WA2XMN

Last updated
WA2XMN
Alpine, New Jersey
United States
Broadcast area New York metropolitan area
Frequency 42.8 MHz
Programming
Format Public Radio/Eclectic Music
History
First air date
June 11, 2005 [1]
Former call signs
WB9XXE (2005) [2]
Call sign meaning
Referring to W2XMN, Edwin Armstrong's original station call-sign
Technical information
ERP 250 watts
Transmitter coordinates
 40°57′39.00″N73°55′23.00″W / 40.9608333°N 73.9230556°W / 40.9608333; -73.9230556 (NAD27)
Links
Website www.wa2xmn.ar88.net

WA2XMN is an experimental FM radio station which broadcasts sporadically from the Armstrong Tower in Alpine, New Jersey. The station commemorates the pioneering broadcasts of the world's first FM radio station, W2XMN, built by Edwin Howard Armstrong, which began experimental broadcasts from this tower in June 1938 followed by full power broadcasting beginning on July 18, 1939. [3] Armstrong's station signed off as KE2XCC on March 6, 1954. [4]

WA2XMN broadcasts at 42.8 MHz, one of the frequencies used by Armstrong's station on the original 42-50 MHz FM broadcast band. Transmitting from near the top of the 425-foot tall Armstrong Tower, [5] which sits on top of the 500-foot-tall Pallisades (for a total height of over 900 feet above mean sea level), WA2XMN has a listening range of roughly 60–100 miles. The building at the base of the tower still has the W2XMN call sign engraved above the entrance. [6]

The station signed on using a restored Phasitron transmitter [7] built by Steve Hemphill, [8] [9] [10] with technical assistance from WFDU 89.1, which has broadcast from the tower since its first sign on in 1971. The WA2XMN broadcasts have been simulcast on WFDU's FM signal and internet stream, [11] [12] allowing listeners who lack a VHF receiver that can tune to 42.8 MHz to listen to the broadcasts.

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W2XMN was an experimental FM radio station located in Alpine, New Jersey. It was constructed beginning in 1936 by Edwin Howard Armstrong in order to promote his invention of wide-band FM broadcasting. W2XMN was the first FM station to begin regular operations, and was used to introduce FM broadcasting to the general public in the New York City area. The station, in addition to being a testing site for transmitter and receiver development, was used for propagation studies and as an over-the-air relay station for distributing network programming to other FM stations in the region.

KE2XCC, first authorized in 1945 with the call sign W2XEA, was an experimental FM radio station located in Alpine, New Jersey and operated by inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong. It was located at the same site as Armstrong's original FM station, W2XMN, which dated to the late 1930s and primarily transmitted on the original FM "low band" frequencies. W2XEA was established as a companion station operating on the new FM "high band", which had been recently designated by the Federal Communications Commission as the replacement for the original FM station assignments. W2XMN shut down in 1949 after the "low band" was eliminated, and at this time W2XEA changed its call sign to KE2XCC and took over most of the functions previously performed by W2XMN.

WFMN was a commercial FM radio station located in Alpine, New Jersey. It was licensed from 1941 until around 1953 to inventor Edwin Howard Armstrong, and was co-located with two other Armstrong stations, W2XMN, and W2XEA/KE2XCC (1945-1954). However, for most of its existence WFMN was authorized for significantly lower power than the other two stations, and appears to have rarely been on the air.

WGTR was a pioneer commercial FM radio station, which was the first of two mountain-top stations established by the Yankee Network. It began regular programming, as experimental station W1XOJ, in 1939. In 1941 it was licensed for commercial operation from studios in Boston, initially with the call sign W43B, which was changed to WGTR in 1943. In 1947, its designated community of license was changed to Worcester, Massachusetts.

WMNE was a pioneer commercial FM radio station, which was the second of two mountain-top broadcasting stations established by the Yankee Network. It began regular programming, as experimental station W1XER, in December 1940. In 1941 it was licensed for commercial operation from studios in Boston, initially with the call sign W39B, which was changed to WMTW in 1943. In late 1946 the station's designated community of license was changed to Portland, Maine, and its call letters became WMNE.

References

  1. ↑ Fybush, Scott (June 11, 2005). "70th Anniversary of FM Radio". archive.org. Scott Fybush. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  2. ↑ WA2XMN's initial license filing, dated March 3, 2005; retrieved December 6, 2018.
  3. ↑ Lewis, Tom (1991). Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio . New York, NY: HarperCollins. p.  274. ISBN   0060182156.
  4. ↑ Lewis, Tom (1991). Empire of the Air: The Men Who Made Radio . New York, NY: HarperCollins. p.  331. ISBN   0060182156.
  5. ↑ Fybush, Scott (June 15, 2015). "NERW 6/15/2015: Boston's Talk Mess Shakes Out". fybush.com. Scott Fybush. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  6. ↑ "Armstrong Tower Field Trip". New Providence Amateur Radio Club. 2010. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  7. ↑ Hershberger, Dave (December 2004). "The PHASITRON Web Page". w9gr.com. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  8. ↑ "Armstrong 70th Anniversary Commemeration of FM Radio Saturday June 11, 2005 (Page 1)". wa2fnq.com. June 11, 2005. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  9. ↑ "Armstrong 70th Anniversary Commemeration of FM Radio Saturday June 11, 2005 (Page 2)". wa2fnq.com. June 11, 2005. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  10. ↑ Hemphill, Steve. "Major Armstrong: Scientist, Technologist, Philosopher". columbia.edu. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  11. ↑ Fybush, Scott (June 10, 2013). "NERW 6/10/2013: At Long Last, WKAJ!". fybush.com. Scott Fybush. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
  12. ↑ "Alpine Tower to Be Site of Commemorative FM Broadcast". radioworld.com. Radio World. April 13, 2005. Retrieved 2018-01-02.

Coordinates: 40°57′39″N73°55′21″W / 40.96083°N 73.92250°W / 40.96083; -73.92250

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