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G8MNY > SWL 12.09.03 18:18l 80 Lines 4402 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 15051_GB7CIP
Read: DB0FHN GUEST DK5RAS
Subj: MW DX station's last day
Path: DB0FHN<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<EB2BJX<ED1ZAC<KP4IG<WB0TAX<IK1ZNW<
GB7CRV<GB7CIP
Sent: 030912/1402Z @:GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU #:15051 [Caterham] $:15051_GB7CIP
From: G8MNY@GB7CIP.#32.GBR.EU
To : SWL@WW
Hi Readers,
For the 9th year running a group of enthusiasts (several Hams me,
G6IXM G4WGD) have been putting on a local charity fund raising 28 day broadcast
radio station (UK's Restricted Service Licence) on air from mid August till the
13th September, from studios at a youth centre in Merstham near Redhill Surrey,
again in AM. The station is called "SUSY RADIO" (SUssex & SurreY). Profits are
going to the IC Ward at East Surrey Hospital and several other local charities.
The move from VHF to MW came about 3 years ago after a donation of an old Decca
Navigator LW Tx (ex 300KHz aircraft CW beacon) that could just do the LF end of
MW, a studio site that could take a large wire aerial system, and also the œ2K
reduction in the Licences for MW RSLs.
The restricted 28 day licenced only permits low power of 1W ERP on 531KHz using
vertical polarisation from a small 20M tall aerial system (radiating part). As
with the 73 & 136 KHz LF ham band, the LF end of MW needs large amounts of
power to obtain 1W ERP from the small radiating vertical part, of such a small
(relative to 1/4 wave) height & short aerial (1/14 dipole). Ideally at this
frequency a 141M tall copper tower with a few square kMs of copper sheet is
need to get 1W ERP from a 1W Tx!
The plus of all thes effort is that at this end of MW, is that the ground wave
propagation is much much bigger than at the other end of the MW band or VHF,
about three times a far as at 1600KHz about, 180kM is possable to good DX Rx.
The underlying site's ground conditions have usually been wet (bit of a valley
bottom) so the signal normally gets out well.
In EU, 531Khz is the 1st channel on the MW band so a Rx will pick it up first,
and it is a fairly clear frequency in the UK during the day at night there are
100KW Swiss German speaking station, a Spanish station & a Fairo Isle,
these dramaticly close down coverage area at night right down to the typcial
RSL station coverage due to the heavy slow beating QRM.
The first time we had used MW and had very good DX reports, this time from
YORK, SUNDERLAND, SHEFFIELD, HOLLAND, ESSEX, SOUTH COAST, GURNSEY, & BRISTOL.
This is not the coverage area as the were all DX contacts from listerners at
QRM free locations. Mains & SMPS QRM can be a major problem at this end of MW!
There was our usual a Dxers Program last Sunday when much of this was
mentioned.
If you can't Rx it direct try the web site "http//www.susyradio.com" where the
station can be found as LIVE AUDIO (MP3) all the time we are on.
EMAIL studio@susyradio.com for comments & requests etc.
The station is live from the studio 24 hours a day with a real mixture of
presenters young-old, playing music mainy 60-90s, local traffic information,
phone-ins, SKY news, saturday night live OBs etc.
The various licence costs are high compared to permenant local radio station,
for a 28 day AM RSL station, they are:-
DTI RA & RA Broadcast, about œ1000, (œ2,500 FM)
Performing Rights Society, about œ900, } N.B. not all published
Phonographic Performance, approx œ1150, } material is covered!
Mechanical Copying & Reproduction, œ60. } eg BBC records.
(Band3 1 Watt, RA stereo Link licence œ480. if Tx not co-sited)
In anyone's language this is "an arm and several legs" even for a fund raising
station! Direct sponsorship & adverts from major companies generally covers all
the fixed costs, any profit goes to the nominated charity. A œ28K sunshine
coach was recently been given partly by SUSY after several radio events.
Requests etc, to the studio on Tel 0870 7650531 when on air. (Nat.call rate)
For general RSL/engineering infomation packet me or telephone the station
manager Colin on 01737 643767 Mon-Sat 09:00-10:00 & 17:00-18:00.
DX Reception reports would be much appreciated. Packet them to me is OK.
Needless to say broadcast engineering eg. O.B. links, Digital Satellite links,
Phone systems, Computer Audio sources, Computer logging, Hifi audio sources,
Studio mixers, Stereo/AM limiters, Stereo coders, RDS coders, fixed radio
links, Broadcast Tx & Aerials systems, are just a little bit different from
mainstream Amateur Radio.
If anyone or a club would like a technical visit (or talk?) or would like to be
involved with the station please RSVP me.
73 de John (eng team) G8MNY @ GB7CIP
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