HAIKU VALLEY

MOTOR-GENERATOR ON STEROIDS THAT SENT SIGNALS TO UNDERWATER SUBMARINES THROUGHOUT THE PACIFIC OCEAN. The signals were heard simultaneously in Long Island New York and in Bombay India.

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David Jessup > Ernst Alexanderson, an engineer for the General Electric Company, developed the radio alternator between 1906 and 1918. The Alternator remained the only practical method of generating large amounts of radio frequency energy until the invention of the vacuum tube.

David Jessup > View from the balcony on the East end of the Transmitter building.The 750KW generator and its 1,000HP Diesel drive engine is on the left. The Alternator is in the right background.For size comparison notice the man standing at the back right.From the US Coast Guard Haiku Omega collection.

David Jessup > Another photo taken from the balcony. The Diesel stand-by generator is on the left. This alternator began operation in 1943.

David Jessup > Looking East while standing in front of the Alternator.From the US Coast Guard Haiku Omega collection.

David Jessup > The tiny gap between the Alternator's rotor and stator required Watch standers to frequently check the temperature recorded on the large mercury thermometer shown front and center. An increase of just a few degrees could cause a disasterous contact that would destroy the alternator."The alternator's output of 100 amps at 2000 volts went to the air core transformers above the alternator that increased the voltage to 7,000 volts." (Charles Wm. Taussig Book of Radio 1922)Photo courtesy of Ron Hillstrom

David Jessup > This antenna rack, located on the West wall directly behind the alternator, made up only a small part of the complex system required to safely send the tremendous output power of the alternator to the antenna. From here the RF signal went to the helix room on the second deck.

David Jessup > Two of the four helix coils are visible here. The dark object between the two coils is a transmformer that either further adjusted the voltage or assisted in tuning. More research is required. The view is to the west. By 1946 the round opening and attached antenna had been eliminated and the only antenna lead went out the east side of the helix room.

David Jessup > This photo features the 600 horsepower motor that drove the alternator. Reliable sources state this is a Slip Ring Induction Motor. Speed of an AC motor is harder to regulate, however AC was more readily available in most localities.

David Jessup > A North West view of the alternator and the overhead air core transformers. Notice the heavy duty copper or bronze RF leads running from the overhead coils to the antenna rack located against the West wall.

The tiny gap between the Alternator's rotor and stator required Watch standers to frequently check the temperature recorded on the large mercury thermometer shown front and center. An increase of just a few degrees could cause a disasterous contact that would destroy the alternator.
"The alternator's output of 100 amps at 2000 volts went to the air core transformers above the alternator that increased the voltage to 7,000 volts." (Charles Wm. Taussig Book of Radio 1922)Photo courtesy of Ron Hillstrom

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