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Copyright statement: This article is original work by the author, and any republication must be done with permission from the author, who retains copyright to the photographs.
On April 27, 2024, International Marconi Day, I was fortunate to participate in a special communication event held at the Signal Hill site. Signal Hill is the location where Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian radio engineer, successfully transmitted signals across the Atlantic Ocean for the first time using radio waves on December 12, 1901. It's a place of pilgrimage for amateur radio enthusiasts from around the world. Thanks to Marconi's experiments and his application of electromagnetic waves and radio technology, we can communicate with HAM friends worldwide. Therefore, I hope to share this "Pilgrimage to sacred sites"I'd like to share what I've learned with everyone, essentially just chatting and exchanging ideas about radio culture."
This story actually begins in Italy…
On April 25, 1874, a baby was born in the heart of Bologna, at the Marcassa-Marinelli Palace. Marconi, the aristocratic child, would later go on to influence the entire world. Educated by private tutors, Marconi had always been interested in science and electricity from a young age. However, at the age of 17, Marconi was deeply influenced by his physics teacher, Vincenzo Rosa, and Heinrich Hertz's research, and gradually mastered basic physics and developed a bold idea.
At that time, the physics community was very enthusiastic about studying radio waves, but most physicists only saw them as a scientific phenomenon and did not consider their potential as a communication method. However, Marconi began to develop the idea of "wireless telegraphy" in the early 1890s. He built a series of transmitters and receivers during his youth, which worked by pressing buttons on a bench to make a bell ring on the other side of the room. After demonstrating this device to his family and friends several times, Marconi received their support. With their encouragement and promotion, Marconi's invention gradually gained attention.
Marconi demonstrated this very new technology in several countries and gained international attention. At the same time, Marconi did not abandon his exploration of long-distance communication technologies – because at that time, Marconi had transmitted the first wireless message over water – a message was transmitted from Flat Holm Island to Lavernock Point near Cardiff, across the Bristol Channel, a distance of only 6 kilometers (3.7 miles).
As the experimental distance increased, Marconi attempted to push the limits – while also competing with the transatlantic telegraph cable. In late 1901, Marconi organized a grand experiment: transmitting radio signals from a high-powered radio station in Poldhu, Cornwall, and receiving them at Signal Hill (now the site of the Signal Hill ruins) in St. John's, Newfoundland (now part of Canada), using a 500-foot (150-meter) kite-supported antenna. The distance between the two points was approximately 2,200 miles (3,500 kilometers). Although the signal-to-noise ratio at the time was poor, and many people doubted whether the information had been correctly received,However, this was the first time in human history that radio waves were used for communication across the Atlantic Ocean.…Finally, humans have the opportunity to break free from those traditional, complex, and cumbersome communication methods.
(The Signal Hill archaeological site at night, photo taken by the author)
Regarding the details of the experiment at that time, it can only be said that it was very poor (at that time, people did not know the characteristics of radio wave propagation): they used radio waves with a wavelength of 350 meters (frequency approximately 850 kHz), and the experiment was conducted during the daytime...Most amateur radio enthusiasts are aware that, at this frequency, daytime long-distance transmissions are virtually impossible due to the extensive absorption of sky waves in the ionosphere.…Perhaps it was due to a stroke of luck, or perhaps divine favor, or maybe the pristine radio environment at the time… People began to hear clear signals. In any case, the age of radio communication had arrived.
Subsequently, people gradually recognized the immense advantages of radio communication, such as the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912, World War I, and international telegraphy and entertainment broadcasting.
Later, people established a day to commemorate Marconi's outstanding achievements in the field of wireless communication, setting the Saturday closest to April 25th each year as "International Marconi Day" Marconi won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909, and he is also known as "The father of radio”。
As of today, the impact of radio on humanity is profound and significant. From the recently reactivated Voyager 1, which sends signals from over 24 billion miles away in deep space, to the convenient 4G/5G/Wi-Fi communication available on almost everyone's smartphones;500-meter diameter spherical radio telescopeFrom China's SETI efforts to find extraterrestrial intelligence, to Starlink's global satellite communication network, our lives are increasingly reliant on radio technology. It is this reliance that makes it a privilege for me, as a radio enthusiast, to stand at the Signal Hill site, which has a history of nearly 300 years, and reflect on humanity's journey of scientific and technological exploration. The feeling is almost surreal…Perhaps it was millions of years ago, or even further back, when a human ancestor looked up at the vast expanse of stars and felt a sense of wonder. This sparked our innate curiosity and desire to explore the mysteries of the world around us.
(The author stands in front of the Cabot Tower ruins on Signal Hill, photo taken by the author)
After saying all of this, I personally believe that Signal Hill is a pilgrimage site for amateur radio enthusiasts. If it were possible to host a special Marconi Day event there, and have guests… Wow, I can't even imagine! However, today feels like I'm actually on a pilgrimage!
Okay, that's all for the reflection. Let's get back to the main topic. This year's Marconi Day was on April 27th. I contacted VO1HP early and inquired about the arrangements for the event, and received a positive response. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to VO1HP (Frank) and all the enthusiastic members of SONRA and the amateur radio community who were present that day.
The location of our event is at Cabot Tower. In the morning, I was well-prepared and excited to go up there! After walking along a winding road, I finally reached the summit. As I walked past the parking lot, several cars stood out – tall, large vehicle antennas, and license plates clearly displaying the HAM's call sign, which are the vehicles of the HAMS participating in today's event. In Canada, some provinces allow individuals to use their own call signs as license plate numbers, which is a unique cultural practice. This can also help emergency services and the public identify communication resources when assistance is needed.
(The stairs of the cabin, which appear to have just been painted, as photographed by the author)
I pushed open the creaking wooden door, passing by a souvenir shop on the ground floor. The sound of children playing in the store filled my ears as I began to climb the narrow wooden staircase. The handrails seemed freshly painted, with a faint smell of oil paint. On the second floor, a group of about five people were gathered, some leaning against windowsills, others sipping Tim Hortons (the classic choice). One younger ham radio operator was operating a radio. An older gentleman noticed me and shook my hand: "Hi, BH2VRN, you made it!" - "Yeah, it's my pleasure!" I was deeply honored to be shaking hands with Frank, the president of the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame and VO1HP, a renowned figure in amateur radio. VO1HP had made significant contributions to the popularization and dissemination of amateur radio in Canada. After a brief greeting, I introduced myself to everyone present, and we then continued discussing various aspects of amateur radio, including antennas, propagation, etc. I happily joined the discussion.
Subsequently, I also invited HAM, who had previously been operating the radio station, to try it out. This HAM is VO1IV, and he has been a regular participant in the UTC activities for several years, serving as an operator and also as a volunteer examiner for amateur radio exams. VO1IV has excellent practical skills; his specialty is simultaneously receiving and transmitting CW, while using another hand to record logs on a keyboard. He not only has good rhythm but also high accuracy! This technique was highly praised by all the HAMs present. Under the guidance of VO1IV, I also tried operating FT8 and achieved some QSOs. By the way, this is not because I don't want to use CW or SSB; the propagation conditions that day were really poor... Initially, even 10M and FT8 had very few successful QSOs, so I suggested switching to 17M FT8, but surprisingly, it worked!(I was reminded that last year, during the Chinese Amateur Radio Festival, I also participated as an operator and handled the 17 MHz band using FT8. It felt like there was a connection between me and this frequency band...)
VO1AA, as the main station for SONRA, is also an active station, which means it's a bit unbalanced. The ICOM-7610, used as both a transmitter and receiver, has a somewhat inadequate antenna – just a long wire antenna with automatic antenna tuning. After inquiring, I learned that this was due to the historical site not being suitable for installing antennas; after all, there is a rich history here, at least 300 years, so the priority is protecting the site. Fortunately, there's a dedicated antenna farm in the southern suburbs of St John's. However, even with the 7610, it's a device I never thought I would have access to, but unfortunately, the various equipment in the souvenir shop downstairs seems to have had a significant impact on our activities.
(The VO1AA control station and the IC-7610, which was sponsored by ICOM; photo taken by the author)
(The long-range antenna used in the event; this antenna seems to be of poor quality, as captured in my photograph.)
(The guy wire for the antenna at the radio station, with Fort Amherst in the background – a military artillery complex dating back to World War I and II – as seen in my photograph.)
After using FT8 for a while, it seemed like propagation was improving, so we decided to try SSB mode. VO1CH suggested a wide-band call to test it, but the results were still not ideal. Interestingly, we also encountered a "helpful" HAM who was actively trying to tune in to us with a large amplifier, but due to poor propagation, this only affected others and made it impossible for us to hear their replies, which was frustrating. In addition, there were people sending inaccurate signal reports, even though the actual frequency was 55 or 56, they all reported 59! This caused everyone to complain. However, I believe that if it's a casual gathering with old friends, everyone is happy when we receive excellent 59 reports. But for special events like this, it's better to be realistic and serious. We took turns calling CQ, but the results were minimal. Besides a few European stations, most of them either experienced QSB or couldn't receive anything at all, so we had to give up and return to FT8. Then came the coffee break... oh wait, the coffee exchange continued…
One of the younger HAMs introduced me to his VHF and UHF equipment, which I found very impressive. VO1HAX, although about 10 years older than me, was still one of the more experienced HAMs. He showed me his equipment and system. This enthusiastic amateur radio operator also enjoyed mobile transmitting and digital technology. His car had several antennas: two on the hood, three in the back, and a millimeter-wave antenna and GPS antenna on the roof. It was like a communication vehicle. We had a great conversation – we shared common interests, namely building our own automated radio systems using Raspberry Pi. However, he added a large touchscreen to his Raspberry Pi 3B to optimize mobile transmitting. He is someone who enjoys combining computer technology with amateur radio (he also mentioned that he loved taking vacations in Colombia and recommending it).
In addition to casual conversations, visitors also came to observe the event. In theory, these activities require advance registration, but they were originally intended to promote amateur radio. We therefore took the opportunity to educate the visitors about amateur radio and Marconi's story. I also noticed the exhibits around the operating table, including logs, records of visits by prominent figures, coils, transmitters, and various receiving and transmitting equipment. Notably, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's discovery of North America, in 1997, Queen Elizabeth II visited the site and used the amateur radio callsign VO500JC to communicate with British radio stations, aiming to encourage people to create more history from this historically significant location and continue exploring and discovering.So, to put it another way, I actually met Queen Elizabeth of England (though it was a misunderstanding).
(Various electronic tubes – please have knowledgeable teachers explain them to me; photos taken by the author)
(Simple transmitter and receiver, photo taken by the author)
(Telegraph/telephone set, speaker, and condenser – the old name for a capacitor, as photographed by the author)
(Radio operating log, photo taken by the author)
(This appears to be some kind of variable tuning circuit. Please correct me if I'm wrong; photo taken by the author)
(This appears to be some kind of mail sending and receiving device. Please correct me if I am wrong; photo taken by the author)
After a morning of communication and collaboration, this event is nearing its end. I went to the top floor with several teachers to remove the antenna, assisting them. VO1CH jokingly said to me, "You're already one of us (referring to the SONRA association)." In fact, I feel very lucky to have been able to participate in such an event today. After all, aren't all amateur radio operators around the world like family?
Once we had organized all the equipment, cleaned up the trash, and confirmed that everything was safe, we prepared to lock the door and leave, marking the end of the event. After thanking everyone in the HAM community and exchanging "73," I watched as one by one, the vans with antennas drove away... Looking around, my gaze stretched from the ancient ruins to the beautiful and modern St. John's Port below, creating a wonderful feeling of traveling through time and space, where technology and culture converge. This was truly a remarkable tour of this sacred site.
Thank you for stopping by. I hope that all HAM radio operators can communicate with each other in a friendly and correct manner. 73!
2024.5.24
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