kdka

21d

On this day in 1920, KDKA in Pittsburgh began regular broadcasting. It is considered by many to be the start of commercial radio broadcasting in the U.S,

Here's a cartoon I did for CQ Magazine in November 2020:

#hamradio #cartoon #history #KDKA #radio

1. Westinghouse engineer Frank Conrad, 39, got into ham radio to win a bet! “I’ll bet my watch is more accurate than yours!”
2. In the workshop above his garage in Wilkinsburg, Pa., Frank built a receiver to pick up the time signals from the U.S. Naval Observatory and verify his watch’s accuracy.
3. In 1916, Frank got his license (8XK) and was soon a popular leader in local ham circles.
4. Frank tested the 8XK transmitter with music from records the family piano.
5. Schedules for 8XK’s regular “air concerts” were printed in the local newspapers.
6. In the fall of 1920, the ARRL set up an experimental nationwide network to relay results on election night … and they included Frank’s station, 8XK.
7. By then, however, Frank’s employer had applied for a commercial license and was ready to take over his broadcast schedule.
8. On election night, Frank was standing by at 8XK in case there were any technical problems … but KDKA’s first broadcast on Nov. 2, 1920, was “F.B.” (“fine business”) and the station has now been on the air 100 years!

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