1j42b Valves

[Murphyv310]

Made up a very simple pantry transmitter using a 1566Khz Crystal ...

Interesting choice of frequency, Trevor.
I note that you've managed to find a crystal that is an exact multiple of 9kHz - a rare find unless you had it cut specially - but it is also the modern equivalent of the frequency of the first European pirate radio station: the Dutch pirate Radio Veronica (1562kHz/192m) - before WARC '79 there were some 8kHz channels crammed in at the HF end of the MW band.



Transmitters in the upper, white, section were stations authorised under the Copenhagen plan; those in the shaded area, including Caroline & Veronica, of course, were unauthorised stations.

It is alleged that a girl friend of Ronan O'Reilly told him about Radio Veronica and that was the inspiration behind Radio Caroline (Veronica started 5 years before Caroline in 1959)

Hi Terry.
That chart is very interesting, thanks for posting it.
I got a lot of Crystals from our Jeffrey a few years ago and the 1566Khz crystal was amongst it, there are some really good crystals in the selection, some other SW crystals that land in one of the pirate bands, not that I'm into that of course.
I also have two other 9Khz multiple crystals but these drop right on top of Clyde 2 so no use for pantry use, Perhaps I can use the 200Khz one I have if Radio 4 ever bites the dust, God forbid!!!!

[Terry]

Hi Terry.
That chart is very interesting, thanks for posting it.

It came free with the first ever copy of Wireless World I bought - go to page 36 of the pdf: http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Arch...966-02.pdf for the introduction and full chart.

Can you guess where you might find the most powerful ship-borne pirate at the time the chart was compiled - and who operated it? Take a look at the entry for 1259kHz!

[Brianc]

Somewhat off topic, but page 23 of the Wireless World linked to shows the colour TV system proposed by BBC engineer Brian Pethers some 3 years before the Russians "invented" it. I knew Brian quite well, a very clever, practical engineer. He also developed an anti-flare system for telecines but that too, was also ignored.
Sadly, he met a very tragic end, dying alone in his house in Kent and lying there for a couple of months. A very sad end to someone who could have been a serious contributor to the progress of TV, given half a chance.

[ppppenguin]

Also OT, but picking up Brian Cuff's post. I too knew Brian Pethers when he and I were colleagues at Michael Cox Electronics. Very clever engineer with tremendous insight, almost entirely self taught. Probably should have been in academia. Later I used to meet him at Harpenden where we would have long and very technical chats. I didn't know the tragic circumstances of his death.

[Murphyv310]

Hi.
A sad reminder of how so many in this field live. Brian Pethers had a brilliant mind but no doubt was very much a loner in his personal life, correct me though if I was wrong but the circumstances of his death is something I have come across before.
So many I know that I have met before internet forums and after lead lonely lives, no wives, girlfriends or close friends and families to care for them as they get older is a sad situation.
I believe that our field gets a grip on you and some get so wound up on it that other things just disappear, very sad but I believe true.
It's a beautiful day outside as it has been for over a fortnight so I'll be out today away from the shed and enjoying some other activity.

[ppppenguin]

Brian Pethers was a bit of a loner though he enjoyed being with people. I remember he used to go a local evening class near his home to learn Norwegian. Just for fun.

I still have some of his hand written notes on some design work he did for an early digital vision mixer.