Transformer from Marconi 1.5kW transmitter, 2LO radio station

6 K.V.A Transformer No. 738, Type SS4, 500 volts, 300 Hz, made by Hackbridge Electric Construction Co. Ltd., Hackbridge, Surrey, c. 1920-1922, for Marconi 1.5kW transmitter used by the BBC London station 2LO between 1922 and 1925.

This transformer is an integral part of the Marconi 1.5kW transmitter (2009-146) used at the BBC London station 2LO at Marconi House, the site of the British Broadcasting Company (later the later the British Broadcasting Corporation) first broadcast to the public on 14 November 1922. This marked the beginnings of national radio broadcasting and a new era for listeners at home when radio changed from a specialist hobby to a national pastime. For many listeners in the 1920s 2LO was the BBC. Initially the station could only broadcast to local listeners (within a 25-mile radius), but was quickly networked to new transmitters in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle providing entertainment for crystal and valve set owners across Britain’s major cities. The transmitter remained in service at the BBC to April 1925 when it was replaced by a transmitter with nearly twice the power.