Last weekend me and some other HAM's visited the shortwave station in Hörby in sothern Sweden and the mediumwave station in Sölvesborg (ex. 1179KHz) in southeast Sweden for maybe the very last time.
It was a very interessting visit but a bit sad. These stations were closed down 30:th October 2010 due to a descition at Sveriges Radio (Radio Sweden) to cease with AM-transmissions and concentrate the transmissions to internet.
Hörby is being slowly picked down piece by piece. The transmitters stands silent and the controll board with frequency changer, antenna switch etc. has been removed. The transmitters can be put back into service but on only one frequency desired at the transmitter. One or two antennas can be used against Europe, Africa and Middle East. The feeders to the other antennas are torn down.
The owner Teracom wants in first hand to get a new partner, in second hand sell all the equipment and in thrid and last hand - demolishion (!)
Now it seems that Hörby will be torn down. The transmitters from Thales (3x500kW) were installed as late as 1993. Everything must be gone untill March next year if no partner appears or the equipment gets sold.
The Mediumwave transmitter in Sölvesborg is in better standard. It was inagurated 1985 (AEG-Telefunken S4006 - 1 x 600kW) and carried SR P1 and Radio Sweden Intl. untill 30:th October 2010. Now it stands silent. It cost approx 5 million € to build in today's value (25 Million SEK 1985)
The effiency lays around 72% and the tx has many hours left. Nothing hasn't really been removed except for the modulation tube that has been lift up from its holder and put aside.
What will happend to the station is not clear. Maybe it will be demolished completley. It'd be sad because it's the last medium wave transmitter in Sweden. Teracom, the owner, want the same thing as with Hörby. But it must be someone that can transmitt at least 12h a day.
Let's hope that at least the mediumwave transmitter can be kept preserved.
It's tragic that more and more broadcast stations leaves AM-broadcast in favour for internet, a much more unreliable media.
Pictures from my visit can be seen here:
http://s805.photobucket.com/albums/yy333/isbjornlw/2011-03-05/
(Christian Stödberg SM6VPU via HCDX ml)
It was a very interessting visit but a bit sad. These stations were closed down 30:th October 2010 due to a descition at Sveriges Radio (Radio Sweden) to cease with AM-transmissions and concentrate the transmissions to internet.
Hörby is being slowly picked down piece by piece. The transmitters stands silent and the controll board with frequency changer, antenna switch etc. has been removed. The transmitters can be put back into service but on only one frequency desired at the transmitter. One or two antennas can be used against Europe, Africa and Middle East. The feeders to the other antennas are torn down.
The owner Teracom wants in first hand to get a new partner, in second hand sell all the equipment and in thrid and last hand - demolishion (!)
Now it seems that Hörby will be torn down. The transmitters from Thales (3x500kW) were installed as late as 1993. Everything must be gone untill March next year if no partner appears or the equipment gets sold.
The Mediumwave transmitter in Sölvesborg is in better standard. It was inagurated 1985 (AEG-Telefunken S4006 - 1 x 600kW) and carried SR P1 and Radio Sweden Intl. untill 30:th October 2010. Now it stands silent. It cost approx 5 million € to build in today's value (25 Million SEK 1985)
The effiency lays around 72% and the tx has many hours left. Nothing hasn't really been removed except for the modulation tube that has been lift up from its holder and put aside.
What will happend to the station is not clear. Maybe it will be demolished completley. It'd be sad because it's the last medium wave transmitter in Sweden. Teracom, the owner, want the same thing as with Hörby. But it must be someone that can transmitt at least 12h a day.
Let's hope that at least the mediumwave transmitter can be kept preserved.
It's tragic that more and more broadcast stations leaves AM-broadcast in favour for internet, a much more unreliable media.
Pictures from my visit can be seen here:
http://s805.photobucket.com/albums/yy333/isbjornlw/2011-03-05/
(Christian Stödberg SM6VPU via HCDX ml)
