March, 2021 - Radio Delta AM

Every April 18, radio amateurs worldwide take to the airwaves in celebration of World Amateur Radio Day. It was on this day in 1925 that the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris. Amateur Radio experimenters were the first to discover that the short wave spectrum — far from being a wasteland — could support worldwide propagation. In the rush to use these shorter wavelengths, Amateur Radio was “in grave danger of being pushed aside,” the IARU’s history has noted. Amateur Radio pioneers met in Paris in 1925 and created the IARU to support Amateur Radio worldwide.

Just two years later, at the International Radiotelegraph Conference, Amateur Radio gained the allocations still recognized today — 160, 80, 40, 20, and 10 meters. Since its founding, the IARU has worked tirelessly to defend and expand the frequency allocations for Amateur Radio. Thanks to the support of enlightened administrations in every part of the globe, radio amateurs are now able to experiment and communicate in frequency bands strategically located throughout the radio spectrum. From the 25 countries that formed the IARU in 1925, the IARU has grown to include 160 member-societies in three regions. IARU Region 1 includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Northern Asia. Region 2 covers the Americas, and Region 3 is comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific island nations, and most of Asia. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recognized the IARU as representing the interests of Amateur Radio.

MV Ross Revenge is the home of Radio Caroline, as well as having supported Radio Monique. She was constructed in Germany in 1960, and initially served as a commercial trawler. Following her decommissioning, she was purchased by Radio Caroline and outfitted as a radio ship, complete with 91 m antenna mast and 50 kW transmitter. Her broadcasts began on 20 August 1983. The final pirate broadcast took place in November 1990. She ran aground on the Goodwin sands in November 1991, bringing the era of offshore pirate radio in Europe to an end. She was, however, salvaged, and is now maintained by a group of supporters and enthusiasts.

The photo’s are from our personal collection.

Radio Atlantis was a Belgian-owned offshore pirate radio station, which operated in 1973 and 1974 from the coast of the Netherlands and Belgium. The station began broadcasting from the Radio Caroline Ship MV Mi Amigo. It was originally intended that programs would begin on 15 July 1973, using Mi Amigo’s 10-kilowatt transmitter on 773 kHz (388m). The station was owned by Belgian businessman van Landschoot’s. The station taped programs aimed at Flemish and Dutch audiences. They were recorded in a studio at Oostburg the Netherlands.

In October 1973, the station’s contract with Radio Caroline was terminated, following the collapse of the mast on Mi Amigo. The station acquired its own ship, naming it after van Landschoot’s wife, the MS Janine. Following three weeks of tests the station recommenced broadcasting on 30 December 1973. Both taped Flemish and mostly live English programmes were broadcast until the station was forced off the air by the Dutch Marine Offences Act. Radio Atlantis closed on the evening of 31 August 1974, the day before the act came into force.

On this page you can find photo’s from our personal collection:

The MS Janine
The MS Janine in Vlissingen harbour september 1974
Studio 2
Fred van den Bos (DJ) | van den Bos is weer los
Theo van de Velde
Luk van Kapellen (DJ) | Luc brengt u van uw stuk
Victor van Rein (DJ)

Since Radio Mi Amigo had closed suddenly in October 1978 the new ship finally appeared on the North Sea anchoring in various locations in mid-June 1979 and finally ending up in a position near the Thornton Bank, off the coast of Belgium.

Test broadcasts of continuous music, with occasional Radio Mi Amigo ID announcements, started on 25th June 1979 and continued for three days. After a further two days od silence, tests started again on 1ste July 1979.

Below you can find photo’s from our personal collection.

World Amateur Radio Day 2021

Unique photo’s of our private collection: MV Ross Revenge offshore Radio Ship

Unique photo’s of our private collection: Radio Atlantis

Unique photo’s of our private collection: Radio ship Magdalena