January 10, 1925 – Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Dah-Dah dit-dit dah-dah!” Get that? It’s regular radio code and means “Warning—high power.” Out on the briny, when Old Man Sparks hears that he knows what it means and what he is supposed to do under the circumstances. The chances are, if it is from any station nearby on ship or shore, he’ll tear off the old “cans” he wears on his head and throw his antenna switch off where the “high power” can’t possibly crash into his eardrums. Now the signal will have a modified meaning for Tacoma radio fans, because it is announced that Monday evening, KJR, the broadcasting station of the Northwest Radio Service company, will smash out into the ether with its new 1,000-watt transmitting set. KJR’s wavelength is 273 meters.
One thousand watts is the same power used by KGO at Oakland, and every Tacoma fan knows how KGO comes in over the several hundred miles that separate us. KJR should be picked up almost with loudspeaker volume by Tacoma crystal sets. Ambitious experimenters here might try it out Monday. KJR isn’t much over 25 miles in an air line. KFOA at Seattle only uses 500 watts. Tube set owners here can expect to get along with dim filaments and less “B” voltage for their loudspeakers if they want to listen to KJR. Monday evening’s concert will include Jackie Souders and his Chantecleer Cafe Orchestra; Robert Nichols, baritone, and Miss Carmen Fry in piano numbers. KJR’s formal opening will not be until January 21.
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