How Pittsburgh Region took part in a most unusual experiment to provide nationwide TV in the 40s

 Long before Cable TV and Satellite Dish TV services existed Engineers at Pittsburgh's  Westinghouse Electric came up with a scheme to provide Nationwide TV Signals  by using   surplus army planes as a form of flying transmission towers 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratovision

Almost forgotten today . You may have heard old Amateur Radio Guys talk about it or even your great grandparents  who may have even participated in the experiment .

 Known as Stratovision  In 1945 The Glenn L Martin Company and Pittsburgh's Westinghouse Electric  

proposed using a Twin Engine PV-2 Aircraft flying at 25,000 ft  with 250 watts of power at 107.5 Mhz

and 5000 watts on 514 Mhz  to fly over selected areas and transmit TV signals in which Pittsburgh was one of the test citys.


 

From June of 1948 to Febuary 1949 test flights and broadcasts where performed followed up by a former Military B-29 Superfortress at 30,000 ft.

The tests where sucessful but never fully utilized but is still used on ocassion like in Vietnam.


No comments:

Post a Comment