US Navy Pre-War Radio Transmitters

Click here for listing of early Navy transmitters

Click here for extensive listing of spark transmitters and components

1 MW (500KW HF) Poulsen arc 
bordeaux-xmtr-01.jpg (546861 bytes)
from Ellery W. Stone (1919) "Elements of Radiotelegraphy"

 federal-arc-101.JPG (364930 bytes)
Arc converters under construction at Federal -  - from 1922 Radio Broadcast magazine - thanks to Google Books		 NPL San Diego - Pt. Loma - 1906
Massie spark transmitter
pt-loma-1906-91.jpg (109456 bytes)

KSS South San Francisco CA 1919
south-1919-01.jpg (4249599 bytes)
Location? Date? Equipment?
mys-prewar-02.jpg (3730861 bytes) 		NPG Yerba Buena CA 1919
Short Wave Transmitter
yerba-1919-02.jpg (4264991 bytes)		 KPH Daly City (Hillcrest) CA 1919
hillcrest-1919-01.jpg (4684852 bytes)		 KFS San Francisco (Beach) CA 1919
beach-1919-01.jpg (5077267 bytes)

Federal 5 kw arc transmitter - photos thanks to Mark Doty

 arc-chamber-coil.JPG (127641 bytes) coil.JPG (45881 bytes) Control-Box.JPG (107323 bytes)
motor-ctrl.jpg (1658587 bytes) Lighting Protection circuits .JPG (192420 bytes) Ant-Sw.JPG (107336 bytes) Ant-feedthough.JPG (158840 bytes)

Model L 1/2 KW transmitter
se-L-xmtr-1703-01.jpg (84517 bytes)

 se-L-xmtr-1703-02.jpg (83992 bytes) se-L-xmtr-1703-03.jpg (84950 bytes) se-L-xmtr-1703-04.jpg (84264 bytes)
se-L-xmtr-1703-05.jpg (83133 bytes) se-L-xmtr-1703-06.jpg (84132 bytes) se-L-xmtr-1703-07.jpg (83399 bytes) se-L-xmtr-1703-08.jpg (83869 bytes)
se-L-xmtr-1703-09.jpg (81458 bytes) se-L-xmtr-1703-10.jpg (82954 bytes) se-L-xmtr-1703-11.jpg (82042 bytes) --

Navy SE-1075 1 kw spark transmitter - photos thanks to Mark Doty

 Spark-pal.jpg (889453 bytes) control.jpg (890117 bytes) SP-gap1.jpg (1254501 bytes)

coil-set1.jpg (1631839 bytes)
CW-936 radiotelephone set
mys-prewar-07.jpg (2911112 bytes)

Close-up
mys-prewar-08.jpg (2354502 bytes)

Info and photos

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TE transmitter

TE_xmtr_01.JPG (1909365 bytes)

TE_xmtr_02.JPG (1310093 bytes) TE, TF, and TG - instruction manual
thanks to Google Books		 --

Cavite, PI transmitters, 1929

 cavite-01.JPG (368274 bytes)
10 kw 16068 kc crystal controlled transmitter as in new high frequency room - June 1929		 cavite-03.JPG (405818 bytes)
New high frequency room (ex- station battery room) showing six station-built high frequency transmitters. Wiring trenches and spaces on left are reserved for TAL and TAG transmitters - June 1929		 cavite-02.JPG (342650 bytes)
500 watt A C W high frequency transmitter - June 1929

Antenna Transfer Switch for
2 & 5 KW transmitters
se-h-ant-switch-01.jpg (38407 bytes)

 se-h-ant-switch-02.jpg (36088 bytes) se-h-ant-switch-03.jpg (40642 bytes) se-h-ant-switch-04.jpg (36155 bytes)

SE-1499 Lightning switch for 1/4 & 1/2 KW transmitters
se1499-switch-1301.JPG (59036 bytes)

 se1499-switch-1706-01.jpg (66303 bytes) se1499-switch-1706-02.jpg (65200 bytes) se1499-switch-1706-03.jpg (64338 bytes)

Transmitting Condensers
se-condenser-01.jpg (45756 bytes)

 se-condenser-02.jpg (41842 bytes) se-condenser-03.jpg (59094 bytes) se-condenser-04.jpg (50559 bytes)
se-condenser-1302-01.JPG (503668 bytes) se-condenser-1302-02.JPG (549624 bytes) se-condenser-1302-03.JPG (644834 bytes) --

Thanks to Google Books - 

"Developments in High Power Radio, and its practical application in the services of the United State Navy"
by CDR Stanford C. Hooper
from Radio Broadcast magazine Volume I

Download Part I, September 1922

Download Part II, October 1922

Info below is from History of Communications-Electronics in the United States Navy, 
Captain Linwood S. Howeth, USN (Retired), 1963, pages 589-603:

Howeth is great reading on early Navy Radio - on-line version

Spark Transmitters

Power
(kw.)		      Type
number		      Frequency
range (kc.)		      Number of
frequencies		      Type of ship
---      SE 3531      1,700-2,400      ---      Auxiliary set for naval vessels
---      SE 3612*      1,700-2,400      ---            Do.
 ½      CM 296      1,700-2,400      ---      Auxiliary for ships fitted with 2 and 5 kw. arc transmitters
 ½      SE 606      500-1,000      2      Shipping Board
 ½      CE 606A      500-705      2            Do.
 ½      CE 859      315-1,000      6      Submarines and tugs
 ½      CR 654A      315-1,000      6            Do.
 ½      CE 827      315-1,000      6            Do.
  1      CE 861      315-1,000      6      Mine sweepers
  1      SE 1060      500-1,000      3      Shipping Board
  1      SE 1075      315-1,000      6      Submarine chasers
  1      CE 1221      315-1,000      6            Do.
  2      CM 306      ---      8      Air Stations
  2      CM 305      150-1,000      8      Naval Vessels
  2      CL 342      150-1,000      8            Do.
  2      CL 344      150-1,000      8            Do.
  2      CL 345      150-1,000      8            Do.
  2      CR 655      150-1,000      8            Do.
  2      CM 1080      500-1,000      3      Shipping Board
  2      SE 1205      500-1,000      3            Do.
  2      CM 307      150-1,000      8      Battleships (secondary), destroyers, tenders and auxiliaries
  5      CR 1125      95-1,000      9            Do.
  5      CM 858      95-1,000      9            Do.
  5      SE 1210      95-1,000      9            Do.
  5      SE 1211      95-1,000      9            Do.
10      CL 343      95-400      8      Battleships
10      CL 304      95-400      8            Do.
*Same as SE 3531 except for voltage applied motor generator.

Arc Transmitters

Power (kw.)      Type
Number		      Arc
voltage		      Use      Signaling
method
    2      K      350      Naval ships      Chopper, back shunt
    2      Q      500      Merchant ships            Do.
    2      X      500      Naval ships      Chopper, ignition key
    5      ---      500      Naval ships            Do.
  20      CT 1038      500            Do.      Uniwave key
  30      CT 1042      500            Do.            Do.
  20      CT 1201      500            Do.            Do.
100      ---      500      Shore stations            Do.
200      ---      500            Do.            Do.
500      ---      500            Do.            Do.

Vacuum Tube Transmitters

Power
(watts)		      Type
Number		      Frequency
(kc.)		      Emissions      Use
5      CW 9382      870-1270      Voice modulation 1      General.
5      TA      1500-2310      CW      Intrafleet.
5      TB2      610, 728, 822, 864 and 1027      Voice modulation      Fire control.
150      TC      588, 592, 630, 708 and 741      CW, kw, voice modulation      Battleships for aircraft spotting.
1,500      TD      109, 167, 308, 333, 375, 500 and 592      do.      Airstations.
300      TE      with antenna 308, 375, 444, 500 and 592.
      with loop 308 and 444		      do.      Submarines.
300      TF      210, 250, 288, 308, 444, 500 and 592      do.      Scout cruisers, Submarines and aircraft tenders.
300      TG      308, 375, 444, 500 and 592      do.      Eagle boats.
6,000      TL3      200-600      ---      Battleships.
100      TM3      ---      ---      Submarines.
6,000      TN3      ---      CW      Shore stations.
100      TO3      500-1500      CW, Voice modulation      Battleships.
NOTES.  Models TH, TJ and TK were not placed under production. The designation TI was not used.
1The CW 938 was later modified to include ICW emission.
2These equipments were transceivers.
3These transmitters were originally spark transmitters modified into alternating current tube transformers.

last edited 12/07/2020 07:29 AM