12/23/2024

Brian Justin, Jr., WA1ZMS, of Forest, Virginia, will operate experimental station WI2XLQ on 486-kHz AM for the Reginald Fessenden commemorative transmission starting approximately at 22:00 UTC on December 24, 2024.

Transmissions will last for at least 24 hours. A repeat transmission will take place on December 31, also starting approximately 22:00 UTC and running for 24 hours. All transmissions will consist only of the two Christmas songs claimed to have been played by Fessenden himself on his violin, as well as a brief Bible verse. WI2XLQ's voice ID and transmission description is via computer-generated voice.

The story of Fessenden's alleged first voice transmissions, using an Alexanderson alternator on December 24 and December 31 in 1906, has never been proven to have taken place. "While doubt remains that such a transmission ever took place, Fessenden did perform some crude voice transmissions over a few miles distance in early December of that year near Washington, DC, as a demonstration for the US Navy," said Justin. Fessenden is credited for his early pioneering work of human speech using RF rather than the typical spark-generated Morse code of the time.

Long-wire antennas and a simple modern software-defined radio (SDR) are recommended to copy WI2QXL. SWL reports can be sent to WA1ZMS@ARRL.NET and e-mail confirmation of reports will follow. Audio samples of the reception are also welcomed.

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