Jod Bank 1.Indd 56 23/10/2019 08:11 Feature
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Feature Radio Eye on the Sky (Part I) Dr Bruce Taylor HB9ANY Dr Bruce Taylor HB9ANY relates how chance, [email protected] skill, tenacity and the enthusiasm of a botanist n July 7th 2019 Jodrell Bank radio amateur created a technical masterpiece. Observatory, the home of what is surely the most iconic radio antenna in the world, was de- Oclared a World Heritage Site in the same cultural category as the Great Wall of China and the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur. It was recognised by UNESCO as “a masterpiece of human creative genius” because of its scientifi c achievements in advancing our understanding of the uni- verse. But as the champagne fl owed in cel- ebration of this magnifi cent accolade, few remembered that 62 years earlier its found- er, Bernard Lovell, endured immense per- sonal hardship and narrowly escaped incar- ceration during the technical, Political and fi nancial drama surrounding its creation. In 1939, 25 year-old Lovell was one of many talented university teachers and re- searchers who abandoned their Peaceful studies to join the war effort. They teamed uP with hundreds of radio amateurs and professional electronics experts who con- tributed their technical skills to the defence of the United Kingdom. Lovell was just about to set out from Manchester for the Pyrenees, in a small van loaded with equip- 1 ment for cosmic ray research, when he re- ceived a call to rePort to the Chain Home at which available thermionic valves could (CH) laboratories at Bawdsey Manor on generate signifi cant power was about the east coast of England. When he asked 200MHz, which severely limited the sharP- why, he was told “You will soon learn!”. The ness of the Polar diagram of any antenna origins of the huge antenna that would that could be carried by a small Plane. This later be named the Lovell Telescope can in turn restricted the maximum range at be traced to his visit to a CH radar station which the equiPment could oPerate before near Scarborough, when the WAAF opera- the target echoes were masked by ground tor exPlained that some of the echoes on returns. her cathode ray tube (CRT) disPlay were not Although later incarnations of this 1.5m from aircraft but refl ections from the iono- AI radar were eventually used with consid- 2 sphere. erable success, the key to enhanced per- formance was the develoPment of the high oPed a sPlit beam technique that allowed AI Radar Power 10cm (S Band) cavity magnetron at an AI radar to ‘lock-follow’ a target, as well As early as 1936, Henry Tizard’s air defence Birmingham University. The magnetron de- as a ground version that could track an air- committee had foreseen that if daytime sign was refi ned by Eric Megaw GI6MU, a craft with an accuracy of better than one attacks by the Luftwaffe were thwarted, keen radio amateur known for his pioneer- degree. However, on January 1st 1942 he Göring would turn to night bombing of ing DX feats during the 1920s, and rushed was assigned an entirely new task; one that the UK instead. Lovell’s fi rst task was to into Production by GEC at Wembley. Lovell shattered his idealistic view that war in- develop an improved airborne intercep- did fundamental studies on aircraft radome volved only the defence of the realm. tion (AI) radar system comPact enough to materials and centimetric antennas, re- be installed in a night fi ghter, but accurate placing the 2m long horn used for initial ex- H2S enough to track an aircraft from a range of periments with a more compact parabolic After the evacuation of Dunkirk and the fall several miles down to 500 to 1000ft, so that refl ector, a small foretaste of what was to of France, strategic bombing was the only it could be identifi ed visually before open- come at Manchester. Using an offset dual- means by which damage could be infl icted ing fi re. At that time the highest frequency dipole feed rotating at 800rpm, he devel- on the enemy. But contrary to the oPtimistic Sign up to our FREE email newsletter at www.radioenthusiast.co.uk 56 PRACTICAL WIRELESS December 2019 Jod Bank 1.indd 56 23/10/2019 08:11 Feature Halifax that caused the deaths of the crew and key members of the EMI team, includ- ing the electronics wizard Alan Blumlein. In addition to his radar develoPments, such as the line-tyPe Pulse modulator, Blumlein’s many inventions included the slot antenna, directional microPhone technique, stereo sound, the transformer ratio arm bridge and much of the Pre-war Marconi-EMI television system. Lovell was rushed to the crash site to recover the magnetron anode core be- fore it could fall into the wrong hands. Because of wartime secrecy, details of the crash were not revealed to the Public. An enquiry established that the cause was simPly the imProPer tightening of a taPPet locknut during a routine engine insPection shortly before the fl ight. This caused the in- let valve stem to fracture, igniting the super- charged mixture in the induction manifold and leading to a major fi re in the engine na- 3 celle, which sPread raPidly to the fuel tanks in the wing. One reason that none of the scientifi c personnel jumped to safety may have been that there was an insuffi cient number of parachutes on board. Churchill himself immediately issued a directive that this should never be allowed on future test fl ights with civilians. In sPite of the loss, Churchill insisted that RAF squadrons be equiPPed with 200 H2S systems in the following three months. When Lovell Protested that as a result of the crash he no longer even had a single prototype, he was told “Young man, you’ve lost one aircraft. Don’t you realise we lost 30 over Germany last night?” ASV Lovell’s conscience was troubled by the fact that he had contributed to the develop- ment of an instrument which would greatly 4 imProve the Performance of an offensive Photo 1: Jodrell Bank Observatory is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Ian Morison, Jodrell Bank) force that would cause devastating loss of Photo 2: Bernard Lovell in 1958. (Jodrell Bank) Photo 3: Eric Megaw GI6MU made the 8-cavity life. These feelings were mitigated to some magnetron that was taken to the US by the Tizard Mission. (Canada Science and Technology Museum) extent by the fact that H2S was also sub- Photo 4: H2S indicator in the navigator’s position of a Lancaster. (Crown Copyright) sequently modifi ed to perform as a 10cm Air-to-Surface Vessel (ASV) radar that was rePorts by aircrews, Photo-reconnaissance had Proved a Problem for AI radar might be used very successfully to locate U-boats as revealed that two-thirds of the RAF’s night the key to solving the navigation Problem. they crossed the Bay of Biscay from their bombers failed to strike within fi ve miles of Lovell was assigned resPonsibility for the fortifi ed pens to wreak havoc on the Allied their targets. With the lack of reliable me- develoPment of this centimetric maPPing Atlantic convoys. The centimetric ASV ra- teorological data over enemy territory, navi- radar, which was dubbed H2S. Handley dar rePlaced the old 1.5m version, which gation by dead reckoning was aPProximate Page were initially reluctant to modify their became obsolete when the U-boats were at best. Although Precision blind bombing Halifax bomber to carry a large radome un- equiPPed with Metox listening devices for systems such as Oboe were being devel- der the fuselage, since it would seriously that wavelength. In a few weeks 37 U-boats oPed, they had limited range because they reduce the bomb load. But they accePted were sunk and the merchant shipping loss- dePended on radio transmissions from the the argument that it would be better to drop es decreased dramatically. UK. some bombs in the right place than to scat- Lovell’s team also develoPed versions of It was soon realised that, with a suitable ter a full load over the open countryside! H2S for navigating and ranging with tank rotating antenna and Plan Position indica- The develoPment went ahead raPidly but landing craft, and this Scent Spray system tor (PPI) display, the ground refl ections that suffered a major setback with the crash of a was used in the invasion of Sicily and the Enter our competitions at www.radioenthusiast.co.uk/competitions December 2019 PRACTICAL WIRELESS 57 Jod Bank 1.indd 57 23/10/2019 08:11 Feature 6 5 7 D-Day landings. To obtain the higher reso- Lovell soon found that at Manchester During the post-war years large quanti- lution required for the Precise selection of University the local QRM from sParking ties of excellent electronic equipment be- targets, some Lancaster bombers were overhead DC tramway lines made the re- came available as Government SurPlus. equipped with roll-stabilised 6ft whirligig cePtion of weak signals imPossible, even This was a golden age for radio experi- scanners instead of the original 3ft ones, in the early hours of Sunday morning. The menters, who could acquire a huge range and with new magnetrons the oPerating Problem seemed insoluble until he made of comPonents and comPlete transmitters, wavelength was reduced to 3cm (X Band). a chance encounter with a university bota- receivers, CRT indicators, amplifi ers, power Very high resolution 1.25cm (K Band) sys- nist, Frederick Sansome, who haPPened to supplies and test instruments for a frac- tems were also Produced, although they be a keen radio amateur.