Events

International Marconi Day (27th April 2024)- Official IMD Station

11/3/2023

GB4MPC - (Marconi Point Cullercoats)

Tynemouth Radio Club will again be setting up a transmitter station at Marconi Point, Cullercoats. The station will be operating on HF (SSB/CW/Data) with the callsign GB4MPC and is one of a limited number of Official Stations around the World that will be active on the 27th April 2024 to celebrate the birthday of Guglielmo Marconi. Only contact with Official IMD Stations will count towards the IMD Award http://gx4crc.com/imd-award/

The list of Official Stations for IMD can be found at http://gx4crc.com/imd-stations/

The station which stands at “Browne’s Point” was erected in 1912 and was one of the first stations to be in communication with the continent. Extract from Tynemouth 1849-1949 by J.W.Moore N/Shields

Cullercoats Radio was built in 1906 under license from Marconi. In 1915 it was taken over by Marconi Wireless. Originally a spark-gap transmitter was used to feed an antenna mounted on a 200 foot wooden mast. The transmitter was eventually replaced in 1929 with a valve type similar to designs used today.

The station on the site at Marconi Point, Cullercoats was part of the Maritime Radio Station operating under the callsign GCC. Marconi Point was the original location of the station, with its receiving aerials overlooking the sea to the north of Tynemouth at Cullercoats, and the transmitting aerials a short distance up the coast at Hartley.

The receiving station at Marconi Point was closed at the turn of the century and the commercial mast demolished. The site was subsequently sold and redeveloped as a private residence.

Historically, Tynemouth Radio Club have operated a number of Special Event Stations from the Marconi Point, Cullercoats site. These include International Marconi Day, International Maritime Coast Stations Day, and the International Tall Ships Race.

Below are some photos of GB4MPC from the site of Cullercoats Radio (Marconi Point) prior to the closure of the commercial receiving station. GB4MPC operated from the "backup power" building alongside the Cullercoats Radio receiving mast and GCC receiving station.

Photos below: Operating GB4MPC in the early 90's