Nothing in Cape May

Not near my stuff at the moment. Anyone receiving the broadcast?

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Nothing here in Central Florida. I may have to fiddle with my antenna! Was a URL posted for a stream feed?

 

[kc2asb]

Pretty good signal here in southern Hudson County, NJ. Audio seems a bit low for some reason. Might just be my old Pro-2006.

 

[W3DMV]

NO SIGNAL IN GETTYSBURG, PA
IC-R8600 1/4 GP @70FT

 

[dave3825]

Nothing in Suffolk county NY but it’s being received by a member that I believe is in Nassau county NY.

 

[kc2asb]

It's still going. I tuned back in with my BC780XLT. It is doing much better with the WFM signal than the PRO-2006. Nice, solid signal with very crisp audio here in southern Hudson County NJ.

Surprised you are not hearing anything in Suffolk. They claim 100 mile range for the signal, unless you are really out there to the east.

They should have had an encore broadcast over the weekend. That might have attracted more local listeners.

Just heard the ID @ 4:06pm local NY time. Currently playing what appears to be a documentary.

4:19pm NY time - OM operator currently announcing a disc change to continue broadcasting the 2nd part of the AES 70th Anniv of FM event. OM also mentioned that they were supposed to have a relay from the Empire State Building, but ran into technical issues.

 

[kc2asb]

5:00pm NY time - OM w/ID and thanks to those who made the broadcast possible, welcomes reception reports

5:02pm - replay of sign-off from last regular broadcast at Alpine, 1954

5:03pm - off the air

 

[dave3825]

Surprised you are not hearing anything in Suffolk. They claim 100 mile range for the signal, unless you are really out there to the east.

Tried not far from here. Used telescoping whip as seen by someone in Nassau who was receiving it.

40°43'54.0"N 73°11'12.8"W

maps.app.goo.gl

 

[kc2asb]

Tried not far from here. Used telescoping whip as seen by someone in Nassau who was receiving it.

40°43'54.0"N 73°11'12.8"W

maps.app.goo.gl

Interesting - that is a decent distance into the island. We used to visit relatives in Babylon when I was a kid. Seemed like a long drive from NJ (Hudson County).

I'm about 20 miles or so south of Alpine - antenna was a Radio Shack groundplane in the attic.

 

[902]

Nothing here in Central Florida. I may have to fiddle with my antenna! Was a URL posted for a stream feed?

I couldn't get anything east of you, either through the Yagi or on a wire antenna. Propagation just wasn't with us.