Eddystone

Eddystone Radio was founded in 1925, as Stratton & Co., a subsidiary of Rainsford and Laughton, Birmingham-based fancy goods manufacturers. Stratton & Co. was founded by Stratton Laughton who was influenced by the "wireless mania" of the early 1920s. The company’s first radio-related patent was filed in February 1925. The same year, it also filed patents for its trademark "Eddystone" and Lighthouse devices. In 1926, the product range included an early version of the Eddystone Twin wireless receiver, as evident from the Wireless World listings for spring 1926. In 1927, Stratton & Co. launched its first short wave set, the Atlantic Two. By 1930, the company ceased manufacturing medium wave sets and henceforth produced higher frequency sets.

The Eddystone receivers were used in the British Arctic Air Route Expedition, the Hudson Strait Settlement Expedition and the 1936 Mount Everest Expedition. The company also produced VHF equipment for use in cars and tanks during the Second World War, besides creating an automatic wireless telephone network for London that covered approximately 95 police stations and Scotland Yard. This was done on the urgent request of London Metropolitan Police Authority. In 1964, the company was sold to Marconi. During the 1980s, the company partnered with BBC, venturing into the broadcast transmitter market. In the 1990s, Eddystone and the BBC pioneered the new Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB). Marconi sold Eddystone Radio to Megahertz Communications in 1999. In 2002, Eddystone Radio was sold to Ring Communication, while the Transmitter section was sold to SBS of Hastings and named Eddystone Broadcasting.