SAQ 100 Year Anniversary Transmission July 2nd 2025

Celebrate SAQ 100 years

The unique Alexanderson alternator from 1924, with the call sign SAQ, is scheduled for two transmissions over the antenna on VLF 17.2 kHz CW on july 2nd

Anniversary 100 Years

On July 2nd, 1925, Grimeton Radio Station was officially inaugurated. The radio traffic did already start on December 1st the year before, but now it was time the official ceremony. The king of Sweden, Gustav V, the inventor of the amazing 200kW Alternator and the massive six tower antenna, Ernst F.W. Alexanderson, as well as the leader of Radio Corporation of America, David Sarnoff was there, together with several other prominent guests. The large and shiny Alexanderson Alternator was put to life and a message to the American president Calvin Coolidge was transmitted to the receiving station at Riverhead, Long Island NY, USA. The american president replied and assessed the new radio installations as crucial for relations between Sweden and the USA.

SAQ Grimeton Christmas Eve transmission 2021

Radiostation SAQ Grimeton

Operator Kai in action

SAQ spreads Christmas Joy on Christmas Eve morning, Dec 24th.

During last week I carefully build up my VLF antenna to listen to the Christmas Eve morning transmission of SAQ. This Swedish station was built in Grimeton, just less than 100 years ago, to send telegrams from Sweden to the U.S. on a frequency of 17.2 kHz

My Antenna
The antenna is a loop with a diameter of 1.75 meter. The loop is tuned to 17.2 kHz to receive the signals of SAQ. The loop is connected to an amplifier with feedback to pick up the signal. First I check the antenna by increasing the feedback of the loop amplifier to make the antenna oscillate. After the check I reduce the feedback.

FT-817 + converter
The signal of the loop amplifier is fed into a frequency converter with a SO42P mixer, with a 8 MHz crystal. The signal goes to the FT-817, which is tuned to 8017.2 kHz. To check the complete setup I use an Audio signal generator set to 17.2 kHz. When I can receive this signal, I know everything is all right. 

Excellent reception
When I switched on my RIG on 7:47 utc on Christmas Eve, I immediately heard the signal of SAQ.
So the tuning with use of the Audio Signal Generator was perfect. Hi.
At the right of the loop amplifier and the converter, I had enough room to put my A4 paper to write down the message of SAQ.
I did not copy all letters, though the signal was very good, but had fun in writing down the CW message.

42 wavelengths 
The wavelength of the signal is 17,4 km, so over a distance of 736 km from Grimeton to my QTH there is room for just 42 wavelengths of the signal. Hi.

SAQ QSL card received

On the 24th of December 2018 there was a special transmission of SAQ in CW from Grimeton in Sweden on 17.2 kHz.

The transmitter is a generator that makes a power of 200 kW with a frequency of 17.2 kHz. The station has a huge antenna. The station was used 100 years ago to send messages in CW to North America.

I installed my VLF loop >> to listen to the transmission.
With  vvvv de SAQ  SAQ  SAQ  I was able to tune the loop.
With the loop tuned, the signal was strong. 

QSL
So I was ready to receive the message that would be transmitted.
But then when I moved the bread board, to make room for a sheet of paper
disaster stroke. . .>> , the circuit went dead, so I missed the message. 

But I sent in a report and was very pleased to received a PAPER QSL card.

SAQ

SAQ Grimeton 200 kW on 17.2 kHz

SAQ Transmission

Yesterday morning early I listened to the Christmas Eve morning transmission of SAQ. This Swedish station was built in 1924 to transmit messages in Morse code to North America. SAQ transmits a few times a year at a frequency of 17.2 kHz.

Antenna set up
About twenty years ago I made a large loop to listen to VLF stations. The loop consist of a cable of 5.6 meters with 12 wires, that are connected is series, to get a strong signal. A loop amplifier of a FET and a bipolar transistor pick up the signal of the loop.
The signal is fed back into the loop to  increase the Q-factor. With a 10-turn potentiometer I can adjust the Q-factor. I can even run the loop smoothly into oscillation. Which is really great to determine the resonance frequency.
The signal of the loop amplifier is fed into a frequency converter, built with a SO42p. I listen to the signal on my FT-817.

VLF Loop antenna in the shack - PA1B

My main objective of the morning was to first tune the loop.
After that I would write down the message, that was to be transmitted in CW (morse code).

Tuning
The tuning was an immediate success. When I heard SAQ transmitting   vvvv SAQ  I started tuning by placing and removing capacitors with different values.  I ended up with 3 capacitors in parallel. 47 nF, 43nF and 8.2 nF. Yes, I don't know were it came from, but it is really 43 nF. Hi.

Report
The signal was strong, I give a 579 by ear. I did not look on the S-meter.

Paper --> Dead circuit
After tuning, it was time to make room for a paper, to write down the message, that would be transmitted.
When I moved the breadboard with the loop amplifier about an inch, the circuit went dead. When I moved the circuit back, I heard the signal again. Then I let go of the circuit. It went dead again and whatever I did, it would not come alive again. OOPS. I still don't know what it is. I found one loose wire. It was the white wire in the picture below, but that was not the only problem. So I missed the message.

Terrible for a while
At first I felt terrible, but later that day I realized that, I did what I wanted to do. I had easily tuned the loop and I heard how loud the signal was. So I could give a report.
If it would happen to someone else, I would say: "Well, you have a great story to tell."

Loop amplifier on a breadboard - PA1B

Special transmission of SAQ

More than 20 years ago I built a active loop antenna for VLF.
I listened from 100 kHz down to 20 kHz.

SAQ
Today there was a special transmission in CW of SAQ from Grimeton in Sweden on 17.2 kHz. The transmitter is a generator that makes a power of 200 kW with a frequency of 17.2 kHz. The station has a huge antenna. The station was used 100 years ago to send messages in CW to North America.

Loop antenna
My loop antenna is made of a cable with a length of 5.5 meters with 12 wires. The wires are connected in series. This inductance is tuned with a capacitor. The signal of the loop is picked up by a FET, followed by a bipolar transistor, that form a follower.

Schematic
Placing the loop in the shack was easy. But then I had to remember how to connect the wires of the loop to the loop amplifier. Luckily I found the schematic in the article, that I wrote for the spring issue of 1997 of SPRAT Number 90. With the schematic I connected the 3 wires of the loop to the loop amplifier.

Frequency converter
The Databuch 1980/81 Integrierte Schaltungen für die Unterhaltungs-elektronik of Siemens gave the information on the SO42P mixer, that I use in the frequency converter. After more than 20 years I could not remember which pin I used as an input. But with the book and a magnifying glass, I could connect the coax between the amplifier and the converter to the right pin.

Loop amplifier and frequency converter

Then I tested the frequency converter. On the oscilloscope I could see, that the oscillator was running and I could hear the carrier on 8 MHz on my receiver. So now it was time to tune the loop. I can drive the loop gently into oscillation, with a 10 turn potmeter, to determine the frequency with the oscilloscope.

Tuning the loop
With a capacitor of 47 nF my loop was oscillating on 25 kHz. I calculated, that I would need a second capacitor of 47 nF in parallel for 17.2 kHz. But in my boxes of capacitors, there was only 56 nF, so with the extra C the loop was tuned to 16.6 kHz and I started listening. A quick look at the clock showed the transmission of SAQ had already started.

QRM

At first I heard a strong crackling (gekraak), but when I tuned the receiver I heard a weak CW signal. With the very strong crackling I could only copy a few letters.
I only managed to copy:  ork  gor  ba  l c pe c n  
But then I realized, that this noise source must be very close, because of the strength of the noise signal. Well my loop ran less than an inch from my Led lamp, that is placed on the oscilloscope. 

I disconnected the LED lamp and the band was quiet. Now I could copy the last part of the transmission about the QSL policy of this transmission.
The transmission ended with QRU DE SAQ  SAQ  SAQ  SK

SAQ
The next transmission of SAQ will be on the 24th of December 2018. If I start in time, to build up the circuit, I will be able to tune the loop precisely.  And I will have time to adjust the Q of the loop for the best reception. hi.

Transmission of SAQ

I never heard the transmission of SAQ on 17.2 kHz in CW, my self on the air. So last December I wanted to install my active loop antenna with 12 turns and a the frequency converter to listen, but . . . I was too late. It would take hours build up the Loopantenna, the Loopamplifier and the Frequency converter, that I used, years ago. 

Too Late - Just 15 Minutes left

I thought that I had all day to prepare, on the 24th of December. But when I looked it up on internet, I noticed that the transmission would start within 15 minutes. hi.

Internet

I immediately decided to follow the transmission on internet and I liked it very much. I watched the live stream. The live stream shows what is happening at the machine. You can see the operators in their blue shirts. At 7:47 utc I saw the CW operator take his place behind the key. You could hear that the text  vvv de SAQ now was given by hand. 

Livestream

When I started to watch there were already 66 persons watching. At the end of the transmission 119 persons were watching.

I sharpened my pencil and the text down. I enjoyed it very much. I like the live stream and just taking the Morse code by hand behind the computer in the shack. hi.

The machine at SAQ      In the shack of PA1B

I thank the SAQ team for the interesting transmission.

Up date
SAQ is special station from Sweden which operates on 17.2 kHz. The power is generated by a generator. Please visit: www.alexander.n.se for info.

Here is the video of the transmission that I followed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMgIFo7SQFU

In the video at 5:40  vvvv vvvv de SAQ SAQ starts, automatically keyed, until 16:53 min.
At 17:00 minutes in the video, the CW operator takes over.