Owens Park Tower

Medium wave transmitter room

Medium wave transmitter

In 1985 the medium wave transmitter was located in a student bedroom at the top of Owens Park tower. The antenna was a 75m vertical wire dropped out of a window and tied to a tree.

The picture shows the DX100 AM transmitter. This was an old amateur "top band" transmitter modified for 1332 Khz, 225 metres medium wave.

It produced about 100 watts of power.

Programmes were received off air from the 103 Mhz VHF transmitter, at the UMIST main campus, about 4 miles away. But in case the link was lost there was also a standby tape and cassette player

In the picture you can see:

 - 103 Mhz VHF receiver
 - Standby tape cassette player
 - AM audio processor
 - 1332 Khz DX100 transmitter
 - Aerial tuning unit
 - Oscilloscope
 - 144 Mhz FM talkback to the studio

In this year, Richard was the regular occupant of the bedroom and like most of the Radio Rag engineers, was studying electronics at university. Richard also brewed beer and kept a small brewery in his wardrobe, which probably explains why essential visits for transmitter adjustments were frequent and popular!

Through various accommodation manoeuvres Radio Rag always had access to at least one room on the top floor. I remember 1982 when Radio Rag acquired three bedrooms in the tower and used them for the main studio, radio car control room and transmitter room, connected together with audio cables hidden above the ceiling tiles. I expect the cables are still there.

The only giveaway inside the building was the power cable for the medium wave transmitter. The electrical circuit in each the bedroom was limited to just 5 amps and the transmitter would trip the circuit breaker. It had to be powered from a 13 amp maintenance socket in the corridor. You can just see the cable trailing under the door (pictured). 

Richard