|
Background Information from Peter Bridgeman
Part of the WARC project was to develop antenna arrays for the new band and one novel design was the turnstile.
There was much development involved, the designs and the turnstile came about because of a haunting seed that Dick Harris (the amateur-cum-professional) planted. He was convinced you could do clever things with hybrids and he used to badger me up at CCE on every
opportunity.
After plenty of digging we found a device called the "Butler" matrix and when this gadget was used with a vertical turnstile it was able to combine three VHF main transmitters without loss. They then all had equal priority at the mast top.
The first turnstile antenna had to be tested of course, and the photo (very touched up) shows Charlie Sinclair (Foreman rigger) and Barry Trevors (charge hand) struggling valiantly to rig the very first stacked antenna on the mast at Cheveley Depot.
MR4 Group Structure as of 1983
The diagram below shows the structure of the Radio Mast Design Team when it was set up by Steven Temple around 1983.
I was the team leader and Brian Hill, Lawrie Atkinson and Tony Armstrong planned coverage areas together with the WARC planners. We collectively reported to Pat Tomlinson.
The idea was to supply Field Services with Technical Engineering Requirements and the bits and then they did the rigging. This is where the aerial and ancillaries document came in, it was a vehicle to explain all matters technical to the installers etc.
Actually, the antenna design project originated with Paul Smith and Bruce Thompson back in 1974 ... I remember it all well ... as does Bruce.
|
