Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Just noticed this article about Radio Caroline being granted permission to increase its AM broadcast power...

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2021/08/ofc...-up-the-power/


Long live MW!

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I seem to recall a failed attempt to receive it with any quality a while since, but it's loud and clear here in North Norfolk now: probably a better signal than I could get from RNI etc. when in almost the same place fifty-odd years ago.

Paul

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I just tried and unsurprisingly just got a bit of noise. However, I did notice that Panjab Radio seem to have turned the wick up on their 558kHz Crystal Palace transmitter, which used to carry Spectrum Radio. CP is about 65 miles from me, so if I'm getting a half decent signal then it must be covering a very wide area.

Of course, Punjabi pop music isn't to everyone's taste, but at least it's something to listen to on MW.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Thanks for posting this! I am listening now, There is a bit of background noise but the signal is good enough to listen to.
:thumbsup:
Rich

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Radio Caroline would welcome reception reports. I was in contact with them over the last couple of days and they asked me for one. They are keen to know how good their signal is on 648 and gauge how far away people are listening.

They confirmed to me that they remain committed to the band so if they get some enthusiasts reporting, that will only strengthen their resolve.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

The justification makes interesting reading. Ofcom are allowing the power increase to combat the high levels of noise on the band :-)

David

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Hi good signal in Chatham kent also 68dBm in Netherlands MICK

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Yes, don't try and deal with the source (s) of the noise, just turn the wick up ! 😄

Aub

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

A good signal here in rural Wiltshire using my Bush VHF81 [which, it must be said, has a rather 'hot' front-end compared to the usual 4-valve-plus-rectifier MW radios of the 50s and 60s].

Part of me thinks that receiving Caroline or any of the other pop-pirates of the 'sixties __without__ background-interference would somehow destroy the whole subversive experience....

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I can imagine a Pythonesque scetch where a big Ofcom wrecker truck tows the transmitter away 😄

Aub

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I can receive it quite well here in Coningsby! Never heard it before. I was using the Sony ICF-2001D that I repaired the battery leakage damage on late last year, signal strength only 2 LED's away from the top of the meter, but there was a lot of noise over it, probably generated by some of my stuff in the workshop, the Freeview box and VCR had to be turned off as they were obliterating it. Sadly my Ekco AC86 couldn't get it, probably needs a bigger aerial!

Regards,
Lloyd

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Not bad here when there are no electric trains going past ;) Quite enjoyable in fact (Grundig portable)

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Well, yes: something was definitely missing when I first tuned to the station today, on the Panasonic RF-9000, and it wasn't bass, middle or treble. The resident Fidelity Comet is playing it now, probably the first exercise the set has had in ten years, and is much harder to resist.

Paul

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I may have a go at receiving it on an MB60, this set happily picks up distant stations.
Is the transmitter still in Essex? I need to know this so as to point the ferrite south-east.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I understand so, and on a very famous and ironic site. Google 'Cobra Mist' and be prepared for a long read involving the waste of an incredible amount of US taxpayer's dollars. It all failed because of, wait for it, what was described as an interference problem. After that whoopsie it was used as a high power broadcast site, and even used by the post office to jam pirate broadcasters, including Caroline. Doubly ironic!

David

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

The transmitter is located at Orfordness which is in my own county of Suffolk, not Essex. Ironically the BBC World Service used to transmit from there on 648kHz.

Confusion arises because the Caroline ship Ross Revenge is anchored in The Blackwater Estuary which is in Essex. Even when broadcasts are made from the Ross Revenge the transmissions still emanate from Orfordness.

http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/#648_am.html

http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/#history_of_648.html

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Faint carrier in daylight

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Just checked this out and to my surprise I was able to get a very clear, albeit weak, signal from Caroline on 648, indoors ,on my restored Vidor 'My Lady Margaret' valve portable in East Herts 8-) I'll check it out later, outside, away from the house and all of the background interference that I get there.....Incidently, while initially searching, I found a similar signal from 'Smooth Radio', on 603, from Kent.......

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Am I right in thinking I may have picked up a carrier, it sounds like a static noise when tuning close to 500 metres, either side is picking up nothing.
All this is currently being done on a Bush BP90 with a draped inductively coupled antenna, I will have to wait till dark to try the MB60, that set can receive RTE 252 clear.
Is there any nearby transmitters working on 648 in this area or anywhere else in the country?
Still determined to hear something.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

When they are doing their monthly ship broadcast, how is the signal getting to the mainland? Is it satellite?
I am aware of a land based station to reduce costs but I read somewhere that they are planning to go full time from the ship itself, is there an under-sea power cable? There better had be, it's gonna cost a fortune in diesel!

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

AS well as the Maidstone studios programmes are produced in many different locations and home studios. Long-standing breakfast presenter Tony Paul does his show from California.

The Ross Revenge and Radio Caroline are the broadcasting equivalent of an enthusiast-run steam railway.

The power increase will only be a matter of three or four dB – how that pans out in practice remains to be seen. I probably won’t notice much difference to the daytime signal here – weather conditions or, rather, ground conductivity seem to have more effect with the signal noticeably poorer during dry spells – and I doubt it will overcome to co-channel interference that makes 648 unlistenable here during the hours of darkness.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Pity they can't go back to 50kW or as DLT used to proudly say '50 milli megawatts of power....'

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

They are about to run their annual fund raiser and from their own website they are planning to increase their coverage. They also indicated that to me in a recent communication, so maybe they are planning to add another transmitter?

From their website....

'It promises to be another exciting year ahead for Radio Caroline. We are planning a substantial improvement in our broadcast coverage, and we must make vital and costly repairs to the Ross Revenge. But we can only do this with your support.'

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Picking it up in mid Lincolnshire, south east of the city, on a Realistic DX-302 receiver at an 'indicated' S6, with outside tree aerial which is not particularly resonant at this frequency - sound quality being what you'd expect from this model and type of receiver. Switched on the Bush DAC90A and received it weakly with a lot of background noise. However, moved the radio to a position near and in front of a window and reception is now very listenable, but with some background noise - obviously just using its own internal aerial. Have now switched off the Realistic receiver and am happily listening to Caroline on the Bush radio - although not for long, as I'm supposed to be getting on with jobs outside!

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Oops but all those counties in the bottom right hand corner of the map do look rather similar from up here....

Sorry
David

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Very decent signal from Caroline now here in Cambridge. Its relatively 'bright' signal processing encourages use of a little treble cut which reduces background hash. I was admiring the performance of the Pye 39 J/H and the PCR2 fed from the Wellbrook loop, then dug out my little Tecsun PL-380 which put the big vintage mains sets to shame - all on its own tiny ferrite rod aerial.

It does seem that satisfactory medium wave performance nowadays requires a directional 'magnetic' aerial to reject local interference which dominates the electric near field. Also it seems beneficial to avoid the mains supply and use a battery set.

Martin

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Another ICF-2001 and just about receivable (one bar) during the day from Seaford East Sussex, better at night. We are surrounded by South Downs hills which probably doesn't help.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

You can blame Gerardus Mercator for that;)

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Clear signal here (Dudley area) using R1155 and ex-RAF loop aerial, too much noise with long wire, Mike.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Details of the Orford Ness site can be found here:
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallery...54&pageid=1656
I believe Caroline moved from the standby site to the main site but driving just one of the 5 masts. It will be interesting to discover if the improved coverage in Kent, referred to by Ofcom, will be achieved just by increasing power or by driving additional masts to change the radiation pattern.

Radio Caroline have replied to my enquiry as follows:
Thanks for getting in touch. It seems OfCom rather pipped us to the post with this announcement as we were due to announce it during our August Fundraiser next week.

At this point we can say no more, and in fact I personally don't even know more as the actual coverage won't be known until the day the power is increased.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

This thread made me want to try my Philips D2935 which has done no work for a long time. 3x Leaky AA Duracells removed from the backup battery position. Corrosion to springs and contacts not too bad.

Caroline reception good on ferrite rod away from house during daytime. If it is still to increase in power it will be appreciated.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Unfortunatley Caroline is still only just detectable here on 648 the signal is still very weak but hopefully things will improve. Receiver is a yaesu FT 817 on a 60 foot wire earth is a 4 foot steak

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

In Leeds the reception varies. Because I live down a hill there is background noise accompanying the reception, sometimes marring the station.
However, when I took the Bush TR130 radio to east Leeds at Temple Newsam Park (near where I once lived) the reception is really great mainly because it is on a hill.
Hopefully when the tx power is increased some improvements will be made.
Mike

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I get Radio Caroline here in the daytime with a noisy signal on a long wire and the Murphy B40D.

It is better, even listenable, with a Roberts R600 and a hastily assembled MW loop. Only outside though, there is too much noise inside, from next door I think. See picture below.

Loop is made from a 70cm diameter hula hoop with eight turns of insulated wire inside and a cheap tuning capacitor.

William

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Lots of you trying our receiving Caroline as a result of this thread. Just to be clear, they have not yet increased their power output.

They will be announcing more over this weekend during their annual fund raiser.

Reckon many more will be able to receive them soon, and those with fringe reception will be pleased to get a clear signal.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

PS - Nigel from Caroline is aware of this thread and has been reading it, but they won't comment further until the power increase takes place. Too many unknowns I suspect including of course how much they raise!

What is great to see if their continued commitment to the band.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Whenever I am able to get to the east coast, I endeavour to take the radio with me. The reception is really great at Scarborough, Cayton Bay, and Hornsea. It is amazing how great the 1960's transistor radios are in receiving Radio Caroline. I also try and take my Tee Shirt with the Ross Revenge in red for a bit of publicity. Many people still think that the station finished in 1980 (no thanks to the Press).
I bought the Tee Shirt at an event at Felixstowe (Suffolk) in 2017 when the commemorative stone was laid at a cliff side garden. What a brilliant day out! There were also vintage radios on display
I hope that more money is donated to the station in order that they achieve their goals. We (as a nation) actually owe Radio Caroline (and the other former offshore stations) a great debt for what they achieved.
Because my (now late) father once informed my brother (Nigel) & myself about "not to listen" to the offshore stations in the 1960's, well we actually got a "third degree lecture" about it. And all because he worked on a "Top Secret Site" in Suffolk at Orford Ness. You can imagine how determined it made me to see Caroline legalized. His actions were not his fault, but how his employers projected it! No wonder he was seriously ill later!
Cheers
Mike

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Nothing here in Cardiff, unsurprisingly. That whole area of the MW band seems to be fairly quiet.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

There used to be one of these at ORF, sat doing nothing (?):

https://www.transmitter.be/tel-s4005.html

... I bet the Caroline team have drooled at the possibilities :)

Guy

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Apparently the Cobra Mist TX used to run 10MW, though that wasn't a broadcast transmitter of course.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

So I have discovered that so far, Caroline has increased the height of their mast from 160ft to 350ft. This would explain why some here have found they can now receive it OK.

Currently they broadcast at 1KW, but this is due to be increased. They have not stated yet by how much.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Hi
I wonder if they were using the transmitter towers that had been used for ship to shore navigation on Orford Ness? There are the five towers that were used by the BBC World Service, and the shorter ones that were used for ship to shore navigation.
Cheers
Mike

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I believe they were originally using the reserve mast, and are now using one of the 5 ex-WS big ones.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Yes, that's my understanding too. They need to run tests for the power increase to check that there are no problems regarding the remaining towers.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

For reference my SdrPlay DX and loop says it is -70dBm and 7.2dB signal to noise, I will report back when the power is upped. It does sound better than 7.2dB SNR.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

I once heard that there were problems with these towers in the 1980's when the BBC World Service used them. The shorter towers were for Ship to Shore Navigation. There was interference caused to the shipping communication system, and the authorities tried to blame it on Laser 558, Caroline & Monique (how very convenient!), but in reality the tall transmitters on the Ness cross - modulated with the shorter masts and this caused the interference
Other stations have used these transmitters in the past, a Dutch station called Radio National. This was a really good music radio station, shame it is no longer on the airwaves.
Now there is no Dutch stations to listen to on the A.M.
I remember seeing the transmitter array from a distance when I returned to Suffolk in the 1980's, the night time illumination could be seen from a hill near Saxmundham, which is over 10 miles from Orford Ness (due to the flat landscape).
I still believe that the so-called interference that the original offshore stations were accused of, probably originated from Orford Ness. It makes a really convenient "hiding place"!

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

Using one of the main masts is an interesting thought. The main array was to produce a beam towards the Eastern Bloc for the WS. I think all towers were “driven” so will present some engineering challenges. It would be interesting to see what computer modelling of the site and proposed new use would show up.

There is a very good YT video about the site. Search for “Farewell to BBC 648”

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

So, they have just had their annual fund raiser. Here is the latest from their website....

'As we indicated, the income will be used partly to improve and extend our broadcast coverage (as recently authorised by Ofcom), and the remaining amount will be used for vital and costly repairs to the Ross Revenge..

We would like to give a very warm welcome to the 173 new members of the RCSG. We were especially heartened that this amounted to an increase of approximately 64% over the number who joined at this time last year. Your additional contributions over the coming months will prove invaluable, particularly in paying the increased power bills for our AM transmitter.'

Will be interesting to see just how much the power is increased.

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

The mischievous imp in the back of my head is waiting for them to have a "Sponsor-a-Watt" campaign.

David

Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase
 

HAHAHA. That would revamp the MW band! ;D