Table Head Site, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia

VE1IMD

 Picture kindly supplied by Geoff Watts (G0EVW)

On December 12, 1901 the first radio signal was transmitted across the Atlantic from Poldu, Cornwall England to St John’s, NewFoundland.   Threatened with a lawsuit from the Anglo-American Cable Company,  Marconi was forced to leave Newfoundland  but was invited to build a Radio Station on Cape Breton Island. With a grant of $80,000 from the Canadian Government, Marconi built a station on the headland at Table Head in Glace Bay, N.S. where four 210 feet wooden towers to support a massive web of copper wire were built.   A transmitter of 60 KWs was attached to this antenna system, and power was generated by a steam driven alternator.   On December 15, 1902 Marconi sent messages to Poldhu.

After two years of experimentation Marconi came to the conclusion that, in order to have reliable communication between North America and Europe, a much larger antenna system was required.   During the winter of 1904/05, the Table Head Station was moved to a 32 acre site six miles inland (called the Marconi Towers).  A much larger antenna was erected, with the original antenna at the center. The power was greatly increased with much better results. Two way communications were established in October 1907, and  the Transatlantic Radio Service between the Marconi Towers and Clifden, Ireland was inaugurated.

The Marconi Station was shut down and the property sold in 1946. For many years all that remained at the Table Head site was a monument acknowledging Marconi’s great achievement. On the 20 July 1989,  the Marconi Exhibit Centre (Interpretative Centre) was opened next to the Marconi Monument. Included in the Centre was an Amateur Radio Station, maintained and operated by members of the Sydney Amateur Radio Club.

The Centre is open daily between the hours of 1300 to 2300 hours UTC from 1st June to the 15th September and on special occasions, i.e.International Marconi Day.  The call sign of the Station is VE1VAS.  VAS (Voice of the Atlantic Seaboard) was the call sign of the Marconi Towers Station and is the only authorized Marconi Amateur station on Cape Breton Island. The call sign will be changed for International Marconi Day to VE1IMD.

The above historical information was kindly supplied by Bill Appleton, VE1DM