The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) and the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) have been celebrating the centenary of the Transatlantic Tests. The RSGB has just released a video that highlights the fantastic exhibition put on by the National Heritage Centre in Saltcoats, the 1921 message re-enactment by the Kilmarnock and Loudoun Amateur Radio Club and also the 160m Transatlantic QSO Party.

In December 1921, the ARRL (the National Association for Amateur Radio® in the US) sent Paul F. Godley, who held the US callsign 2ZE, as their representative to listen for amateur signals from North America during the Second Transatlantic Tests. Godley setup his listening equipment in Ardrossan on the west coast of Scotland. He received the signals of over two dozen American stations, heralding the dawn of Transatlantic amateur radio communications.

At 0252 in the morning of 12 December in Scotland, (the evening of 11 December in the US), Godley received a personal message from the ARRL station 1BCG in Connecticut. “Nr 1 de 1BCG words 12, New York. Date December 11, 1921, to Paul Godley, Ardrossan, Scotland. Hearty Congratulations. (Signed) Burghard, Inman, Grinan, Armstrong, Amy, Cronkhite.”