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WBAA was licensed on April 4, 1922 as an AM station. Please take some time to browse through our long history. If you have additional details about our history, please email WBAA AM & FM.Special thanks to Dave Samuelson and Aaron Fiddler who have assisted with the content of these pages.New audio content was posted on November 30, 2012.

Broadcasting in the 1927-1928 School Year

The Purdue Exponent - Friday, September 23, 1927

WBAA Announces Programs For October and November

273 Meter Wave Length, 500 Watts Will Be Used--To Broadcast Home Football Games.

Announcement of the October and November programs which will be broadcast from the University radio station WBAA, beginning Monday night, Sept. 26, has been made, and reveals that a number of interesting talks, entertaining musical and stunt programs, football games and weather and market reports will be placed on the air.

The station equipment overhauled and in many instances replaced during the summer, will operate this year on a wave length of 273 meters and power of 500 watts. At the formal opening Monday night, the Lowe-Jarvis orchestra, a campus organization, will furnish a program of music before and after a short address by Prof. Albert A. Hansen of the University botany department on "The Tragedy of Hindustan".

Programs in charge of fraternity men and campus organizations will be a weekly feature each Monday and Friday evenings, beginning at 7 o'clock Home football games including DePauw, October 1; Montana State, October 29; Northwestern, Homecoming, November 5, and Franklin on Nov. 12, will be broadcasted.

The station is anxious to hear of its reception, and communications can be addressed to Station WBAA, School of Electrical Engineering, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.

 

The Purdue Engineering Review, Vol. 23, No. 1, p. 21, November 1927

University's Broadcasting Station

WBAA, the broadcasting station of Purdue University, operated by the School of Electrical Engineering, broadcasts two evening programs each week, and market reports every morning. The programs are broadcasted on Monday and Friday nights at seven o'clock, and the market reports at 11:15 in the morning. the bi-weekly programs usually consist of a talk by one of the University's professors and a musical program given by people in some way connected with the University, such as fraternities and sororities. Direct lines are maintained to the Union Building, Fowler Hall, Gymnasium, Stuart field and a special booth on the press box at the Stadium; thus making it possible to give a play by play account of every athletic contest and gathering here. The programs are broadcast from the studio in the Electrical Engineering building adjoining the transmitting room. The studio has been recently redraped and its acoustic properties improved. All outside lines and the studio line are brought to a small room next to the studio. Here the signals that trickle over the wire are amplified by an impedance coupled amplifier and a check on the amplified signals are kept by the government licensed operator in charge. All power used at the amplifier and by the transmitter is supplied by a source outside of the operating rooms. The power to the amplifier is supplied by a battery rack with switching arrangement so the batteries may be put on charge after they are used. The power for the transmitter is furnished by a generator in the radio laboratory. The generator supplying 2000 volts for the plates of the tubes is controlled by push buttons.

The filter consisting of chokes and condensers for smoothing out the power before applying it to the transmitter is located near the generator. The transmitter itself consists of two quarter kilowatt tubes as oscillators in the usual Hartley circuit, two more used as modulators in the Heising system of modulation, and a fifty watt tube used as a speech amplifier. The apparatus is mounted behind the slate panels 6' by 6', having a large screen window that provides ventilation to the tubes and allows the operator to see how they are operating. The wave length is kept constant by the use of a Piezo quartz crystal oscillator which, as its name indicates, is excited by a quartz crystal ground to the frequency of 1100 K. C. or approximately 272.6 meters. A monoscillating receiver is connected to the oscillator from time to time during the course of a program. If the frequency of the transmitter is off less than one-tenth of a kilocycle a beat not is heard in the receiver. This is caused by the transmitter hetrodyning the oscillator. The operator has merely to adjust his transmitter until no sound is heard in the receiver and he is on the required frequency.

The antenna system consists of a flattop and counterpoise voltage fed. It is suspended from two 87 1/2 foot self-supporting masts. The masts are anchored to the top of the Electrical Engineering building and so have their bases 60 feed from the ground. The antenna is therefore elevated 147 1/2 feet from the ground. This station has been heard all over the United States, but at present the aim is not to reach out as far as possible, but to be received well locally. The output maintained is not more than 500 watts; the current at the antenna's voltage node being from 8 to 12 amperes, depending on the voltage of the supply mains.

The personnel of the station is as follows: Mr. J. W. Stafford, director in charge; W. E. Brown, announcer and program director; W. T. Lanterman, chief operator, and Metcalf, Tierney, Huffman, Sandretto, operators.

 

The Purdue Exponent - Saturday, December 3, 1927

Shoemaker And Orchestra Broadcast Radio Program

Entertainment First to Be Given By Remote Control--Novel Features Promised for Monday

Dean Carolyn Shoemaker broadcast a talk last evening from the University's radio station, on the subject, "Literature for Children". The latter part of the program was given over to the University Concert orchestra of 52 pieces, which played several classical numbers. A few solos and duets were also rendered.

This program was the first that has been broadcast by remote control from the local station, the talk and music being executed in Eliza Fowler hall and then sent by wire to the power room in the electrical engineering building. This was also the largest entertainment that has ever been presented over WBAA to its invisible audience.

Monday evening, an unusual and unique program will be broadcast by B. D. Davis '31 and A. M. Graham '30, the University's own Ford and Glenn.

 

The Purdue Exponent - Saturday, December 17, 1927

WLS Broadcasts Final Ag. Week Program

As the final event of "agricultural week", which has been conducted by station WLS of Chicago, a dinner program was broadcast by this station last night. F. C. Gaylord, of the horticultural staff, was toastmaster. Talks were made by President Elliott, Director G. I. Christie, Dean J. H. Skionor, John T. McCutcheon, Russell T. Gray, president of the Alumni association, and George Ade sent a message to be read.

Because of the WLS program the Friday night program of WBAA, University station, did not start until 7:30 o'clock.

 

The Purdue Exponent - Saturday, December 17, 1927

Talk On Xmas Greens Heard in Radiocast

"Christmas Greens," was the subject of an interesting talk broadcast last night from WBAA by Professor A. A. Hansen, of the agricultural experiment station extension department. This talk was the feature of the program which also included vocal numbers by Mr. Hudlow and piano selections by the studio mascot, J. F. Erichsen, Pi Kappa Sigma.

Mr. Toringa, who was scheduled for several vocal numbers, was unable to appear at the microphone, and will be heard at a later date. WBAA will broadcast a play by play report of the Purdue-DePauw basketball game tonight.

 

The Purdue Exponent - Saturday, January 28, 1928

Talk By Prof. Hoffman Broadcast By WBAA

Station WBAA offered an attractive program to its fans last night. Professor L. E. Hoffman, of the agricultural extension department, spoke on "Our Enemy from Europe". Another feature of the program was the West Point quintet, who played several selections. The quintet was composed of Miss Helen Bennett, banjo; Miss Claudine Bennett, violin; Miss Leah Larson, saxophone; Miss Lucille Larson, drums; Miss Beulah Gly, piano. The station received many cards and telegrams in acknowledgement of the program. Monday night the station will broadcast a talk on "Animal Parasites and the Farmer's Problems," by Professor H. E. Enders.

 

The Purdue Exponent - Tuesday, January 31, 1928

Dr. H. E. Enders Gives Short Biological Talk Over WBAA

Sharpe Sisters, Eddie Neupert, Jack Williams Furnish Musical Entertainment.

Dr. H. E. Enders, head of the biology department, gave a short address from the University radio broadcasting station last night on the subject "Animal Parasites and the Farmers' Problems".

Col. George Byers, of the Ross Gear and Tool company, also gave a very interesting talk on "Immigration", Miss Porcia Sharpe, pianist, and Miss Modla Sharpe, soloist, gave some of the best musical entertainment that has been broadcast from WBAA for some time. Both of the young ladies are from Dayton. Eddie Neupart and Jack Williams also demonstrated their musical abilities on the piano.

Friday night the station will broadcast a lecture on intramural sports by Coach Clevett of the athletic department.

 

The Purdue Exponent - Tuesday, May 15, 1928

Entertaining Program Broadcast by WBAA

Miss Joyce Thompson was the speaker for last night's American Hour which was broadcast over WBAA. Another part of the program was furnished by the quartet of the mens glee club who sang several delightful numbers. the quartet was made up of W. W. Jackson, L. B. Spring, L.F. Warnock, and Bert Hollingsworth. They were accompanied on the piano by Mrs. P. T. Smith.

Art and Eddie also did some entertaining, first playing a few selected numbers on their Super-Whoper-Goofus instruments (origin unknown) and later by singing.