Rediffusion Jersey - Brian Lucas

LOCAL INTEREST

Jersey had a number of individuals who built the low cost crystal sets, also with an introduction of
the military (R-Valve) at relatively fair prices, from over production, brought about new wireless set
designs and amplifier developments; this very factor laid down the embryonic foundation, for a
future wireless industry.

Initially, the wireless companies supplied parts and kits to build; this continued to around 1935 where names like McMichael, and Marconi were early entrants, along side other companies e.g. Burndept Ltd, & British Thomson Houston Company (BTH). But GEC manufactured ready build receivers, deciding it was the way forward for there market; its interesting to note how other companies were marketing their receivers... the Dutch PCGG station in 1922 was promoting crystal sets, of their own design directly to their listeners; with a programme of Sunday concerts through to Monday and Thursday evenings, in French and English. Jersey and coastal Britain had no problem receiving these signals, since the transmitter output power was very high, and designed to reach the
English coast.

Looking back at the open approach to overseas countries freely giving transmission licences, without the due consideration of problems arising between inter-country frequencies; highlights in contrast to the approach Britain chose, to form a public broadcasting service.

Jersey experienced all this activity on the mainland, and also enjoyed the numerous transmitters operating in France, Germany, and Italy; but the down side for owners of crystal sets were, their inability to be selectively tuned, and gave rise to hearing two or more stations at once. However, home construction continued with R-Valve articles, giving circuit designs of amplifiers to use with crystal sets, and more complex TRF circuits.

Also J.L. Baird’s Television Experiments required little more than a 20 inch disc; the whole televisor design quite literally, could be built on the kitchen table. The difficult part was to set 30 small holes in the disc on a spiral, around the outer edge; then place a flat neon lamp behind the disc, and connect it in series with the receiver speaker valve output, (Anode) connection.

A rectangle card to frame the image was used, with a lens to magnify the scanned area plus, simple direct motor shaft coupled onto the disc, rotating at 750 RPM; a speed control provides adjustment to synchronise the image... with a good signal a vertically striped image would appear.

Reports of pictures being received in Jersey, primary by individuals who were experimenting, had taken place… the geographical position of the island with a north coast height, helped the 30 line signals propagate late at night, on the Medium wave band. The rented 3 kilowatt 2LO station, produced a regular 30 line service by September 1929, from J.L. Baird’s Long Acre Studio; also the very first daylight outside broadcast, of the 1931 & 32 Derby winning post. By August of 1932, the BBC took full responsibility for the service from studio BB, in Broadcasting House.

The intervening years to the occupation 1940, Jersey companies who were not electronic engineers, but ordinary traders of services ranging from: garage mechanic’s to general hardware/merchandise, sold wireless sets or component parts; also battery charging for the valve heaters in portable wireless sets. The Radio Trade had not yet develop, though there were individuals on the island working with wireless in a private capacity. One W.H. Cole in 1921, came the first registered trade name and shop, originally at number 61 Helkett Place, but moved to 111; sadly, it closed on the 1st of September 2002, when Mr. B. A. Holley and Mr. L. A. Jacklen retired; the company had traded for 81 years, and says a great deal for their customer service and loyalty.