N.E.E.C - Surveyor Of Signals.

It's the year of 1925. There's a national effort to establish radio stations across the United States, as the world of public radio broadcasting is beginning. The story is told from recovered log entries, letters, notices, and surviving transcriptions. Text has been transcribed into an easier to read medium than the cursive penwritten notes, Audio has been cleaned up as best as possible without subtracting from the sound itself.

[surveryorofsignals]

National Effort To Establish Connection. (NEEC) Day 7

I'm tempted to start taking a Bayer or two for the cold. If Don wants me to keep writing each day like this amongst freezing my ears and tail off in this Godforsaken attic space if you will, cause that's really what it is. Sure we got a roof over our heads, but doesn't matter when there's no heating up here, and all the foot traffic by construction on the soon-to-start antenna on the top of the McAlpin. It'd be nice to replace that Aerial we've been using since last year then. Flamm is confident we are days away from the okeh from the DOC, so he's already getting contracting in order. The door's been open so much that that Russel's coffee has turned to Ice. Serves him right for turning the entire building into an antenna.

We wound up the phonograph for a couple plays today for DXers. Played something by Carl Fenton which someone in Yorkville picked up in "great clarity" they said when they called in. We tried to play some Jazz like Ralph Williams, but we haven't worked out how to get around distortion yet. I wonder if Eugene will play any of that when we get up and running officially? Speaking of him, me and Dickson got into conversating with him on our way up this morning. We may be getting that string player Arthur Baecht who plays in the evening over WNYC, to join his band when we actually get our callsign. Now That would be something worth hearing! If that's the type of thing we should expect to hear and people we meet, then maybe I'll stay on our 50 days are over. Let's just Stabilize for now.

[surveryorofsignals]

National Effort To Establish Connection. (NEEC) Day 6.

I'm still ticked off about Russel. I don't know how I'm supposed to get past that. If It were up to me, I'd still say do away with him, hell even let him loose to some print-jockeys and let them have their way with him for what he's done. No.. they'd probably play up the technological genius of it all, and make him another "win" and celebrity for Stanford. That being if they can understand the concept of a damned Fahnestock connector, and the difference between a few watts, and an entire 25 stories of the McAlpin. For now though, we're keeping a close eye on him, and I can tell that he's all shaken up about it. I don't want to go on about it, or I'll end up ranting again like yesterday.

The only upside of this is, we're hearing some good things from the Commerce. We may have a license soon. We got lucky this time. Donald is still eager to do more broadcasts attempts, but among having to undo Russel's mistakes, it will likely be a couple more days if not a week before I feel comfortable doing testing. Let the potential flames die down a bit. I'm not afraid of threatening to quit if Don tries to go over my head. I don't care if he's the funding and the "owner", We have done more than he has. I'm sure I could win over the rest of the boys. Doubt he's ready to "put a sock in the project", says Melton. I beleive him.

[surveryorofsignals]

National Effort to Establish Communication. (NEEC) Day 4.

Well, I was surprised in the end. The 'cast was successful. In someway. Donald somehow got Eugene to pull together some men for it. He decided on 15 minutes like WEAF has been doing. Unfortunately, that also means half that time between the songs he's taking up the horn and telling listeners to call the hotel if they hear us. That just gives us away! The acoustics of that grill surprisingly made it sound like his strains were right beside you even from the balcony where the mike was fixed. Or so Sayler and Russel said. I was here, and I couldn't tell. In fact, we couldn't even hear it on our end up here. I was hoping it would stay that way, as the last thing I want to happen is for us to cross like those folks in Illinois did as I've said before. Well thank the stars we didn't. From what I can gather, only 90 some-odd seconds were heard when the band played that "Pasadena" number. Now that'd be great if it were just that.

Though what's not so great is, is when our "listeners" were a couple of college boys from Syracuse University in their radio club. A good 100 miles up state. The last I was told, we barely have 2 watts. For this, we would need an upwards of 200. That's enough to power the lights above us! And also meaning that we likely overlapped Someone at some point there. Possibly even destroyed some sets I dread. Though the Daily Eagle hasn't said anything about it. The McAlpin hasn't gotten any other calls than those kids. Somehow I think we threaded the needle. Tho' now "we" or I have to figure out when--and more importantly HOW--we obtained that high of wattage? Russel's quieter than a mouse. I oughta see what why that is...

[surveryorofsignals]

National Effort to Establish Communication. (NEEC) Day 3.

It took DeForest a couple months to do what we're doing, but then again those were different times. There's been a war "to end all wars" they say, copyists, and about 500 other stations planted across the wireless waves. Hopefully not too many on our wavelength. My ears still ring from time to time after that cursed Springfield station overlapped us. Still awaiting to hear back from the folks at the Dept' of Commerce for license and a temporary callsign. Surely by the end of Jan we'll have it. I can tell. But that doesn't stop us from doing more of our basic testing we've done so far. Just like last year. (q.v. Day 1). Though instead of trying to hook up with those sailors in the bay on the 22nd floor, we're higher up in the McAlpin this time. Russel, I gotta hand it to him, came through with that 3-tube from Magnavox, he was able to get that N&H Head-Set to work with it. Now Donald is trying to get Eugene's band together downstairs and see if they can try for that mike rigged up above the Grill. I've tried telling him that we are nowhere near ready for that kind of broad or narrowcasting yet. I say that because so far no one can hear outside of this block. Let alone the Ave itself. Just wish we could stay with the Victrola for now, we spent so much time getting it here anyways the large thing! I do NOT want to get in trouble if by some chance that accidentally works. Time will tell--but more likely The Eagle will.

[surveryorofsignals]

Disclaimer

This is all historical fiction, but heavy on the history. Aspects of fiction have the greatest care attempting to tell it how it actually would have happened. It is the aim of the author to present these programs in ways that make them the most historically accurate and factual to the times, despite the natural information loss over the last century on the technological side.