All corrections
Wikipedia August 22, 2026 at 08:34 PM

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_S._Rogers_Sr.

1 correction found

1
Claim
Rogers operated the only Canadian (and only spark-gap) station to successfully compete in the first amateur trans-Atlantic radio competition.
Correction

Rogers was not the only successful spark-gap station in the 1921 transatlantic amateur tests. Contemporary and ARRL historical records show that other spark-gap stations were also heard in Scotland.

Full reasoning

The article overstates Rogers's uniqueness in the 1921 transatlantic amateur-radio tests.

Edward S. Rogers's station 3BP does appear to have been the only Canadian station heard in Scotland, but it was not the only spark-gap station to succeed.

Evidence:

  • ARRL's historical summary of the 1921 tests says that "more than two dozen stations were heard" during the test period and that "Some utilized spark-gap transmitters, others employed vacuum-tube CW transmitters." That directly contradicts the claim that Rogers's was the only successful spark-gap station.
  • ARRL also published a bulletin about amateur operator Arnold R. Brilhart (2DN) stating that "The spark signal from 2DN was heard ... in Scotland" during the December 1921 tests. That is a specific example of another successful spark-gap station.

So the accurate version would be that Rogers's 3BP was the only Canadian station heard, but not the only spark-gap station to succeed in the competition.

2 sources
  • Transatlantic Tests Mark 99th Anniversary

    Over the course of the test period, more than two dozen stations were heard ... Some utilized spark-gap transmitters, others employed vacuum-tube CW transmitters.

  • W1AW Bulletins General

    The spark signal from 2DN was heard calling 8AYN on December 11, 1921, by Paul Godley in Scotland...

Model: OPENAI_GPT_5 Prompt: v1.16.0