KC2XAK
Encyclopedia
KC2XAK was the world's first UHF
television station. It was simply a rebroadcast/broadcast translator transmitter
of New York City's WNBT
(NBC
4), and broadcast on UHF Channel 24 in Bridgeport, Connecticut
. It went on the air on December 29, 1949.
The station's launch was code-named "Operation Bridgeport", as a test by RCA
and NBC
, to determine if the UHF spectrum was feasible to use for communications and broadcasting.
The station used a 1 kW transmitter with an 20-dB gain antenna
on a 210 feet (64 m) tower elevated 450 feet (137.2 m) above average terrain. This resulted in an Effective Radiated Power
of 10 kW.
Operation Bridgeport was apparently a success, but was shut down by RCA and NBC on August 23, 1952, after two and a half years of operation. Empire Coil purchased the KC2XAK transmitter, and the transmitter and support equipment was dismantled in Bridgeport under supervision of RCA. Dismantling began on August 25, and was shipped via truck and fast freight train
to Portland, Oregon
. It was re-assembled as a 250 feet (76.2 m) tower on Council Crest, more than 1000 feet (304.8 m) above Portland on September 9, 1952. This became the very transmitter for Portland's KPTV
as well being the first commercial UHF television station in the country.
Although KC2XAK was the first UHF station on the air, it was an experimental station. The first full-fledged commercial television station
honor goes to KPTV, which aired on UHF Channel 27 in 1952.
Bridgeport is now covered over-the-air by WNBC
4, and the other New York City broadcast stations.
Ultra high frequency
Ultra-High Frequency designates the ITU Radio frequency range of electromagnetic waves between 300 MHz and 3 GHz , also known as the decimetre band or decimetre wave as the wavelengths range from one to ten decimetres...
television station. It was simply a rebroadcast/broadcast translator transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
of New York City's WNBT
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
(NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
4), and broadcast on UHF Channel 24 in Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport, Connecticut
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 144,229 at the 2010 United States Census and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area...
. It went on the air on December 29, 1949.
The station's launch was code-named "Operation Bridgeport", as a test by RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
and NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, to determine if the UHF spectrum was feasible to use for communications and broadcasting.
The station used a 1 kW transmitter with an 20-dB gain antenna
Antenna gain
In electromagnetics, an antenna's power gain or simply gain is a key performance figure which combines the antenna's directivity and electrical efficiency. As a transmitting antenna, the figure describes how well the antenna converts input power into radio waves headed in a specified direction...
on a 210 feet (64 m) tower elevated 450 feet (137.2 m) above average terrain. This resulted in an Effective Radiated Power
Effective radiated power
In radio telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency energy using the SI unit watts, and is determined by subtracting system losses and adding system gains...
of 10 kW.
Operation Bridgeport was apparently a success, but was shut down by RCA and NBC on August 23, 1952, after two and a half years of operation. Empire Coil purchased the KC2XAK transmitter, and the transmitter and support equipment was dismantled in Bridgeport under supervision of RCA. Dismantling began on August 25, and was shipped via truck and fast freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. It was re-assembled as a 250 feet (76.2 m) tower on Council Crest, more than 1000 feet (304.8 m) above Portland on September 9, 1952. This became the very transmitter for Portland's KPTV
KPTV
KPTV is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Portland, Oregon market, which includes most of the state of Oregon and portions of Southwest Washington. KPTV is owned by the Meredith Corporation in a duopoly with MyNetworkTV affiliate KPDX , with its studios located in Beaverton and...
as well being the first commercial UHF television station in the country.
Although KC2XAK was the first UHF station on the air, it was an experimental station. The first full-fledged commercial television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
honor goes to KPTV, which aired on UHF Channel 27 in 1952.
Bridgeport is now covered over-the-air by WNBC
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
4, and the other New York City broadcast stations.
See also
- Early television stations
- History of televisionHistory of televisionThe history of television records the work of numerous engineers and inventors in several countries over many decades. The fundamental principles of television were initially explored using electromechanical methods to scan, transmit and reproduce an image...
- List of experimental television stations
- Narrow-bandwidth televisionNarrow-bandwidth televisionNarrow-bandwidth television is a type of television designed to fit into a low-bandwidth channel, in the extreme case using amateur radio voice frequency channels that only range up to a few kilohertz...
- Oldest television stationOldest television stationThis is a list of prewar television stations of the 1920s and 1930s that were among the first in the world. Most of these experimental stations were located in Europe , Canada and the United States...
- Television systems before 1940Television systems before 1940A number of experimental and broadcast pre World War II television systems were tested. The first ones were mechanical based and of very low resolution, sometimes with no sound...