This is the actual aeronautical mobile transmitter used to broadcast for WOR in 1939.
The log book shows that this actual unit flew over the 1939 World's Fair in a DC-3.

This unit was rescued from certain destruction, it was found in the attic of WOR's Carteret
New Jersey transmitter site long after WOR had ceased transmitting from there. Another
identical unit was also rescued on that day by a friend, but was stripped for the parts and as an
amateur radio transmitter project. If I recall there were 4 of these units sitting in that attic
space..

This all took place about 35 years ago... legally, may I add.

The unit is shock mounted on a bottom plate, the chassis is crinkle coated aluminum. If my
memory serves, the output stage is a pair of 807s. The modulator was external. Frequency
selection was via the front panel, the lowermost frequency is 1620kc! The other three are on
the high side of the 160m amateur band above 2,000kc.

Here's a look at the log pages, found on the inside cover of the transmitter. They are detailed
and show the operation for each day in some detail, including the venues, what was seen, who was
on the air, in addition to the expected transmitting log information! Each day was different.

This particular page shows that the unit was flying over the 1939 World's Fair!
Here's a closeup of that detail:

There are at least 30 pages of log entries, all type written, and filled in with signatures where
appropriate. The log of the other, now destroyed unit that I saw was different than this one, and
showed different flights and venues in the NYC area.

Here is the front panel tag showing the date of construction, followed by a closeup of the plate
engraved and mounted on the lower right of the transmitter's front panel.

Sorry for the slightly blurry closeup image...but it shows the date of manufacture as August 21st, 1936.
Which indicates that these flew for at least 3 years.

The transmitter's call sign, I believe is shown by the orange letters on top of the tag. KA4613 also appears on
the front cover, and on the sides of the transmitter, showing that the parts all match and are as they were originally.
The tag also shows that this is the No.1 unit, the first built.

I thought it was fantastic when I first saw it 35 years ago, and still think it is today!

If you've visited this page, please do let me know, I'd appreciate your reactions too.

Individuals who may be interested in acquiring this piece should contact me. I would like to place this
into the hands of a collector, or a museum where this small part of broadcast history will be both
valued and preserved. Should I disappear from the face of the earth, chances are this beautiful
piece of work might again find its way into a dumpster, which would be extremely unfortunate.

You can get to the email by clicking on the BEAR logo above...

Thanks for visiting!!