With the camera in my pocket ...
Photo visit to the former S.O.D.R.E (Servicio Oficial de Difusión Radio Eléctrica) transmitter site on Martín Fierro Street I first visited this place when I was part of the group of Uruguayan DXers that created "Radioactividades"as a DX (this hobby specially focused during its first years) Media & History program, produced to be aired on CX 26 SODRE (which has recently been renamed as Radio Uruguay), and which -somewhat apart from its initial format- still airs on the weekends. At that time, as a member of the Grupo DX del Uruguay (a.k.a. DX Club del Uruguay), and along with a few other colleagues, it was foreseen the need and possibility of making a featured radio program intended to talk about our hobby of DXing, dedicated radio listening and radio communications . In fact, one of the first recordings of this program to be broadcast was prepared here. The place was at the time, a kind of provisory broadcast center, while SODRE headquarters were looking for a definitive building to house SODRE's studios and offices. This site is located in the #2603 of Martin Fierro street, three blocks away from the long and relevant Artigas Boulevard in Montevideo, near the Military School and not far from the studios and antenna of the National TV (Channel 5). It served as the official radio station transmitter site since 1929, despite the transmitters were moved through other sites, elsewhere in the city and along the years and which, at last, settled in the current headquarters in the Old Quarter of Montevideo. At the time of my visit, which were only a couple of times, I was fortunate to see, not without some amount of astonishment, large discs of the "National Discotheque" put in wooden crates. I also, got to met Alfredo Carlos Dighiero, a Carlos Gardel specialised journalist with its long-running program about our best all time popular singer, Carlos Gardel, and last but no least could meet the remains (or skeleton) of an old transmitter. It was a very moving moment and special experience for me! I forgot to mention the year: this was in 1989. 60 years before, this place was the starting point for official radiobroadcasts from Uruguay aiming to the country and to the world. Both on the mediumwaves and the shortwaves. If this really could happen is another story. But SODRE was received in the 30s by North American DXers and even special broadcasts were prepared for them. SODRE and Uruguay never showed a true International radio service, but English programmes via SW were prepared for the last time in the 1980's, using 31mb and 19 mb frequencies. Today is an abandoned plot, an unfortunately destroyed place, eventual den of drug addicts (I had to wait for two strange guys to come out, not without fear), homeless intruders, drunks and "bichicomes" (Uruguayan slang coming from the word "beachcomber" and as waste pickers are named by Uruguayans). The neighbors look them with concern. But anyone -except that infralived people and a pair of dedicated radiofans one of them being me-, seems to be interested. It is fortunate that this place could be visited after all these years and can be subject of a photographic camera session, before it comes swept by bulldozers. (Horacio A. Nigro, Uruguay, Feb 2, 2011) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The photo gallery is here --->http://imgur.com/a/8Qblr ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Addenda: Historical references of the creation of SODRE as the Uruguayan National Broadcaster: "In 1926, the "Dirección Nacional de Radiocomunicaciones" (the National Radio Council) under the administration of the Ministry of Defence, and under whose orders the telegraph stations of "El Cerrito" [call CWA] were administered, needed to buy a new telegraph station. Then the late Dante Tartaglia, who was the station chief at "Cerrito", was in the need of buying a new telegraphic station from the U.S. By the new season the new station arrived but, by mistake, instead of sending a telegraph station, [the Americans] sent a [radio]telephone station. Tartaglia said to Engineer Gilberto Lasnier, at the time director of the Radio Board under the Ministry of National Defense 'Look engineer, they have sent us a radiotelephone station, what do we do?', and Lasnier replied: 'Set it up!, anyways!" Then, the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare (nowadays the Ministry of Education and Culture), appointed a commission for the purpose of creating an official broadcaster. The committee was composed of two parliamentarians, Dr. Francisco Ghigliani and Dr. Carlos Butler; the Director of the Radio Department, Engineer Gilberto Lasnier, and Professor Emilio Berdesio. The venture also featured Dante Tartaglia and Carlos Mazzey, two of the first technical persons of this first era. Finally the first broadcasts as Radio CWOA began, and in 1929 became CX6 Radio Oficial, SODRE. This new radio had inaugurated at the Military School and later moved to the Bulevar Artigas and Martin Fierro site . In 1927, the Uruguayan national radio station began to relay the performances of the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, [Argentina], which were originated from LS1, then named as Radio Municipal (which nowadays is known as "Radio Diez"). LS1 used to broadcast all seasons of the opera theatre starting from May 25, (the Argentinian national holiday) until the end of October. " (Part of an interview with Diego Errandonea who was one of the first officials of Sodre, which he joined at age 14 as a messenger and became Director General of the Institute. Read full article in Spanish at http://www.larepublica.com.uy/ cultura/7204-los-70-anos-del-sodre) -- "In fact, the SODRE [which embodied the National Symphonic Orchestra, Ballet & Opera, National Discotheque] appeared closely linked to CX6, which would be added later by CX26 and CX38[...]. CX6 emissions began immediately on April 1 1930 - from the transmitter of "Martin Fierro" at the # 2603, of taht street, with a Western Electric brand transmitter"(adapted from: http://www.sodre.gub.uy.asp1-4.websitetestlink.com/Sodre/Sodre/Qui% C3% A9nessomos/tabid/59/Default.aspx) Vintage pictures of the old transmitter site: http://www.dumpyourphoto.com/files2/50679/XwseD.jpg Transmitter building and one of the antenna towers "Milliken" type at Martín Fierro, in Montevideo. Photo taken in 1929 (Source "Archivo Nacional de la Imagen, Uruguay) http://www.dumpyourphoto.com/files2/50680/joAwPE.jpg One of the SW transmitters, CXA 10, 11900 KHz, 20 KW. Front Panel. Photo taken on May 25, 1944. (Source "Archivo Nacional de la Imagen, Uruguay) http://www.dumpyourphoto.com/files2/50681/Q0z.jpg Vintage map of the SODRE's "Martin Fierro" transmitter site showing the station and the rhombic antennas for the shortwaves. At the left the one beaming to N. América, and the one at the right beaming Europe. (Source "Archivo Nacional de la Imagen, Uruguay) --- Other References: http://hanigro.tripod.com/index.html ("Los primeros años del S.O.D.R.E. en Ondas Cortas", by Horacio Nigro, 1992, in Spanish, note: some audio links don't work). 1927-1928, CWOA, inicios de la emisora estatal del Uruguay.Horacio A. Nigro (in Spanish, online e-brochure) 73 de Horacio A. Nigro Montevideo Uruguay _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list IRCA@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: irca@hard-core-dx.com