Marconi selected the site at Poldhu, near Mullion on the Lizard peninsula near the most Southerly point in Cornwall, for his “Great Experiment” in sending a wireless signal across the Atlantic Ocean. On December 12th 1901 the letter “S” in Morse code was transmitted from Poldhu and received in St. Johns, Newfoundland.
After this historic event the site at Poldhu was Marconi’s most powerful and significant experimental station achieving worldwide communications using wireless telegraphy and later wireless telephony.
In addition to the experimental side of Poldhu the station was used commercially for sending ships newspapers and weather information as well as danger warnings to shipping. For this purpose the station used the call sign ZZ. See the appropriate page on this web site.
The site ceased operation in 1933 and was dismantled in 1935 and the land passed to the National Trust. The Marconi Monument stands close by the “Wireless Field”.
Today the Marconi Centre stands on the site. It is run by the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club on behalf of the National Trust. It is open to visitors with a display explaining the importance of the site.
The Poldhu Amateur Radio Club run three radio rooms and hold the call sign GB2GM. From 3rd August 2014 to 30th August the site will operate using the call sign GB100ZZ.
See links page for details of Poldhu Amateur Radio Club and the Marconi Centre.
