Thread: When we didn't have Comm. Satellites what did we have?

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Originally Posted by Saitch

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Loved that show…

Originally Posted by 4bee

We had Beam Wireless. A fascinating look at a lesser known Communications Method.

TETNEY BEAM STATION

OTC, the company I worked for, had beam wireless (HF radio stations in Sydney (Doonside transmit - now Sydney Zoo) and receive at Bringelly), Melbourne (Fiskville (Ballan) - named after AWA's Sir Ernest Fisk - became the CFA site) and Rockbank(it was in the movie, On the Beach); Perth (Applecross and Bassendean). Transmit and receive stations were well separated.

I have worked at Doonside and Bringelly

There were also submarine telegraph (no voice) cables out of Oz, e.g., out of Cottesloe, Surfers Paradise, Sydney, Darwin, etc.

In the early Sixties, we brought analogue submarine cables that could handle voice calls and data into service, e.g., Compac Cable (Sydney (Paddington)-Auckland-Fiji-Hawaii-Vancouver). Later there was SEACOM Cairns-Madang-Guam-Hong Kong-Malaysia-Singapore, then TASMAN Cable (Sydney (Broadway)-Norfolk Island-Auckland (I was manager Norfolk 1990-93) but had also worked on COMPAC and TASMAN.

In 1966, Carnarvon Satellite Earth Station opened to provide comms for NASA ( I worked there 1971-72)
In 1968, Moree Satellite Earth Station opened (I worked there 1968-69)
In 1969, Ceduna Satellite Earth Station opened (I worked there 1969-71)
Oxford Falls (Sydney) and Gnangara (Perth) came later - I never worked there.

Originally Posted by p38arover

OTC, the company I worked for, had beam wireless (HF radio stations in Sydney (Doonside transmit - now Sydney Zoo) and receive at Bringelly), Melbourne (Fiskville (Ballan) - named after AWA's Sir Ernest Fisk - became the CFA site) and Rockbank(it was in the movie, On the Beach); Perth (Applecross and Bassendean). Transmit and receive stations were well separated.

I have worked at Doonside and Bringelly

There were also submarine telegraph (no voice) cables out of Oz, e.g., out of Cottesloe, Surfers Paradise, Sydney, Darwin, etc.

In the early Sixties, we brought analogue submarine cables that could handle voice calls and data into service, e.g., Compac Cable (Sydney (Paddington)-Auckland-Fiji-Hawaii-Vancouver). Later there was SEACOM Cairns-Madang-Guam-Hong Kong-Malaysia-Singapore, then TASMAN Cable (Sydney (Broadway)-Norfolk Island-Auckland (I was manager Norfolk 1990-93) but had also worked on COMPAC and TASMAN.

In 1966, Carnarvon Satellite Earth Station opened to provide comms for NASA ( I worked there 1971-72)
In 1968, Moree Satellite Earth Station opened (I worked there 1968-69)
In 1969, Ceduna Satellite Earth Station opened (I worked there 1969-71)
Oxford Falls (Sydney) and Gnangara (Perth) came later - I never worked there.

I recall reading about another Beam Station in from Sydney towards the Blue Mountains which was previously a WW2 Emergency Landing Ground but taken over at War's End for the Beam Station. Can't recall whether it was Receive or a Transmit Site.

Like most things, technology moves on & your gear was preferred, less costly, speed of transmitting & much clearer to view etc.

When as a Kid I also recall Newspaper Photos being labeling their method of Transmission & usually something like "By Wireless from Britain" or wherever else. Trying to imagine how a photo could be sent around the world was not understood back then & certainly not by me. I mean a photo is an actual solid thing, right? Wrong. Of course nowadays we do it all the time with equipment that would fit into a Schoolbag or smaller & normally we don't think too much about how it is Sent or Received so long as it is.

What were the microwave tx/rx towers connected across Australia used for?

Double post...

Later generation of transmission of telephone and other data including analogue television (and Telstra porn on occasion I believe). I'm sure Ron will chip in with more accurate info

Regards,
Tote

Originally Posted by Tote

Later generation of transmission of telephone and other data including analogue television (and Telstra porn on occasion I believe). I'm sure Ron will chip in with more accurate info

Regards,
Tote

That is what I understood they were used for. Line of sight locations across & around Australia. TELSTRA still have a Micro Tower up the hill from us from where the "dishes' point across to Murray Bridge where the signal is directed in both directions but always to high points.


North Dish either goes to Port Wakefield or Port Augusta South/East Dish points to Vic. & or NSW They are usually in multiples of 2 or 3 dishes.

This post for instance, could be very well be transmitted through the Towers to one near Inc's. Server. & then on to you & everybody else. Maybe Satellite is involved as well.

Some years ago a contractor ran an underground Fibre Optic cable through our back garden & over the hills to around Australia --------- Perth to Brisvegas I think I was told it was for Banks but reading between the lines I got the impression it was also for Defence & Govt. use but obviously nobody was saying owt. About the time the Fibre Optic was laid a huge Satt.dish was removed from the TELSTRA site on the Mount nearby which one reasonably assumed was the forerunner of the FO & therefore redundant.