JIM HAWKINS'

WLW

Transmitter Page (brochure picture gallery)







This page contains pictures scanned from a WLW brochure with the text captions somewhat modified from the originals in most cases (e.g. the meaning of "today" and "deceased" now apply differently.) The brochure does not have a printing date on it, but I am guessing that it was printed in the 30s. The brochure was kindly given to me by Mr. Leroy Meier of Mount Healthy, OH, who is a friend of my wife's parents. The contents herein is provided courtesy of WLW, All rights reserved. The tower photo on the left is mine, all rights reserved. The background design is part of the cover of the brochure.





Above: This photograph, showing Powel Crosley, Jr., playing a phonograph record, gives one a fairly good impression of what the Crosley station was like in its infant days when broadcasting on 20 watts from the living room of Mr. Crosley's home. [Note: the old microphone in the background.]



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Fine Print:
All images are Copyrighted and are provided for your personal enjoyment. Use of these images for commercial purposes including their distribution on CD-ROM or any other media without permission of the owners is prohibited.
Contact: Jim Hawkins

THE MOST POWERFUL IN THE WORLD

 

This picture illustrates the first broadcast, a musical trio from the original 50-watt WLW station. From left to right those shown are: Paul Ewing, announcer and operator; William Morgan Knox, Violinist of the Cincinnati Symphony orchestra; Romeo Gorno of the faculty of the Cincinnati College of Music; Powel Crosley Jr., President of the Crosley Radio Corporation.



Here is shown Powel Crosley, Jr., making an announcement over his 500-watt WLW in 1922.
 



 

When WLW took to the air with 5,000 watts of power, broadcasts originated from spacious new studios, such as the one shown here at the plant of the Crosley Radio Corporation.



The old, traditional, type of radio antenna consisting of copper wires stretched parallel between two fairly high towers. With this type of antenna a large part of the radio signal flows directly upward and is lost in space which results in a greatly weakened signal strength. This antenna was used for the 50,000 watt WLW prior to the increase to 500,000-watts.
 



 

Powel Crosley, Jr., photographed at the base of the 831-ft. Blaw-Knox antenna. The two cup shaped porcelain insulators, with walls less than two inches thick, support a stress load of 900,000 pounds.



Studio A, then, the largest of the many WLW studios which occupied the entire top floor of the main building of the great Crosley Factories at Cincinnati. At the end may be seen the console and grill of the great theater pipe-organ.
 




FROM MICROPHONE TO YOU

 

In this photo, Powel Crosley, Jr., President and founder of the Crosley Radio Corporation which owned and operated WLW, at the operator's console of the 500,000 WLW transmitter when it was new. He is pressing the button which puts the transmitter on the air.



Here is the master control room of the 500,000 watt Crosley Radio Station WLW. All broadcasting lines from the studios in Cincinnati terminated in this control room.
 



 

View of the 54-ft main transmitter panel of the 500,000 watt WLW transmitter, showing the cat-walk and entrance into the various units. The control console is shown in the foreground. The panel consists of three radio frequency units, two modulator units and the rectifier and control unit, from left to right. Notice the man standing on the cat-walk.



This photograph shows Joseph A. Chambers, Technical Supervisor of the Crosley Radio Stations, WLW, WSAI and W8XAL, placing in position one of the twenty great 100,000-watt water-cooled tubes used in the WLW 500,000 watt transmitter.
 



 

This is the front view of the control relay panel showing the complicated arrangement of special relays which provide automatic control of the great 500,000 watt WLW amplifier.



This photo shows five comely WLW stars posed on the 500 KW transmitter catwalk. Each is standing by one of the 100,000 watt tubes used in the transmitter. These tubes are 5 ft tall and cost $1,650 each.
 



 

Powel Crosley, Jr. is seen here, throwing the switch on one of the three filament machines which are part of the 500,000 watt transmitter.



The 500,000 watt amplifier of the WLW transmitter is divided into units to afford additional protection and continuity of service at all times. Joseph A. Chambers, Technical Supervisor of Crosley Radio stations WLW, WSAI and W8XAL, is closing the filament switches for the unit.
 



 

The six mercury vapor rectifier tubes shown here were especially designed and built for use in the 500,000 watt WLW transmitter. They were the only tubes of their kind in existence and are rated at 450 amperes.



Here Powel Crosley, Jr., is holding in his hand one of the smallest audio transformers formerly in use for WLW. Behind him is one of the two modulation transformers for the 500 KW transmitter. It was the largest in the world at the time. [This looks like a familiar scene! :-)]
 


HOME OF WLW

 

Home of the Crosley Radio Corporation and the studios of WLW - "the Nation's Station." Practically the entire eight floor of this building was devoted to broadcasting purposes. The floor was completely lined with felt so that the studios were "floated" in felt making the vibrationless and soundproof.

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