The
Radio Section illustrates the history of radio and radiotechnics throughout
the world and in Romania, with the help of graphics, models and original
items.
After James Clerk Maxwell discovered the mathematic laws of electromagnetic
waves (1865), Heinrich Hertz experimentally demonstrated their existence
(1888) and Eduard Branly built the electromagnetic wave-detector entitled
"coheror" (1890), inventors started considering the use
of electromagnetic waves as a means of communication.
Alexandr
Popov, a Russian electro-technician, designed a device detecting electric
discharges in the environment, and he increased its sensitivity using
a lightning rod, which was in fact the first reception antenna. On
7 May 1895, at the University of Petersburg, Popov gave a speech on
the tele-transmission of electromagnetic waves, practically demonstrated
in 1896 by a radio-telegraphic transmission to a 240 meter-distance.
In
June 1895, near Bologna, Guglielmo Marconi, Italian physicist, experimented
a radio-telegraphic transmission to a 2400 meter-distance. In February
1896, Marconi left for England where he licensed his invention entitled
“the wireless telegraph”. In England, Marconi had all
financial possibilities for carrying on his research, continuously
improving it. In 1898, he made the first transmission over the English
Channel, and in 1901 he subjected distances achieving the first trans-Atlantic
transmission. The invention of the diode by Sir John A. Fleming in
1905 and especially of the triode by Lee de Forest in 1906 enabled
the serial production of radio-telegraphic devices.
Long
after the invention of the radio, assuring the secrecy of messages
transmitted by the broadcasting station to a certain destination remained
impossible and was considered as a serious deficiency. It was only
after World War I that this deficiency was turned into an advantage,
the radio being used as a means of mass communication.
In
1910, Dunwody and Pickard built the first radio station with a galena
detector (crystal of lead sulphide). The audition was done with haut-parler-shaped
loudspeakers or telephony headphones. In 1917, Lucian Levy and Edwin
H. Armstrong discovered, separately, each by his own research, the
principle of the heterodyne. Therefore, super-heterodyne radio sets
were produced. They were qualitatively superior, much more stable
and did not require many adjustments.
At
the beginning of the third decade of the 20th century, the first radio
broadcasting stations of permanent programs were inaugurated: in 1922
in USA, England and France, in 1923 in Germany, Austria, Belgium,
the Netherlands, Norway, the Czech Republic, in 1924, in Australia,
Spain, Italy, Sweden, South Africa and in 1925 in Poland, Hungary,
Japan.
During
this period, the electro-technical industry developed starting the
serial production of the radio receivers. The improvements of electronic
tubes by prestigious companies such as Philips, Telefunken, Valvo,
Tungsram, Mazda, enabled the creation of more varied and cheaper reception
devices, while quality was not lowered. The same period was marked
by the production of devices with direct amplification with reaction
or super-heterodyne with loudspeakers placed inside the box. The
cases were made of wooden material, bakelite, or more rarely of tin,
with a particular attention to their design. Certain styles were thus
created, the producing company being recognized by the shape of the
device. Most renowned firms creating and commercializing radio-receivers
were : Philips (the Netherlands), Atwater-Kent, RCA, Standard (USA),
Columbia, Marconi (England), Ducretet (France), Telefunken, Siemens,
Mende (Germany), Radione, Eumig, Hornyfon (Austria), Baltic (Sweden).
All these companies were also represented in Romania after 1925.
RADIO
IN ROMANIA
In
Romania, the first radio-telegraphic station was installed in Herastrau
by engineer Nicolae Vasilescu Karpen. It had a 150kw-power and the
wave legnth of 11000 m. In 1920 it was replaced with a broadcasting
station with electric arc.
In 1925, the
“Friends of Radiophony” Association was created under
the coordination of prof. Dragomir Hurmuzescu who proposed from the
very beginning to popularize radiophony by public auditions, conferences
and initiation courses pertaining to the creation of radio devices.
Prof. Dragomir Hurmuzescu coordinated experimental broadcastings at
the Electrotechnics Institute of the University of Bucharest and the
Polytechnic School.
An important
role in the popularization of radiophony in Romania was played by
the two specialized magazines "Radiofonia" published between
1925-1927 and re-edited in 1928 and "Radio-Român",
issued between 1925-1928, its publication being ceased for financial
reasons. On 3 May 1928, the Romanian Broadcasting Society was founded
and the same year, in July, the radio station of Bucharest started
its first broadcastings, with a daily schedule transmitted using a
Marconi station of 120w antenna, temporarily installed in the building
situated at 60, General Berthelot Bd. These broadcastings lasted until
the inauguration in October 1929 of the 12kw antenna Marconi station
of Baneasa. The tests of the Baneasa station were accompanied by experimental
broadcastings on short waves using the old station of the Electrotechnics
Institute of Bucharest, installed by eng. D. Petrascu with the 31-36m
wave length, and a station of the Polytechnic School mounted there
by prof. Tudor Tanasecu, with the 49m wave length.
In 1935, a radio
broadcasting station was arranged at Bod, with the 1875 m wave and
150 kw power, meant to cover the whole territory of Romania. As for
the frequency modulation emission, invention experimented by the American
Edwin Armstrong already in 1933, it was introduced in Romania only
in 1956. The experimental station was made by a group of technicians
from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest. Programme I was broadcasted
daily. In 1957, the specialists of the radio station of Bucharest
arranged a second one, so to assure the daily broadcasting of Programme
II.
Before the radiophony
law was voted in 1925, the trade with radio-receivers was sporadic
and mainly referred to items and devices entering the country through
the intermediary of private persons and only rarely merchants. In
autumn 1925, once the “Radionel” company and the “Radio-Electrica”
Enterprise were founded, and dealt exclusively with radiophony products,
the commercialization of radio-receivers really started in Romania
too. The year 1927 marked the inauguration of the SAR Philips society
which commercialized products of the “Philips” company
of Holland.
After the inauguration
of the Baneasa station and the control of the problem of the high
customs fee applied to radio sets and spare parts, resulting in prices
beyond the buying power of the middle class, the radiophonic business
rapidly developed in Romania, similarly to the situation acknowledged
in the Western countries.
In Romania,
there were no companies destined to the production of radio sets before
the inauguration in 1949 of the “Radio Popular” factory,
which later became "Electronica". In 1974, the "Tehnoton"
factory of din Iasi started producing a wide range of portable and
fix radio-recerivers, especially for the Romanian market.
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