A mediumwave signal with a lifetime behind it
Some radio signals carry more than music — they carry history. On 819 kHz, from Mastenbroek in the Netherlands, a familiar mediumwave sound returns each weekend. Not as nostalgia, but as a living continuation of a lifetime devoted to radio.
Where the radio bug started
Long before licences and LPAM frameworks existed, radio already lived inside the house of two brothers: Johan and André. Pirate stations filled the air at home and sparked a fascination that never faded. Around the age of ten, they built and used their first FM transmitter — the moment the radio virus struck for good.
In those early years they were known by names that still resonate with Dutch listeners: Zeetijger and Kleine Jopie. What started as curiosity quickly became obsession — antennas, transmitters, and endless hours spent exploring the dial.
Valves, BC-191 and the knock at the door
Their first serious steps on mediumwave came with valve transmitters, including a double 807 tube transmitter. Not long after, a legendary BC-191 army transmitter entered their lives — a true icon of the pirate era.
Broadcasting brought excitement, but also risk. At times, a single knock at the door meant silence. Transmitters were confiscated, broadcasts stopped — yet every pause was followed by a return. Because for real radio people, radio is never optional.
From Zeetijger to Zanussi
As time passed, paths shifted. “Kleine Jopie” moved out, while broadcasting continued in different forms and locations. Then came a moment that changed everything: a field officer once remarked that they no longer wanted to hear the name Zeetijger.
That single sentence sparked a reinvention. A new name was born — Zanussi. André still proudly uses it today, a symbol of how pirate radio adapts without losing its soul.
Legal at last: LPAM on 819 kHz
In 2023, Dutch regulations opened the door for 100 watt LPAM broadcasting. Johan and André seized the opportunity immediately. What once lived in secrecy could finally be shared openly.
From Mastenbroek (Overijssel), Zanussi & Hercules returned to mediumwave on 819 kHz — the same passion, the same hands-on spirit, but now with a licence and a future.
The weekend sound on 819 kHz
English and international music, spanning decades. Warm, relaxed and steady — a sound that fits mediumwave perfectly.
Dutch music, polka, oldies and German favourites — the classic pirate sound, now fully legal on 819 kHz.
Why this signal matters
In an age of streams and algorithms, 819 kHz offers something different: presence, patience and personality. Zanussi & Hercules prove that mediumwave is not history — it is continuity.
Have you heard them? Send in your reception report with date, time, location and equipment — and become part of a signal that has been travelling for a lifetime.
Join the community
Your report, your story — this is where listeners become part of Radio Delta AM.
About The Author
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story about two brothers and their longlife dream and the reality of making radio from illegal to legal on MW.
Listening to 819 kHz is always my favourite time on MW on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Great station behind Radio Casanova in the morning and Radio Delta in the evening.
Lieber Dieter!
Sehr interessante Story. Bitte mehr von solchen Geschichten.
Das erinnert mich an die Zeit, als ich vor rund 45 Jahren als CB-Funker auf DX ging und bald darauf Bekanntschaft mit den Herrschaften der damaligen Bundesnetzagentur machte.
Heute kann man darüber schmunzeln.
Vielen Dank!
73, Horst