Post by End80 on Nov 3, 2022 16:25:57 GMT
Several years ago I was in correspondence with MSU, trying to obtain some info about the part 15 transmitters they built in 1968 - I was unsuccessful in finding anything.. That has always bugged me so Ive decided to give it another try.
This 1972 article (I think Ive posted it before) shows a picture of what I beleive to be the very first part 15 AM whip and mast transmitters built by MSU in 1968.
There were only three models from 1968 to 1973, the only manufactured transmitters in existence and the only ones Yellowstone ever used were the ATT and DTI transmitters, both sold under the franchise Info Systems Inc. and they look nothing like these, so that means these must be the MSU built units used for the intial two year trial run.
But there's one problem with that conclusion; Reportably there were only 6 made but the picture shows at least 8.. Nevertheless, these must be the MSU units.
The ONLY information I've ever been able to uncover about them comes from two breif mentions in two newspapers:
In the Nov/Dec 1972 GRIST (a national parks magazine) on p.61 it made vaque mention of the transmitter origins:
"...Stanley G. Canter, assistant chief park naturalist at Yellowstone, explains.. in 1968 a local electronics firm gave us 6 transmitters built to our specifications..." [/i]this was a rewrite of a Yellowstone Newsletter article the year before).
But the Billings Gazzette (4/1/1972 ) (the article shown above) was more specific on p.122:
"...Someone, Canter says, hit upon the idea of radio and a trial effort was begun in 1968 under a grant from the non-profit Yellowstone Library and Museum Organization with the work being done by Montana State University.."[/i]
You'll notice the antennas appears to be legths of copper pipe which are only a foot or two tall. They apparently cut them short to enable them to fit inside of the metal bear proof trash cans which they were enclosing them in! The article says this was to maintain the natural beauty of the park, but the real reason was a method of ground mounting them in a way that would not subject them to vandalism from the bears themselves. This was because in 1972 the FCC had began clarifying the ground lead was part of the 10 foot limit (but the rule was not actually written in till 1974).
But anyway, a few days ago I've re-established contact with MSU with someone named Jodi at their library and was able to provide them with some additional leads of tracking down further details about those transmitters. Jodi seems enthusiastic about looking into it, maybe I'll have better luck this time.
You know.. there's no indication the MSU transmitters were certified, in fact it's unlikely, but they weren't sold either, they were donated, but still it was more than a 5.. but as far as I can tell that never was an issue.
Transmitters with very short antennas inside a metal can situated 300 feet from the road could be picked up for about a half mile on 650 in a ground conductivity of 2... ponder that!
This 1972 article (I think Ive posted it before) shows a picture of what I beleive to be the very first part 15 AM whip and mast transmitters built by MSU in 1968.
There were only three models from 1968 to 1973, the only manufactured transmitters in existence and the only ones Yellowstone ever used were the ATT and DTI transmitters, both sold under the franchise Info Systems Inc. and they look nothing like these, so that means these must be the MSU built units used for the intial two year trial run.
But there's one problem with that conclusion; Reportably there were only 6 made but the picture shows at least 8.. Nevertheless, these must be the MSU units.
The ONLY information I've ever been able to uncover about them comes from two breif mentions in two newspapers:
In the Nov/Dec 1972 GRIST (a national parks magazine) on p.61 it made vaque mention of the transmitter origins:
"...Stanley G. Canter, assistant chief park naturalist at Yellowstone, explains.. in 1968 a local electronics firm gave us 6 transmitters built to our specifications..." [/i]this was a rewrite of a Yellowstone Newsletter article the year before).
But the Billings Gazzette (4/1/1972 ) (the article shown above) was more specific on p.122:
"...Someone, Canter says, hit upon the idea of radio and a trial effort was begun in 1968 under a grant from the non-profit Yellowstone Library and Museum Organization with the work being done by Montana State University.."[/i]
You'll notice the antennas appears to be legths of copper pipe which are only a foot or two tall. They apparently cut them short to enable them to fit inside of the metal bear proof trash cans which they were enclosing them in! The article says this was to maintain the natural beauty of the park, but the real reason was a method of ground mounting them in a way that would not subject them to vandalism from the bears themselves. This was because in 1972 the FCC had began clarifying the ground lead was part of the 10 foot limit (but the rule was not actually written in till 1974).
But anyway, a few days ago I've re-established contact with MSU with someone named Jodi at their library and was able to provide them with some additional leads of tracking down further details about those transmitters. Jodi seems enthusiastic about looking into it, maybe I'll have better luck this time.
You know.. there's no indication the MSU transmitters were certified, in fact it's unlikely, but they weren't sold either, they were donated, but still it was more than a 5.. but as far as I can tell that never was an issue.
Transmitters with very short antennas inside a metal can situated 300 feet from the road could be picked up for about a half mile on 650 in a ground conductivity of 2... ponder that!