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| In Berlin, Potsdamer Str. 4 was located the first German Broadcast station "Funk Stunde" at VOX-House. On this page I use the German spelling of the VOX-House: Voxhaus. In the fall of 1923 the stock corporation "Radiostunde Berlin" was founded by the Vox - company and renamed in March 1924 in "Funkstunde" . It was a purely commercial radio-station which didn't have any public legal structure. (There are radio-stations in Germany which aren't operated by a company or group). This company produced in these days record players and records (phonogram records) and other products, later radio sets and accessories. See below on this page the catalogue of 1926. In this catalog is as address Potsdamer Str. 4 mentioned. It seems like they were also operating (later?) a store on victoria st. in Berlin. Data of the first VOX-Haus-Station: frequency: 400 m (750 Khz), later 430 m, 250 w output, antenna length 30 m.The antenna was located on the roof of the vox house and reached over to a nearby hotel complex. Unfortunately, the antenna wasn't effective. On air since 10/29/1923, 8.00 pm. In the first time the studio was on the 3. floor, later on the 5. Floor . In 1924 the studio was enlarged and renovated. An air-conditioning was installed. |
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In the second half of 1924 the transmitter 1 (Vox house) was switched off. Now the transmitter II was on air. In 1925 the transmitter Witzleben (under the "Funkturm") was activated . More information about the early transmitters you will find here and here. The radio program of 08/25/1924 you can see here. A known and popular speaker was Alfred Braun. The Funkstunde moved in 1931 to the new location Masurenallee. In April 1934 the Funkstunde was closed.
The Vox House building destroyed in the 2nd world war was demolished in 1971. Since 1998 at the new Mercedes Debis Center Berlin near "Potsdamer Platz" is located a street with the name "Voxstrasse". Only the 'Weinhandlung Huth' diagonally opposite of the former VOX-House you can find here, all the other buildings were destroyed in WW II. Between 1904 and 1930 the house number was Potsdamer Str. 4, before and after these years the house number was # 10.
Later, a transmitter was built in the Boxhagener street. Higher field strengths were be expected in Berlin from that location. The Witzleben Funkturm transmitter offered better field strengths for receivers. |
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Transmitter site Berlin - Magdeburger Platz Transmitter 2 (Magdeburger Platz, Luetzowstr. 33/37) frequency: 500 m, later 505 m. This new antenna worked much better. The construction of the transmission masts were tackled in July 1926. As a result the transmitter was shut down for fourteen days.
Transmitter site Berlin - Witzleben, Funkturm
This transmitter in Berlin was constructed also to achieve better field strenght . Transmitting began officially on 09/29/1925, in the first few months with provisional antennas only. The radio tower 'Berliner Funkturm' was opened to the public on 9-3-1926. Contrary to expectations the radio tower as a self radiant antenna didn't work satisfactorily. Despite using porcelain insulation of the tower 'feet' the field strenght of the emission wasn't as expected in the western part of Berlin. So a second pylon was installed. Between this pylon and the radio tower a T-type antenna was strung. Later an antenna wire was stretched at an angle to the tower top.
Albert Einstein made the opening speech at the 1930 Wireless Exhibition (Funkausstellung) at the foot of the radio tower .
A personal reminiscence for radio amateurs: The author of this page personally also knows the tower from its highest point. For the Radio and Television Exhibition (Internationale Funkaustellung, IFA) in 1971 he was installing antennas with other amateurs (DC7AL, DC7BH, DC7CH, DJ7IC, DL7MO, DL7OG, DL7RR, DC7BJ - the author) on the uppermost mounting platform (on top of the elevator housing) for the amateur radio VHF repeater DL0UB on an outrigger. Lack of vertigo was a must and the reward was a breathtaking view of the city. DL0UB later became DB0WF. Decades later the author was up there again to help servicing the 70 cm - band repeater DB0TA. 73 de DC7BJ, Rainer
Transmitter site Berlin - Boxhagener Strasse. The eastern part of Berlin still wasn't well covered for radio broadcasting. That's why there was later yet another transmitting station installed on Boxhagener Street. Official start of broadcasting here was 01/13/1929 on 1060 kHz (283 meters), 500 watts radio frequency output. The antenna was a triple T-style wire antenna, 34 meters above the roof.
Transmitter site Berlin - Tegel In 1933 was put into operation in Berlin-Tegel another much more powerfull transmitter (at the northern part of todays airfield). For the Voxhaus its was used for one year (till termination of the 'Funkstunde'). After WW II, during the Berlin Blocade (Berlin airlift), the radio tower was demolished without much ado by French Allied Forces, to make room for the airstrip to be used for the airlift. At that time the transmitter radiated the program of 'Berliner Rundfunk' under Soviet administration. A comprehensible little act of revenge?
Transmitter sites Koenigswusterhausen and Eberswalde At least on 12/25/1923 the program of the Voxhaus in Berlin was broadcast via wireless station Koenigswusterhausen (south east of Berlin) as a repeater. (Source: 50 JahreRundfunk aus der Sicht der Deutschen Fernmeldeverwaltung, 1973.) As early as 1920 there were broadcast-like trials from the station Koenigswusterhausen (KWH) and there were even regular evening concerts on schedule. The Lorenz experimental wireless site Eberswalde (north east of Berlin) and station Koenigswusterhausen are quarrelling somewhat over the glory of the first German radio broadcast. The arguments for the Eberswalde station seem to be in some degree weaker (see book of Knut Berger: 'Hallo! Hallo! Hier ist Eberswalde'). It is a fact, that the Voxhaus can only offer the first regular (official) broadcasting service since 10/29/1923.
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| The Voxhaus as a Radio Store
Left:
This catalogue is as reprint in German available in my Online-Shop,
group of goods 'fleamarket'. Some more details about the Voxhaus on this page in German. Translation
by Peter Stepponat
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