Guided Tour
Post-War USW / VHF Transmitters


Room Selector:   Previous Room    The Beginnings of Radio and the Technology to build on: 1923-1933    The Development of Tubes    Radio Broadcasting in the Third Reich: 1933-1939    From Gramophone to CD    Radio Broadcasting during World War II    Post-War Era    Sender der Post-War Era, UKW    The Fifties    From Magnetophone to Tape Recorder    Radio and TV in the German Democratic Republic    History of Television    From the Sixties to the Present and the Future    Next Room


When radio broadcasting started in the »Voxhaus« in Berlin on 29 October, 1923, everything was still quite basic. In March 1924, radio stations followed in Munich and -in August- in Nuremberg. These were small and weak transmitters in conurbations giving as many as possible listeners access to the new medium using even simple detector radios.

First USW Transmitter of the Bavarian Radio

The transmitters with amplitude modulation (AM) were designed for use in the long-wave and mainly in the medium-wave range. In 1929, the short wave was added.

More and more transmitters are installed with more and more power. Despite world-wide attempts to regulate transmission frequencies, the battle never seemed to stop since transmitters interfered with one another. It also became topical in high political circles since radio was by now a matter of national interest not to be interfered with by foreign radio stations.

From 1930 onwards, large transmitters were being built using 60 or 100 kW to cover wide areas.

After the end of World War II, new regulations are due once more. In 1948, a new wave-length plan was set up for the whole of Europe in Copenhagen. Germany, having lost the war, was not even invited and got only very few and very bad medium-wave frequencies.

Supplying the population with radio programmes is now endangered. The decision to build up a completely new frequency range -ultra-short wave (USW)- was taken, a frequency range in which experiences were already gained in the field of television.

 Title Page of the Copenhagen Frequency Plan

Receiver Chassis

But first of all a completely new network of transmitters had to built. And people needed the corresponding receiver units. At first, modular USW components and control gear attached to existing radio units were used.

1950 marks the beginning of USW / VHF radio broadcasting in Germany. It soon became apparent that VHF using frequency modulation (FM) technology was less prone to interference and provided a much better sound quality. »VHF - The Wave of Joy« is now turning into a good business for the radio industry - at home and abroad since German industry is well ahead of its foreign competitors.


Room Selector:   Previous Room    The Beginnings of Radio and the Technology to build on: 1923-1933    The Development of Tubes    Radio Broadcasting in the Third Reich: 1933-1939    From Gramophone to CD    Radio Broadcasting during World War II    Post-War Era    Sender der Post-War Era, UKW    The Fifties    From Magnetophone to Tape Recorder    Radio and TV in the German Democratic Republic    History of Television    From the Sixties to the Present and the Future    Next Room


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