Land based pirate radio stations 1960s

[@petemoss1938]

Back to the good old days of pirate radio, some of the 'smaller' stations were more entertaining than the 'big boys'! Love your stories, I could listen for hours.

[@g4nsj]

+Pete Moss Thanks for commenting, Pete. Glad you enjoy the videos. Cheers, Ray.

[@ItsRael108]

Thank you for sharing, absolutly facinating to me who has been a swl since 1969..i also started off with a 19 set

[@g4nsj]

Great to hear from you! Glad you liked the video. Cheers, Ray.

[@hakangustavsson3538]

Entertaining! I can imagine you had a lot of fun. 😅 I once made a test transmission and asked my çlass mares to listen in. They were mightily impressed😅

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Really enjoyed the story Ray. I could listen all day, your like a favourite Uncle LOL.

[@g4nsj]

Thanks!

[@RobMacKendrick]

Brilliant old war stories! Thanks! Love your channel.

[@g4nsj]

Thanks Rob!

[@davidsradioroom9678]

A very interesting story! When pirate radio is discussed, one rarely hears about land-based hobby pirates. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@carmenneumann6162]

Just listening to you I want to get myself a radio and listen to talkshows I’d love to find me a antique radio or just older radio. Love your stories

[@g4nsj]

Thanks!

[@butterflygirl2285]

I love it. i was living in France, and tuned into the pirate radio stations.

[@g4nsj]

Happy days!

[@ubuibi.channel]

absolutely enjoyed hearing your stories! it's wonderful also seeing your display of old radios and parts as you are talking... really brilliant, thank you for sharing!

[@g4nsj]

Thanks, Nina. I'm glad you enjoyed the videos. Regards, Ray.

[@Sckott01]

This is very therapeutic. I'm in the US but know Caroline and Lux, etc and knowing the experimentation that must have gone on in the UK, these stories aren't heard as much. Love it. Long Live the Radio Engineer!

[@ianhand5006]

Great story Ray! I've heard tales of people setting transmitters up in wooded areas, with a valve transmitter running off a dynamo tor and a car battery. The music source was a tape recorder.

[@g4nsj]

Hi Ian, I remember lugging a car battery and rotary transformer through the woods on a Sunday morning.

[@CarlDidur]

"Ten minutes if you're at the dentist having a tooth drilled seems like hours. If you're direction finding a station in your GPO van it seems like TWO minutes." The number of times I've used the same comparison!!

[@RGC198]

Hi Ray, thanks for sharing another awesome video. Back in the 1970's up in Sydney, I discovered a MW station operating on 1610kHz identifying as Radio Belgrade. They would play Dean Martin songs and announce in Yugoslav in between the songs. At one stage, they mentioned a street and there were two areas in Sydney with a street by that name. My dad and I travelled to one of the areas, though as it was the wrong location nothing happened. Meanwhile, officers from our Department of Communications, who had heard the station, arrive3d at the other location, only to be met up with the pirate radio staff armed with hand grenades, rocket launchers and machine guns and a battle started. the SWAT teams were sent in and eventually all the pirates were arrested. Apparently, they were announcing secret messages to others to cause damage in Sydney. Fortunately, they were stopped before causing any big problems. I must admit though, the Dean Martin songs were quite good. LOL. Anyway, take care. Robert.

[@g4nsj]

RGC198 blimey! Sounds dangerous!

[@RGC198]

Yes, I was very glad that my dad and I had gone to the wrong location. it was just normal life where we were.

[@catman4471]

I 'worked' for Radio Jackie back in the 70's, broadcasting from a field in Surrey every Sunday...different field every week of course. Have some great memories of those days, getting raided, catapulting aerials into trees etc. Swallowing the crystal when raided, erasing cassettes with strong magnets etc. It was the GPO in those day, who were responsible for chasing pirates, and a certain Eric Gotts who was in charge of the raids. We had a pic of him in the altogether with a woman who wasn't his wife, and I was surprised to learn recently, that some 80's East End Pirates also had the same pic! Of course by the 80's it was all done via microwave links, with the transmitter at the top of tower blocks, 'borrowing' electricity from the lift shaft, gaining access to the roof via the standard FB1 and FB2 keys used in council blocks back then. Went on to build transmitters, for myself and other pirates. Remember these...oscillators, modulators, quartz crystals, triplers, doublers, rf, af and if. Experimented with pirate TV too, which became even easier to do by scavenging modules from old video recorders. Those were the good old days!

[@g4nsj]

Cat Man They really were the good old days. Thanks for your memories. They brought back many happy thoughts. Viva La Pirates! Cheers, Ray.

[@kabylieindependante4902]

@@g4nsj guys if you reading my text please reply to me : I an currently student my final work will be about pirate radio I want really to have you guys on my documentary if you are available for interview please let me know .

[@m.9243]

While watching and listening to the great tales from the past, I noticed some lovely old radios you have on your bench Ray. Perhaps, in another series of videos you can let us see you working / restoring them, and you can also explain the process you follow in checking throughout some of those old beauties. Working on these vintage valve radios is a slowly dying art and, I am sure, many younger people would love to adopt your techniques. Cheers!

[@g4nsj]

Leporello Gatos good idea.

[@ianharling9569]

Happy days indeed Ray.We had great fun back in the late 70's and 80's doing the same thing here in Eastbourne.Many happy memories and most of the guys involved are now amateur radio licence holders 😁Radio gets into the blood I guess! 73.Ian.G7HFS

[@g4nsj]

Hi Ian, great to hear from you. Yes, radio does get into the blood! Talk soon!

[@RingwayManchester]

Another fantastic story! Would love to hear more about the radio telephone too!

[@g4nsj]

OK, I've made a note of that. I'll give it some thought. Cheers, Ray.

[@RingwayManchester]

Cheers Ray :)

[@RadioHamGuy]

Those were more great stories to hear about Ray, thanks. And like you say, it is all about the fun memories! Keep em coming if you want, I can listen to those kind of stories all day long, ha.

[@g4nsj]

+RadioHamGuy Excellent, glad you enjoyed the video! Cheers, Ray.

[@glynnjordan3135]

Same 'ere found this channel tonight - loving it - the old stories are legendary - Cheers Ray - keep 'em coming

[@TheRadiogeek]

90 year old pirates, I love it! Great story!

[@g4nsj]

+TheRadiogeek Thanks!

[@acree3739]

your a great storyteller. I really enjoyed this.

[@g4nsj]

+S. E. Acree Thanks, there will be more coming soon.

[@ewanodoherty2545]

Glad I've discovered your videos, Ray, thanks for the great stories! 😀

[@g4nsj]

Ewan O'Doherty thanks!

[@tommybewick]

What a great story and great fun making those guys go in circles. Recruiting your friends Granny to feed your band of merry pranksters and be your cover story, brilliant! LOL

[@VK4LA]

There great stories there Sir ,and look forward to listening to any more you have .....

[@g4nsj]

More coming soon.

[@g4nsj]

I am licenced, by the way.

[@TimMonck]

That's when radio was done by the ☠️ pirates radio is not the same nowadays bring back the pirate stations

[@g4nsj]

Indeed!

[@m0dad]

I love listening to these old stories Ray, it sounds like you had a lot of fun observing of course lol hi hi. I could listen to these for hours. After resting at home after an operation these stories have cheered me up. Keep them coming. 73 from M0DAD

[@g4nsj]

+m0dad Glad they cheered you up. Get well soon. Cheers, Ray.

[@andrewscott1253]

Thank you hearing these stories are in far more interesting than what is on radio / tv currently, as pirate stations mostly were back then.

[@g4nsj]

Excellent! Glad you're enjoying the videos. Cheers, Ray.

[@funtowatchTV42]

I'm loving this channel/videos, thanks for the great stories Ray...I was a great pirate radio fan(Caroline, Mi Amigo etc). I used to listen to Radio Telstar in the mid-late '70s which was broadcast from around Crystal Palace, West Wickham, Croydon area..it was broadcast just after the top 20 charts on Sundays and I found it by accident by twiddling my radio dial after the charts had finished...I remember they had to suddenly stop transmission in the middle of the shows, as they were just about to be 'busted'. It would be silent for about 15 mins or so, then they would be 'back' again. They played great music back then and I had great fun listening in in those days.

[@g4nsj]

I used to spend hours tuning around medium wave to see what I could hear. Happy days, indeed. Cheers, Ray.

[@arjanwilbie2511]

As AM bands are dying, I need a solution to broadcast .25 watt to my 1950's tube /valve car radio. Just finding a crystal to broadcast on MW is hard, I can find SW ones as used in WW2.

[@chrishenniker5944]

Go! Tennis Channel I'm doing a book about the south London music scene and I think this is interesting research material. If you can give me some pointers on where I can go, I will be glad to find out more. You can get in touch with me via Google+, if you want to.

[@G4MOF]

Thanks for sharing great memories ..

[@billthecat3159]

Great stories! I hope you do more. I'm not really into the ghost stories but still watching your channel. Thanks!

[@g4nsj]

More coming soon!

[@1fanger]

Thanks Ray, for the story. I`m still cracking up. Very satisfying to put off the heat.

[@g4nsj]

Glad you liked it

[@alancordwell9759]

Very good Ray! Thanks.

[@g4nsj]

+Alan Cordwell Thanks, Alan!

[@mikedennington8856]

loved it, the old days were sure special

[@madrad999]

Thanks Ray, Brill!. Looking forward to the next .

[@stevedoubleu99B]

Yep, memories memories. I worked at Gould Advance in the seventies and although you don't fully realise it at the time, it was a great place to work. One of the best events was when Gary H. thought he'd use an air line to blow up a Fairy Liquid bottle......I've never seen so many people come out of the woodwork, such was the bang!! I didn't realise so many people worked there....Anyway great stories Ray, keep 'em coming.

[@kennynvake4hve584]

Waving to you from across the pond....Have you ever used or tried an SDR radio..they are alot of fun...I didnt think I would ever on one...but do now...and love it...

[@g4nsj]

I have seen one working but not tried it myself.

[@frankedwardcurry]

I am reporting you to the Radio Caroline Supporters Group! - Haha - Very interesting story Ray. Keep "Em Coming!

[@g4nsj]

Oh, no! Not the Radio Caroline Supporters Group!

[@frankedwardcurry]

Haha !

[@SpectreOZ]

What a wonderful story Ray, complete with Pirates, a wily/street smart 90 year old and clandestine subterfuge operatives. I look forward to more "by proxy" tales of radio...

[@g4nsj]

Hi, glad you liked the video. More coming very soon. Cheers, Ray

[@bearfreeman7604]

Happy days indeed. I started in '65 in north London as Telstar 1, best antenna was a near resonant 1/4 wave up the side of a tower block August bank holiday '78, got out to a large swathe of the south east due to the fab antenna. Real album rock; AC/DC to Zappa, made a refreshing change to pop 10 stations, and obviously a huge response. :o)

[@inderpartapsingh4445]

I love your r/program ...really sir

[@g4nsj]

IP Vikram Singh thanks.

[@inderpartapsingh4445]

Radio Workshop welcome sir

[@NOWThatsRichy]

Great story, always intrested in this sort of thing, as my dad was too, a.though he didn't actually have a licence, back in the1950s/60s he worked with a guy that did, repairing TVS & radios. Dad would spend hours in the workshop listening to the amateurs chatting and he still did up until his death, four years ago.

[@john111257]

We had Radio Impact in Stoke early 70s

[@markrobinson8539]

Wasn't there a Sun Radio pirate radio station on medium wave on Sundays? I used to listen to them up the coast in Emsworth during the 60's early 70's on my Eddystone EC10 receiver. I think the staton was transmitted from the Brighton area, to the east of me - well that is what they claimed !

[@g4nsj]

Mark Robinson Yes, indeed. Sun Radio was based down here. Happy days!

[@TheSuperj96]

@@g4nsj it was the mast with the most nnon the sussex coast broadcasting from worthing in sussex

[@johnbrown1835]

Hi Ray Great story my father was a GPO engineer in Hereford I remember he had an I/d card authorising him to check TV licences he never used it to my knowledge. He was always being asked to instal TV antenna around our council estate I remember he was asked to put a BBC outside broadcast antenna on the tower of Hereford Cathedral For the three choirs festival apparently it was a bit high for the BBC guys Best regards keep the story's coming JB Sydney Australia

[@g4nsj]

Hi John, it's nice to hear from you. They were interesting days. It seems that nothing much happens these days in comparison. Cheers, Ray.

[@gtd-sq2pj]

The good old days.

[@artpunk444]

Really interesting story, nice tips for running a station ;)

[@g4nsj]

Thanks!

[@MM0IMC]

I love your tales from 'the dark side'. 😉

[@g4nsj]

MM0IMC Amateur Radio Channel thanks!

[@lionheartroar3104]

This was fascinating

[@adrianandkatrinadove203]

great listening to this !!!

[@g4nsj]

Excellent!

[@keithflesser1533]

Love the story mate.

[@g4nsj]

Thanks!

[@alexmckenna1171]

Great stuff! I'll keep sweeping the dial for your return to medium wave :-) I loved Radio City, 299, which was almost like a land-based pirate. Home made transmitters (for the most part) domestic studio equipment. No strict format. I imagine you were at the furthest edge of their 2-3 kilowatt range though.

[@g4nsj]

+Alex McKenna Hi Alex, thanks for commenting. Building transmitters, erecting aerials in the woods, chatting about pirating in the pub... They were happy days!

[@alexmckenna1171]

@@g4nsj we used to take out kit into the hills in Essex - Orange Tree hill I think at one time...such fun. Radio England/Kosmos 272 metres..

[@MrMarco2486]

Great story! The 3 negatives must be from the GPO guys that never found the transmission locations... Keep the tales coming! 73 from 2E0JMF

[@g4nsj]

Thanks Mark!

[@clairejensen4859]

Radio Jaquie started out as a pirate station later to become legal which was a bit sad as it was more fun when they were pirate :)

[@g4nsj]

Much more fun being illegal!

[@RobMacKendrick]

Caroline's on-stream now. Great station; I listen often. But you're right; it's missing the old thrill. (Fact that that DJs are mostly in their golden years may have some effect on the energy level...)

[@Robutube1]

Thanks Ray. Lovely story telling. What did you call the station (these ephemeral details are important)? And did you ever get any responses from your audience? I well remember coming in to school one day in 1967 or '68 and an official government poster had been glued up about "The Wireless Act and Radio Piracy" or some such, presumably to scare us all off of listening. I lived in the Thames Estuary - a hot bed of pirate stations, presumably targeting London. It naturally had the opposite effect! I seem to remember Radio 390 being my favourite but can't be sure; we had a few to choose from then.

[@g4nsj]

I can't remember what the station was called. Telstar, Channel... can't remember! Happy days!

[@DavidEsp1]

Great tales and insights ! What was/were the station(s) called? Never heard the phasing one. Helen Network was of completely different stations.

[@g4nsj]

David Esp I can’t remember the station names. Sorry.

[@Tocsin-Bang]

I modded a couple of top band amateur transmitters for medium wave, for use in South Wales. I also built a solid state transmitter that didn't last very long, due to my bad design.

[@g4nsj]

Stephen Cook some of the old ham gear was ideal for modifying. Excellent!

[@robertjohnson5126]

Yep, I was there. Got the dreaded knock on the door back in '73. Still do a bit of retro Sunday broadcasting largely for the benefit of another old pirate several miles away. Who'd have thunk back then that in me dotage it could all be done by semiconductors & be stable. Trouble is, no one cares anymore, not even Ofcom! Is that can of Servisol nailed to the bench or is there some product placement going on? As ever, very entertaining, Ray : )

[@g4nsj]

+Robert Johnson I wish I could get paid for product placement! Thanks for commenting, much appreciated. Cheers, Ray.

[@glenwoofit]

So many interesting stories. stories....

[@g4nsj]

Thanks, glad you like them. Cheers, Ray.

[@dirtycaty]

great, love listening to these :)

[@andrzejpl9897]

That was very interesting . Thanks .

[@RussWWFC]

Long before my time but this was fascinating

[@alaska3333]

"Granny almost got busted" LOL :D

[@g4nsj]

They'll get granny next time!

[@scottpeacock5492]

As of 2024 Medium wave radio is dying breed; Absolute Radio has already closed it 1215 Am frequency along with 30 BBC Local stations, Talk sport and BBC Radio 5 live AM Expected to closed by the end of 2027. Loads of vacant frequency spaces to play with your transmitter device.

[@g4nsj]

Yes, vacant frequency spaces to play with... could be interesting!

[@bityard]

I love this story.

[@g4nsj]

More coming soon!

[@Legend813a]

The CONELRAD round robin technique.

[@cptrdbrd]

Like the Jimmy Buffett song " we do it for the stories we can tell"

[@g4nsj]

+cptrdbrd Yes, I remember that one!

[@andystaffyman3711]

great fun ray !!!! lol

[@captainpinky8307]

these days you could put a Ariel on a drone???

[@g4nsj]

It would need to be a fairly long aerial for medium wave.

[@octavmandru9219]

nice memories.... I wish I hear more of it

[@g4nsj]

More coming soon.

[@davidshapiro5616]

I think you must be talking about the Helen Radio Network or LTIR (London Transmitters of Independent Radio) both of whom used a group of stations each who took a turn to broadcast. In reality, it did not work too well. R. Gemini on 49mb shortwave switched synchronized transmitters from different sites sites on the half hour and due to skywave propagation most listeners never noticed and this worked well, however even they got busted in the end up near Watford. Helen Radio Network Mediumwave in the late 60's: kzbin.info/www/bejne/boGoqWCkrtybfs0 & LTIR on FM. A documentary by R. Jackie's Mike Knight: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZi8ZHWFiKagarM

[@g4nsj]

Hi David, thanks for the link, great stuff. There were several people local to me who set up a group of stations. It worked reasonable well, if I remember correctly.

[@davidshapiro5616]

@@g4nsj The main problem with the mediumwave network was the relatively poor signal coverage and the locations of the stations relative to the listening audience. It was not uncommon at switchover time to go from a listenable signal to one that was in the back of the box or, not at all. LTIR on FM from the limited number of times I tuned in did not suffer quite so bad but that may of been down to my location at the time.

[@g4nsj]

@@davidshapiro5616 Yes, good point.

[@MM0IMC]

Did you explain to our foreign and younger people what the initials G.P..O. means? I.e. General Post Office. 😉

[@g4nsj]

MM0IMC Amateur Radio Channel er... yes, I think I did.