POLDHU

 GB2GM

The site needs little introduction – it was from Poldhu near Mullion on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall that the first transatlantic wireless transmission was made.

Marconi came to Cornwall in late 1900 and selected a site on the cliff overlooking Poldhu Cove for his new high power transmitter that would be used to demonstrate transatlantic wireless communication.

Success was finally achieved on the 12^th December 1901, when Marconi at Signal Hill, St. John’s, Newfoundland, heard the letter ‘S’ transmitted from Poldhu. Experiments continued at Poldhu and late in 1902, two-way communication was established with Glace Bay in Nova Scotia, and a few months later, on the 18^th January 1903, with Cape Cod in the USA.

These achievements are now commemorated by the Marconi Centre, a building owned by the National Trust. This is on the original field used in 1901 and houses an interpretation centre, which is open to the public.

The building also provides a home for the Poldhu Amateur Radio Club, which has the permanent callsign GB2GM.

             Website: www.gb2gm.org.uk

Poldhu Cove	Aerial view; the remains of early buildings and the circular track can be seen.

View of the site. The foundations of the 1901 buildings are in the foreground and the Marconi Centre can be seen at the right.