The Battle For Brown Boveri. Salvaging And Restoration Conception Of The SL 61 B3 Long-Wave Transmitter

This article presents the Konstantynów Radio Transmitting Centre - Poland's leading longwave radio broadcasting facility, active between 1974 and 1991 - and its transmitter, the Brown Boveri SL 61 B3. Composed of two parts of 1000 kW each, it is considered one of World's most powerful radio transmitters. Having a five-staged modulator, three-staged high-frequency power circuit, nuclear standard frequency generators, microwave (5.6 GHz) modulation signal acquisition and elaborated automated control system, it presented the leading technology of radio broadcasting in the 2^nd half of the XX century. Its high significance, both historic and technological, led to the unprecedented action of moving the entire (!) transmitter from the Centre (seriously dilapidated after the collapse of the World's highest radio mast in 1991 due to errors in renovation) to the Babice Transatlantic Radio Station Culture Park Association with the cooperation with the Warsaw University of Technology and other entities. The transmitter, despite the damages caused by devastations and thefts, shall be renovated as a functioning historic equipment with the possibilities of its use for research purposes.

I. Introduction [4]

In the very beginning - the National Radio Station Kutno; later, when launched - Warsaw Central Radio Station in Gąbin; finally, till the end of functioning and many years after – the Radio Transmitting Centre Konstantynów; world-famous radio facility, active between 1974 and 1991, housing one of the World’s most powerful radio transmitters and employing as antenna the World Record – the highest construction until Burj Khalifa, radio mast measuring 646,38 m of height (see Fig. 1). Planned since 1960s to succeed the Raszyn-Łazy Radio Transmitting Centre (Europe’s highest radio mast at the time), the new Polish longwave facility had numerous tasks to fulfill – emit the national broadcast (Polish Radio 1) on 227, later 225 kHz with proper coverage of the country (providing high signal intensity and quality) and without the fading zone within the country’s borders, as well as providing the country’s standard frequency coverage, used by many industrial, scientific and experimental entities.