RIP YD1DDB (Edwin Agustiana)

This afternoon, as I scroll up and down at Facebook, I was shocked to read a status saying that Mr. Edwin Agustiana (YD1DDB) has passed away. No mention about the cause of his death. He was one of the CW operators back in 3 – 5 May 2013.

Undoubtedly, he was one of the best. May he rest in peace.

Today 89 Years Ago

Somewhere we got the info that Radio Malabar was already in development since 1917. However, its official opening was in 5 May 1923 by the Governor General of Nederland Indie, Dirk Fork. Thus, today at 5^th May 2012, it is the 89^th years of its anniversary. There are many old buildings in Indonesia built in the era of Dutch Colonialism that are survived phisically until now, but in case of Radio Malabar, nothing is left but the ruins, … as you could see at the sidebar right below this page.

What matters now is not its physical evidence. Rather, the fact that 89 years ago and some years beforehead marked the first long distance, intercontinental, wireless transmission from Radio Malabar (in West Java, Indonesia) to Netherland. It’s about 12000 Km away. I need more data to confirm this, but that transmission could be the first farthest radio transmission.

Wikipedia has it that even Marconi didn’t reach that far :

“Feeling challenged by skeptics, Marconi prepared a better organized and documented test. In February 1902, the SS Philadelphia sailed west from Great Britain with Marconi aboard, carefully recording signals sent daily from the Poldhu station. The test results produced coherer-tape reception up to 2,496 kilometres (1,551 mi), and audio reception up to 3,378 kilometres (2,099 mi). The maximum distances were achieved at night, and these tests were the first to show that for mediumwave and longwave transmissions, radio signals travel much farther at night than in the day.”

That record and all radio-related activities around that time should be regarded as important historical point that initiated the following wireless transmission development and practices, especially in Indonesia. We could name some organizations, governmental institutions, and services that should appreciate this. I am not sure how. A special national day to commemorate it might be too much and not having enough rationales. However, one that might bring a good reason to gain public awareness about this is next-year’s 90th anniversary: an even number of years that could deserves something special.

That is only an idea. Some other complementing thoughts on it have been a discourse and in discussion, be it in unofficial, informal means and among few people only. It should be more than just me / us who have made this page in existence. There has to be a larger circle of people who deal with this. So in a way, if it is of any importance at all, we would ask you to contribute. If you have any ideas, thoughts, and opinion about :

1. Whether at 5th May 2013 a commemoration of 90 years of Radio Malabar official opening should take place.
2. Kind of activities to gain public awareness about the Radio Malabar history for the commemoration.

Please fill the comment section of this entry if you have any (or click this). We will reply anything constructive that you write. Don’t worry even if it’s in Bahasa Indonesia. Kami akan memberikan tanggapan dalam bahasa Indonesia. Terima kasih. Thank you.

First Post

It might be too much, but I have decided to do it: saving anything left in the world on Radio Malabar. I have been doing some blogging on this gigantic Radio in Bahasa Indonesia and in the process realized that the supporting data and external links here and there could vanish before someone even have the chance to see them. This is going to take a lot of me as I also maintain some other blogs and websites. So update might not be regular and at certain point in the future it could be no update at all as there are just all that. I hope I am wrong.

I also decided to write this in English for the sake of wider audience. It’s not only about Dutch people’s past creation or just another Indonesia’s historic building: It’s a monument of human effort to communicate accross the continent.
Thank you for visiting. Let me know what you think by filling the comment.