Milestones:Alexanderson Radio Alternator, 1904 Alexanderson
Radio Alternator, 1904 The plaque can be viewed at the General
Electic Company, at 1 River Road in Schenectady, New York. The
development of the Alexanderson 200kW transmitter was a major
breakthrough for wireless communication and was responsible for:
The formation of the first American controlled important
wireless communication company, the Radio Corporation of
America, in 1919. Dependable day and night wireless contact with
our allies in WWI by way of the Navy operated American Marconi
station at New Brunswick, NJ. Our only reliable contact with
Germany towards the end of WW1 as Germany's cables had been cut.
RCA setting up a worldwide communication system that superseded
British Marconi's "Imperial Chain" of 300 kW timed spark
transmitters. In 1904 Reginald Fessenden ordered from General
Electric a unit to generate AC at a frequency of 100 kHz. This
order was given to E.F.W. Alexanderson to design. He has joined
the A.C. Engineering Department o