| |
G3VGW > SWL 05.04.05 16:58l 107 Lines 4899 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 40268_GB7NOT
Read: GUEST DK5RAS
Subj: VoA Munich MW closes
Path: DB0FHN<DB0FOR<DB0SIF<DB0EA<DB0ACC<DB0GOS<DB0EEO<DB0RES<DK0WUE<F5GI<
F6KMO<ON0BEL<EB2BJX<GB7YKS<GB7SYP<GB7COV<GB7NOT
Sent: 050405/1154Z @:GB7NOT.#23.GBR.EU #:40268 [Arnold Nottingham] FBB7.00i
From: G3VGW@GB7NOT.#23.GBR.EU
To : SWL@WW
From: G3VGW @ GB7NOT.#23.GBR.EU 5 April 2005
Hello SWLs,
Here is news of the Voice of America giving up using the Munich
medium wave relay station. Thanks to Wolfgang, DF5SX for this
information, quoting various sources....
-------
VoA MUNICH
1197 kHz. IBB Munich mediumwave closed on March 27th, 2005, after
nearly 55 years in service.
Probably this news doesn't widely circulate outside Germany yet
VoA Ismaning 1197 kHz will no longer be used in the A05 season and after
56 years sign off for good on Saturday. The equipment will be dismantled
and moved to elsewhere, just like the Holzkirchen tx today in use at
Kuwait, by chance again on 1593 kHz.
(Kai Ludwig-D, dxld Mar 25)
Andy Sennitt adds: I must admit to feeling some sadness at the
end of an era. I still remember tuning into this freq (or, rather, 1196
kHz as it was then) on the day when President Kennedy was assassinated,
listening to VOA's live coverage of the dramatic events. That was long
before satellite TV, and 24 hour nx channels such as CNN.
<http://medianetwork.blogspot.com/> (Andy Sennitt-HOL, BrDXC-UK Mar 25)
Like Andy I also remember tuning in to either this freq or AFN's
just after 07.00 pm on the evening Kennedy was shot, I will never forget
that evening -
(M Terry-UK, BrDXC-UK Mar 25)
It was on 31 March 1964 when I discovered the existence of VOA
Munich on 1196 kHz or, as it was often called, 251 metres. At the age of
11 I was finally allowed to play about with a big electric radio after
dark, to see what I could find and, despite interference from a television
set in a room directly below me, I was able to hear clearly VOA
identifying itself as being from Munich. At that age I obviously thought
Munich was in America and that the signals were coming directly across the
Atlantic.
However, I was soon to realise that Munich was in fact in
Germany, and that the signals were actually coming via short-wave from the
States and being picked up in Munich. I often wondered why it was that
some programmes sounded much clearer than others. This was of course
because those programmes, such as those presented by Willis Conover, were
pre-recorded with the tapes being sent over to Munich and played from
there.
In the 60s and early 70s too it was occasionally possible to hear
the Rhodes tx in England, 1259 kHz as it then was, though that chance is
long gone with the proliferation of txs on that freq in the UK and Europe.
The Munich tx has had to face competition over the last few years
from numerous Virgin txs on the same frequency, although the signal from
Munich has sometimes made it quite clearly across to NW London.
(Paul David, Wembley Park-UK, dxld Mar 25)
And here's a translation of a note from the Swedish Radio
programme magazine for the week 11 to 17 September 1949:
Voice of America gets a new European tx.
The transmissions of the Voice of America have been strengthened
with a powerful 150 kW mediumwave tx in Munich. The new station is audible
thghout Europe. Its power and sce range will be increased by means of
special antennas and other technical features. The txions of the station
will cover 12.5 hours during the part of the day when most people are
listening and the programmes will be broadcast in Russian, Romanian,
Spanish, English and Italian. The station is transmitting on 251 metres
and is rebroadcasting the Voice of America daily from 1630 to 0140. Six
hourave been assigned to a rather short Russian programme that will be
repeated several times in an attempt at penetrating the Russian jamming.
(251 m 1195 kHz, times are CET -oa)
(Olle Alm-SWE, wwdxc BC-DX Mar 28)
1196/1197 kHz have had tremendous signals in soAUT, HNG, weROU,
YUG, and Italy up to Bari and Naples end in the south [1300 kms away] - in
past decades, and also last June 2004 when on holiday there.
In Stuttgart area Munich signals were always poor, only 170 kms
away -nd lower mountain barriers in between. Due of 'change over' from
Ismaning ground wave to sky wave, there is some 'put out' of signals.
Therefore I asked people in the local Munich area to help with recording
of the last five minutes of VoA programme. (wb, Mar 29)
-------
So, another nail in the coffin of DX listening! Anyone remember
the long wave transmissions from Munich.
Please note I am not the author of the above, just the 'postman'!
Thanks Wolfgang!
73, Richard G3VGW @ GB7NOT (Ambergate, Derbyshire, UK)
(Edited & sent using a BBC Micro)
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
