* 11 June 1935 * * Edwin Armstrogane First F.M. Broadcast Broadcast Bananas * Edwin Howard Armstrong (December 18, 1890 to February 1, 1954) was an American inventor and one of the great engineers of the 20th century. He said that FM (frequency modulation) is best known for the development of technology for radio.
Armstrong won several patents for his invention and in 1980 was inducted into the National Inventor Hall of Fame. Education Armstrong was only 11 years old when Guglielmo Marconi made the first trance-Atlantic radio broadcast. Thrilled, the young Armstrong started studying radio and manufacturing homemade wireless devices, including a 125-foot antenna in his parents' backyard.
His interest in science and technology took Armstrong to Columbia University, where he studied in the school's Hartley laboratories and made a strong impression on many of his professors.
He finished college in 1913 with a degree in electrical engineering. FM radio Armstrong is best known for improving the radio's audio signal by discovering frequency modulation, or FM radio, in 1933 by controlling FM static electrical devices and the Earth's atmosphere.
Previously, amplitude modulation (AM) radio had become extremely susceptible to such interference, which was what prompted Armstrong to investigate the problem in the first place.
He conducted his experiments in the basement of the philosophy hall of Columbia University. In 1933, Armstrong received a US patent 1,342,885 for a "high frequency oscillation radio receiving method" for its FM technology. Again, Armstrong was not the only one used with such technology.
Scientists at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) were also testing the frequency modulation technique to improve radio transmission.
In 1934, Armstrong presented his latest discovery to a group of RCA officers; He later demonstrated the power of the technique using an antenna on top of the Empire State Building. RCA, however, decided not to invest in technology and instead insisted on television broadcasting.
Armstrong believed in his discovery, though not lost. He continued to refine and promote FM radio technology, first by partnering with smaller companies such as General Electric and then by introducing the technology to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Unlike the RCA officials, those at the FCC presentation were impressed by Armstrong's performance; When he played them a jazz recording on FM radio, they were struck by the clarity of the sound.
Improvements in FM technology over the 1930s made it more and more competitive with existing technologies. In 1940, the FCC decided to create a commercial FM service, which launched the following year with 40 channels. However, the outbreak of World War II limited resources that could be leveled towards new radio infrastructure.
The collision with RCA — which was still using AM — also prevented FM radio from taking broadcasts. It was not until after the war that technology began to win the support of the people.
In 1940, RCA, upon seeing that it was losing the technological race, tried to license Armstrong's patent, but turned down the offer. Subsequently, the company developed its own FM system.
Armstrong began litigation against RCA and the company alleging patent infringement, in hopes of winning damages for lost royalties.
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