Stratovision is an airborne television transmission relay system from aircraft flying at high altitudes. In 1945 the Glenn L. Martin Co. and Westinghouse Electric Corporation advocated television coverage of small towns and rural areas as well as the large metropolitan centers, by fourteen aircraft that would provide coverage for approximately 78% of the people in the U.S.A. This system has been used for domestic broadcasting in the U.S.A.; used by the U.S. military in Vietnam and other countries and attempted by pirate radio operators but not successfully employed. 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Westinghouse logo (designed by Paul Rand) The Westinghouse Electric Company, headquartered in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is an organization founded by George Westinghouse in 1886. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... The term pirate radio lacks a specific universal interpretation. ...

Technology

Because the broadcasting antenna for Stratovision is usually hung beneath the aircraft in flight, it naturally has a great command of a line of sight. Although transmission distances are dependent upon atmospheric conditions, a transmitting antenna 30,000 feet (10 km) above the earth's surface has a line of sight distance of approximately 211 statute miles (340 km).

A Stratovision 25 kW transmitter operating from 30,000 feet (10 km) at 600 megahertz will achieve a field intensity of 2 millivolts per meter for a 30-foot (10 m) high receiving antenna up to 238 miles (383 km) away from the aircraft.

Early tests

Stratovision tests were undertaken between June 1948 to February 1949. The first phase was undertaken by the Glenn L. Martin Co. and Westinghouse Electric Corporation using a twin-engine PV-2 aircraft flying at 25,000 feet (7,600 m) that transmitted with 250 watts on 107.5 MHz and 5 kW on 514 MHz at Baltimore, Maryland so that recordings could be made at various locations ranging from Norfolk, Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Boston, Massachusetts. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Westinghouse logo (designed by Paul Rand) The Westinghouse Electric Company, headquartered in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is an organization founded by George Westinghouse in 1886. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Motto: Crescas (Latin for, Thou shalt grow. ... Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded 1758 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area    - City 151. ... Official language(s) None Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 160 miles (255 km)  - Length 280 miles (455 km)  - % water 2. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ...

The second phase of testing was undertaken by these companies using a stripped-down B-29 Superfortress flying at 30,000 feet (10,000 m). The plane was equipped to receive a relay transmission from WMAR-TV, the Westinghouse television studios in Baltimore, which was then relayed over a 5 kW video transmitter and a 1 kW audio transmitter for reception on 82-88 MHz with a television set tuned to Channel 6. The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a four-engine heavy bomber propeller aircraft flown by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and other military organizations afterwards. ...

The aircraft received its originating signals from circular dipoles attached to a streamlined eight-foot mast on top of the aircraft's vertical tail fin. The retractable 28 feet (8.5 meters) long broadcasting antenna hung vertically beneath the aircraft. It was composed of a two-element turnstile array for video and a single-element circular dipole for sound transmissions.

The receivers, transmitters and necessary air-conditioning were all powered by the plane's engines using three 15 kVA, 500 Hz alternators. Without air conditioning the transmitters in the interior of the aircraft would have generated a temperature of 134 degrees Fahrenheit (57 degrees Celsius) with an outside air temperature of 25 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 4 degrees Celsius).

The tests were watched by many television viewers who sent in reception reports. From these reports it was calculated that Stratovision would require only eight relay planes to provide a transcontinental network and six additional planes to provide coverage to 78 percent of the United States. Mr. C.E. Nobles who was the head of Stratovision for Westinghouse said in his report:

" The major technical problems of the system have been solved, and the commercial development awaits only the crystallization of public demand for the expanded services offered by airborne broadcasting, application of the system by the radio industry to meet this demand, and the clarification of channel facilities available to make possible this application."

Education by Stratovision

In 1961 a joint project by Indiana University and Purdue University commenced a Stratovision service from the airfield of Purdue University. The service was called Midwest Program on Airborne Television Instruction (MPATI), which transmitted educational television programs four days a week from a DC-6 (or, according to some sources, a DC-7) aircraft flying at 20,000 feet (6,000 m) over the community of Montpelier in north central Indiana. 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Indiana University is the principal campus of the Indiana University system. ... Purdue University (Purdue) is a land-grant, public university in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. ... The Douglas DC-6 is an aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1959. ... The Douglas DC-7 is an aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1953 to 1958. ... Montpelier is a city located in Blackford County, Indiana. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ...

MPATI delivered its programs to television channels 72(call sign KS2XGA) and 76(KS2XGD) in the UHF band, by transmitting videotaped lectures from the aircraft to an estimated potential 5,000,000 students in 13,000 schools and colleges. The aircraft were equipped with two 2-inch (51 mm) videotape machines and two UHF transmitters. Ultra high frequency (UHF) designates a range (band) of electromagnetic waves whose frequency is between 300 MHz and 3. ...

When MPATI signed on it used a "Indian head" test pattern card which was shown for five minutes before and between programs. The service ended in 1968 when it became embroiled in legal action over their application of Stratovision in a controversy with the Westinghouse company. 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

Propaganda by Stratovision

Vietnam War

During the war in Vietnam, the United States Navy also used Stratovision television technology when it flew Operation Blue Eagle from 1966 to 1972 over the Saigon area of South Vietnam. The television programs were aimed at two audiences on two channels. One was aimed at the general public and the other was intended for the information and entertainment of US troops who were stationed in South Vietnam. USN redirects here. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành Chí Minh) is the largest city in Vietnam, located near the delta of the Mekong River. ... Official language Vietnamese Capital Saigon Last President Duong Van Minh Last Prime Minister Vu Van Mau Area  - Total  - % water 173,809 km² N/A Population  - Total  - Density 19,370,000 (1973 est. ...

On January 3, 1966, Broadcasting magazine reported: January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

Vietnam to get airborne TV
Two-channel service - one for Vietnamese, other for U.S. servicemen - starts this month Television broadcasting in South Vietnam ... begins January 21 and it's going to be done from the air. Two airplanes, circling 10,000 to 20,000 feet [3 to 6 km] above the ground, will broadcast on two TV channels—one transmitting Saigon government programs; the other U.S. programs. The project is being handled by the U.S. Navy. Also involved are the U.S. Information Agency and the Agency for International Development. Work on modifying two Lockheed Super Constellations has been underway by Navy electronics experts at Andrews Air Force Base ... The project is an outgrowth of a broadcasting plane used by the Navy during the Cuban and Dominican Republic crises when both radio and television were beamed to home in those countries.

The same article went on to report that during the Baseball World Series of October 1965 Stratovision had also been used to bring the games to the troops. The aircraft had picked up Voice of America radio broadcasts from California and relayed the signal to a ground broadcasting station. The Agency for International Development (AID) had purchased through the military Post Exchange Service, 1,000 monochrome, 23-inch television sets modified to operate on a variety of domestic power sources, and which had been airlifted to South Vietnam on December 28, 1965. They were to be put into community facilities around Saigon. AID was also spending $2.4 million to supply a total of 2,500 TV sets to South Vietnam. January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The United States Information Agency (USIA), which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to what it called public diplomacy. ... The United States Agency for International Development (or USAID) is the US government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid. ... The Lockheed SR-71, remarkably advanced for its time and unsurpassed in many areas of performance The Lockheed U-2 first flew in 1955 providing much needed intelligence on Soviet bloc countries Lockheed Corporation was an aerospace company founded in 1912 which merged with Martin Marietta in 1995 to form... TWA was one of the most well-known Constellation operators. ... Andrews Air Force Base (ICAO code KADR) is a United States Air Force base near Washington, DC, the home base of Air Force One and SAM FOX. // Location The base is a few miles southeast of Washington, in Prince Georges County, Maryland. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... The Voice of America (VOA) is the official international broadcasting service of the Government of the United States. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

The entire project was under the control of Captain George C.Dixon, USN. He claimed to be installing AM, FM, shortwave and TV transmitters on the aircraft which would get their power from an onboard 100 kW diesel-fueled generator. The planes would not only relay programs from film chain kinescopes and video recorders, but the would also have live cameras to create their own live programs.

Ground transmissions would be received from the aircraft on TV sets tuned to channel 11 for Armed Forces Television, and channel 9 for programs in Vietnamese. On radio the broadcasts would be tuned to 1000 kHz for AM and 99.9 MHz for FM.

On February 7, 1966, Broadcasting magazine reported that after working out a number of technical problems that the first show on channel 9 would begin at 7:30 p.m. and feature South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky and U.S. Ambassador Cabot Lodge in a videotaped production, followed by channel 11 at 8 p.m. with General Westmoreland introducing a two-hour program which incorporated one hour of the Grand Ole Opry filmed in Nashville, Tennessee. After that the Vietnamese channel would be seen for one and half hours a day and the American channel for three hours daily. February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Nguyá»…n Cao Kỳ   (born 1930) is a Vietnamese politician, who served as Prime Minister of South Vietnam from 1965 to 1967, and then as Vice President until his retirement from politics in 1971. ... Henry Cabot Lodge Henry Cabot Lodge (May 12, 1850 – November 9, 1924) was an American statesman, a Republican politician, and noted historian. ... General William Westmoreland William Childs Westmoreland (March 26, 1914 – July 18, 2005) was a U.S. Army General who commanded American military operations in the Vietnam War at its peak from 1964 to 1968 and who served as US Army Chief of Staff from 1968 to 1972. ... The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly Saturday night country music radio program broadcast live on WSM radio in Nashville, Tennessee, and televised on Great American Country network. ... For other cities named Nashville, see Nashville (disambiguation). ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ...

On February 8, The New York Times reported: February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... The New York Times is a newspaper published in New York City by Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr. ...

South Vietnamese Watch First TV Show

The story reported that the Vietnamese had to strain their ears because the speakers on the TV sets would need to be amplified if they were going to be heard by a room full of people watching THVN-TV channel 9. The American programming on NWB-TV channel 11 featured a line-up of future shows to include Bonanza; Perry Mason; Ed Sullivan and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The main feature was Bob Hope in a two-hour special called Hollywood Salute to Vietnam, followed by half-an-hour of the Grand Ole Opry and another half-hour of the quiz show I've Got a Secret. The Bonanza logo was superimposed upon a map of a wild west frontier area. ... Perry Mason is a fictional defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner. ... Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American entertainment writer and television host, best known as the emcee of a popular TV variety show that was at its height of popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. ... The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was the full name of NBCs The Tonight Show during the years that Johnny Carson hosted from 1962 to 1992. ... Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003), born Leslie Townes Hope, was a famous British-born American entertainer who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio and television, in movies, and in performing tours for U.S. Military personnel. ... Ive Got a Secret (abbreviated as IGAS) was a weekly panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television and was created by Allan Sherman as essentially a knockoff of Whats My Line?. The original version of the show premiered in June 19, 1952...

War in Iraq

More recently, the EC-130 Commando Solo has been used to broadcast information and propaganda for the United States over a variety of television and radio frequencies. It has been used in several areas of operation, including Bosnia and Iraq. The EC-130 Commando Solo conducts psychological operations and civil affairs broadcast missions in the standard AM, FM, HF, TV and military communications bands. ... Motto: none Anthem: Intermeco Capital (and largest city) Sarajevo Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian Government Republic  - Presidency members Haris Silajdžić1 (Bosniak) NebojÅ¡a Radmanović (Serb) Željko KomÅ¡ić (Croat)  - Chairman of the Council of Ministers Adnan Terzić Independence from Yugoslavia   - Recognized 6 April 1992  Area  - Total 51,197 km² (128th...

Pirate television by Stratovision

In 1969 news stories began to appear in the United Kingdom that Ronan O'Rahilly, the founder of the pirate radio ship based service called Radio Caroline, which at that time was not on the air, was about to launch Caroline Television instead. His plans called for two aircraft, one in service and one as a relief, which would transmit commercial television programs to Britain by Stratovision. Although these stories continued for some time nothing became of the project. To date no pirate radio or television service has ever operated by means of Stratovision. 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Ronan ORahilly is an Irish businessman in the music industry. ... The term pirate radio lacks a specific universal interpretation. ... Carolines second ship, MV Mi Amigo, c. ... Radio Caroline is a European radio station that originally commenced transmissions as offshore radio station broadcasting from a ship anchored off the coast of South East England in international waters. ...

Stratovision: a temporary service

Today the Stratovision concept is used as a stop-gap measure where land based transmitters are not possible and where large areas of territory need to be served with a television program. Due to the advent of fibre optic cable television systems and direct broadcast satellite services, Stratovision has become unnecessary as a permanent means of television delivery. Fiber Optic strands An optical fiber in American English or fibre in British English is a transparent thin fiber for transmitting light. ... Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house. ... Direct broadcast satellite (DBS) is a term used to refer to satellite television broadcasts intended for home reception, also referred to as direct-to-home signals. ...