I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency
came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international (non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency
came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international (non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
On 30/11/2025 23:08, Scott wrote:
I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary
frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency
came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international
(non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
Didn't their VHF service start up on a frequency in use by the
Metropolitan Police?
On 30/11/2025 23:08, Scott wrote:
I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary
frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency
came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international
(non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
Didn't their VHF service start up on a frequency in use by the
Metropolitan Police?
Op 1-12-2025 om 0:08 schreef Scott:
I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary
frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency
came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international
(non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
557 was not mentioned for the UK in the 1948 Plan
and it was not an international low-power frequency.
As far as I know only 1493 and 1594 were such low-power frequencies.
557 kHz was used by:
Helsinki Finland 100kW
Monte Ceneri Switzerland 50 kW
Greifswald DDR 10 kW
Craiova Rumania 20 kW
Radio Veronica
and some stations in Portugal, USSR and Egypt.
Source: Wireless World Guide to Broadcasting Stations 17th edition (1973)
Only the Helsinki, the Monte Ceneri and the transmitter in
Cairo Egypt were according to the 1948 Kopenhagen plan.
The others were out of plan, maybe illegal !
But not Veronica, because the 1948 plan did not apply outside
territorial waters.
Radio Veronica started 30 september 1972 at 13:00 Dutch time on 557.
You can read everything about choosing the frequency
and testing before 30 september here: >https://www.norderney192.nl/historie/h-1972.html
After a few months on 557 Veronica received information
that a local transmitter was going to start in London.
At the Norderney site you can find an audio recording of the IBA
announcing that a local station will start on 557 kHz/539 metres.
Some administrations consulted the countries with the plan transmitters >before using the frequency.
This is what NL did with Ireland and Hungary
before starting Hilversum 3 on 1250 kHz in october 1965.
Condition was that NL should use 1250 only at daytime.
So Hilversum 3 stopped at 18:00 Dutch time on MW.
I guess that the IBA did this too.
On Mon, 1 Dec 2025 07:41:07 +0000, JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> wrote:
On 30/11/2025 23:08, Scott wrote:According to this https://www.localradioarchive.co.uk/capital_radio/
I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary
frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency
came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international
(non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
Didn't their VHF service start up on a frequency in use by the
Metropolitan Police?
it started on 95.8 kHz. It is unlikely the Met would use a frequency
right in the middle of the dial. I thought they used frequencies at
the top end, that were subsequently released for broacast use.
On Mon, 1 Dec 2025 07:41:07 +0000, JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> wrote:[]
MHz :-)Didn't their VHF service start up on a frequency in use by theAccording to this https://www.localradioarchive.co.uk/capital_radio/
Metropolitan Police?
it started on 95.8 kHz. It is unlikely the Met would use a frequency
right in the middle of the dial. I thought they used frequencies atYes, Band II in the UK originally stopped at 100 MHz, though of course
the top end, that were subsequently released for broacast use.
According to thishttps://www.localradioarchive.co.uk/capital_radio/
it started on 95.8 kHz. It is unlikely the Met would use a frequency
right in the middle of the dial. I thought they used frequencies at
the top end, that were subsequently released for broacast use.
Yes, Band II in the UK originally stopped at 100 MHz, though of course
most imported sets went up to the full 108. Yes, the police - and other bodies - did initially use that part of the band. (AM, but you could
hear them on most FM sets, just rather quiet. Especially initially, when
e. g. Foster-Seeley rather than PLL decoders for FM were commoner.)
At the time, the police were all over the place in the broadcast FM
band, as were the pirates. I was working for a car recovery firm at the time, and it was amazing how often I happened to be passing by soon
after an incident...
On 2025/12/1 9:59:14, Scott wrote:
On Mon, 1 Dec 2025 07:41:07 +0000, JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> wrote:
[]
Didn't their VHF service start up on a frequency in use by theAccording to this https://www.localradioarchive.co.uk/capital_radio/
Metropolitan Police?
it started on 95.8 kHz. It is unlikely the Met would use a frequency
MHz :-)
A million apologies.Didn't their VHF service start up on a frequency in use by theAccording to this https://www.localradioarchive.co.uk/capital_radio/
Metropolitan Police?
it started on 95.8 kHz. It is unlikely the Met would use a frequency
MHz :-)
On 2025/12/1 9:59:14, Scott wrote:
On Mon, 1 Dec 2025 07:41:07 +0000, JMB99 <mb@nospam.net> wrote:
[]
Didn't their VHF service start up on a frequency in use by theAccording to this https://www.localradioarchive.co.uk/capital_radio/
Metropolitan Police?
it started on 95.8 kHz. It is unlikely the Met would use a frequency
MHz :-)
right in the middle of the dial. I thought they used frequencies at
the top end, that were subsequently released for broacast use.
Yes, Band II in the UK originally stopped at 100 MHz, though of course
most imported sets went up to the full 108. Yes, the police - and other bodies - did initially use that part of the band. (AM, but you could
hear them on most FM sets, just rather quiet. Especially initially, when
e. g. Foster-Seeley rather than PLL decoders for FM were commoner.)
On Mon, 1 Dec 2025 02:26:21 +0100, Rink
<rink.hof.haalditmaarweg@planet.nl> wrote:
Op 1-12-2025 om 0:08 schreef Scott:Interesting but if it was as easy as this why did Northern Ireland
I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary
frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency
came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international
(non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
557 was not mentioned for the UK in the 1948 Plan
and it was not an international low-power frequency.
As far as I know only 1493 and 1594 were such low-power frequencies.
557 kHz was used by:
Helsinki Finland 100kW
Monte Ceneri Switzerland 50 kW
Greifswald DDR 10 kW
Craiova Rumania 20 kW
Radio Veronica
and some stations in Portugal, USSR and Egypt.
Source: Wireless World Guide to Broadcasting Stations 17th edition (1973)
Only the Helsinki, the Monte Ceneri and the transmitter in
Cairo Egypt were according to the 1948 Kopenhagen plan.
The others were out of plan, maybe illegal !
But not Veronica, because the 1948 plan did not apply outside
territorial waters.
Radio Veronica started 30 september 1972 at 13:00 Dutch time on 557.
You can read everything about choosing the frequency
and testing before 30 september here:
https://www.norderney192.nl/historie/h-1972.html
After a few months on 557 Veronica received information
that a local transmitter was going to start in London.
At the Norderney site you can find an audio recording of the IBA
announcing that a local station will start on 557 kHz/539 metres.
Some administrations consulted the countries with the plan transmitters
before using the frequency.
This is what NL did with Ireland and Hungary
before starting Hilversum 3 on 1250 kHz in october 1965.
Condition was that NL should use 1250 only at daytime.
So Hilversum 3 stopped at 18:00 Dutch time on MW.
I guess that the IBA did this too.
wait until 1962 (?) for is own frequency? Why did they not just find a frequency and keep the power down and this would be unlikely to affect central Europe much.
Op 1-12-2025 om 11:03 schreef Scott:
On Mon, 1 Dec 2025 02:26:21 +0100, RinkI do not understand your question.
<rink.hof.haalditmaarweg@planet.nl> wrote:
Op 1-12-2025 om 0:08 schreef Scott:Interesting but if it was as easy as this why did Northern Ireland
I know when Capital Radio started, the AM service was on a temporary
frequency of 539 metres (557 kHz). I am wondering where this frequency >>>> came from. Was it a previous BBC frequency? Was it an international
(non-exclusive) allocation that could be used at low power? Or - as
rumour has it - was it simply to block the pirate station Veronica?
Was it used after it was vacated by Capital?
557 was not mentioned for the UK in the 1948 Plan
and it was not an international low-power frequency.
As far as I know only 1493 and 1594 were such low-power frequencies.
557 kHz was used by:
Helsinki Finland 100kW
Monte Ceneri Switzerland 50 kW
Greifswald DDR 10 kW
Craiova Rumania 20 kW
Radio Veronica
and some stations in Portugal, USSR and Egypt.
Source: Wireless World Guide to Broadcasting Stations 17th edition (1973) >>>
Only the Helsinki, the Monte Ceneri and the transmitter in
Cairo Egypt were according to the 1948 Kopenhagen plan.
The others were out of plan, maybe illegal !
But not Veronica, because the 1948 plan did not apply outside
territorial waters.
Radio Veronica started 30 september 1972 at 13:00 Dutch time on 557.
You can read everything about choosing the frequency
and testing before 30 september here:
https://www.norderney192.nl/historie/h-1972.html
After a few months on 557 Veronica received information
that a local transmitter was going to start in London.
At the Norderney site you can find an audio recording of the IBA
announcing that a local station will start on 557 kHz/539 metres.
Some administrations consulted the countries with the plan transmitters
before using the frequency.
This is what NL did with Ireland and Hungary
before starting Hilversum 3 on 1250 kHz in october 1965.
Condition was that NL should use 1250 only at daytime.
So Hilversum 3 stopped at 18:00 Dutch time on MW.
I guess that the IBA did this too.
wait until 1962 (?) for is own frequency? Why did they not just find a
frequency and keep the power down and this would be unlikely to affect
central Europe much.
Do you say that Northern Ireland did not have a frequency before 1962?
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