The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-11-26
BIRMINGHAM H AS.
LEAD IN SOUTH IN
RAD|OP HONE WORK
New SuperpoWered Station
WSY Is Completed and
Will Assume Pro-
grams Soon

Inc new MSN radlophone broad
oasting station OF the Alabama Pow
er company Is now complete and as
soon as the parts are co-ordinated
Will begin the regular broadeasting
OF programs
This new station gives Birmingham
first place among cities of the south
for the new station is OF such power
that 1t can be heard all over the
United States and far into Canada
This superpowered broadcaster will
be in many respects the most modern
station In the world and is expected
to fulfill its purpose ito advertise
Birmingham and Alabama to the
, orld" to the fullest extent.
Work on this new station has been
in progress for many months for
the power company being pioneers in
radio were among the first to realize
that the wireless phone had become
an institution rather than a fad.
Since there are something like two
million receiving sets In this country
around which an almost incaleulable
number OF people assemble the vir-
tues of Alabama can be brought out
to an audience that could be reached
in no other possible manner and
WsY was built for reaching this
multitude.
Designed by Local Engineers
The new WSY is mounted on the
nh
Loeb building in the very
heart of Birmingham. 1t was de-
signed and built by the power com
pany's engineers and Is the very latest
word in broadcasting construction.
Power Is supplied by two motor gen
orator sets. one of five horsepower
| TO generate the 1000 volt plate"
direct current and another of three
| horsepower which furnishes the
energy to light the five 25o-watt
power tubes and the two so watt
power tubes.
Two of the $50 watt tubes (oscii-
! lators) convert the direct current
/ supplied by the five horsepower set
te alternating current at s33333
cycles which corresponds TO 360 me-
ters wave length. The other three
$50 watt tubes used are modulatore.
Mounted inconspicuously on the
operators table Is a control box In
which eight telephone trunk lines
Terminate. These lines run from the
! First Baptist. Five Points Methodist.
/ Independent Presbyterian. South
! side Baptist and First Methodist
churches and from the Lyric theatre
/ and Alabama Power company Of
/ fees. All that is necessary to broad
! cast a program from any of these
1 r1a 10 IN
the proper key and connection is
made with the set and the sacred
services or concert take the air. Con-
nection between the studio on the
ground floor and the apparatus is
made in the same way.
| An additional key however is
! placed in the studio so that this
trunk can be supervised by the pro-
gram director.
The control panel is a model of
simplicity on which has been
placed every known device for the
convenience of the operator and the
control of operation.
Among the indicators are plate and
grid milliameters for obtaining
ready check upon the operation OF
tie tubes. and radio frequency
ammeters for showing the amount of
high frequency current in tho various
circuits. A low reading volt meter
has also been included in order that
the filaments of power tubes may be
operated at proper value.
Both fiiament current and plate
current are controlled from a separate
panel which have meters for meas
uring voltage and total current sides
and in addition to these are the
necessary rheostats for the varying
voltage.
Compared with Old station
Returning to the three horsepower
set comparison OF the power of
the new and OF the old WSY Is found
when 1t is realized that 1t requires
a three horsepower. three phase. 22O
volt motor of so cycles to perform the
work in the new that was accom-
plished in the old with a series of
storage batteries
Towering high above the top or
the seyen-story Loveman. Joseph
Loeb building is the antenna which
Birmingham people have been noticing
for some time The antenna is 125
feet above the ground and Is 100
feet long. 1t is of the flat top. six
wire type with a counterpoise similar
to the antenna.
Though wSY is now complete in
every particular a great deal of ex-
pertinent in obtaining proper co-or-
dination OF the units Is necessary be-
fore the first concert Is broadcasted
and it will be several weeks before
regular schedule is arranged. 1t is
more than likely that the old order
will be returned to. that is, concerts
by local artists every Monday. We'd
nesday and Friday evenings from
S 90 to S:45 with the usual daily
market reports service at 200 ana
sacred services by connected
churches every Sunday night Prac-
tically every Chamber of Commerce
In the state has provided speakers
who will boost their communities
over WSY and the Birmingham
Chamber Of Commerce will furnish
leaders in the industrial world who
will talk on Birmingham and It's pos
sibilities The power company be-
ilieves that the publicity resulting
from these talks will be OF immense
value to the state and to Birming-
ham and Judging from the enthu-
siastic support given 1t would seem
that the prominent men Of the state
are OF the same opinion.
BUREAU FINDS POSITIONS
FOR 124 PERSONS IN WEEK
l.