Pirates of the North Sea - Radio Caroline - Abandoned Engineering

[@richardpicking4459]

I was lucky enough to visit the Ross Revenge in 1984 (or maybe 85) while at anchor in the Knock Deep. Four hour trip each way in a small fishing vessel from Ramsgate. Couple of hours on board before heading back to catch the tides. One of my best ever days out.

[@stevehayward1854]

As a teenager, Radio Caroline was my only access to the music of the modern world. It's good to see it still afloat but sad to see the state it is in, this needs to be preserved for the nation

[@scudosmyth784]

They stopped Radio Caroline but can't stop rubber dinghies!

[@Tirana44]

Excellent video. Radio Caroline was so much part of my youth. I used to go to the Roadshows as often as I could. I had a Mini at the time adorned with the Caroline sun strip, stickers etc. I still have a brilliant souvenir book I bought at one of the roadshows, and some lapel/pin badges, all treasured items. I’m so pleased that the Ross Revenge is still there. I was 14 yrs old when I first started listening to Radio Caroline, I’m 65 now, I’d love to visit the Ross Revenge some day. She’s a beautiful old lady. A big thank you to all the guys who look after her. That era will never come again.

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

I went to some of their roadshows too, crazy evenings but such fun, I even went out to visit the Mi Amigo, around 1976/77 I think, they were miles out at sea, couldn't see land at all when we got there. I live in South Africa these days but always wear a Caroline tee shirt when I'm out and about and often get a tap on the shoulder, "Are they still going?", which of course they are, all around the world, warms my heart.

[@im4cees]

Listening to RNI 1972 and later Caroline, Monique, Laser 558, what a wonderfull time. How excited to found test transmissions on 648 kHz of Radio Caroline in 2018. Justice for all those years on radio ships, Carelines history isn't wiped out at all.

[@whitelion7976]

As a kid during the 80s in Belgium there were pirate radio stations on the FM band which were local and often could only be received in a radius of ten kilometres. Police was shutting them down frequently and they would find new equipment and start again. I remember one called delta radio and another called Pantera radio. They would broadcast local artists as well international. Often without taking through the song to allow recording. Which must have pissed off the record companies a lot. I had my Akai radio cassette player ready on record.

[@VulcanDriver1]

It's still broadcasting from the ship. It's now licensed by the government, so it's legal. Its on DAB in some areas and medium wace. Also it on snart speakers and the Internet

[@John_259]

There were offshore radio stations off the coasts of Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands in the 1950's. Caroline was the first off the British coast, and it is still going.

[@merlin5476]

Caroline was such an incredible station that filled a large gap in broadcasting music. Caroline & John peel completely changed music. If it wasnt for them we wouldnt have the music & bands today that are so incredibly relevant.

[@radioman1170]

Was? Still is!

[@DavidEsp1]

The broadcasting from those ships, though not authorised by their target countries, was never _illegal_ - any more than the BBC World Service, that was surely not authorised by its target foreign countries (especially cold war "Iron Curtain" ones). The legality issue only related to UK subjects supplying, advertising on and operating the station, under laws that could only be enforced (if culpability could be proven) on their return to the UK. Unauthorised (by target country) broadcasts from ships was (AFAICT) pioneered by the CIA. Such broadcasts did not need to be authorised by their target countries, because their broadcasts came from transmitting platforms (e.g. ships that were beyond the target's internationally agreed territory, or from other countries). For example, Radio Luxembourg, a much-loved decades-long music station, just "set up shop" on whatever frequency it wanted and got on with it - becoming its own multi-generational legend - serving as the UK's only night-time light music then pop music station (transmitting a powerful signal, bounced off the ionosphere, from the western European Dutchy/country of Luxembourg, also transmitting to France and Germany). All stations mentioned are perhaps more properly regarded as "border-blasters".

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

Nice video, thanks for this.

[@kevincarlyon3317]

Listened in all of its incarnations, even on satellite, since 1973. Illegally produced advertising products at my own cost. There has NEVER been a station like Caroline and its Spirit will go on forever!

[@thomasordal8229]

Aust 1965 to August 1966 I lived in UK , Aberdeen Scotland and Bedford England,as a 16 year old I listened to. Radio Scotland, Radio Caroline, Radio London, and Radio 390 as they had music worth listening to, one of the Radio stations would play a partial part of a song you would have to buy the album at a certain store if you wanted to hear the rest of the song, once in a while you could hear the record skip due to the ocean----those were interesting days a long time ago

[@mickey1299]

I was another listener , all day every day . I had just become a trucker in the early 80's , and found it quite by chance . Never left until it went off air for a refit at a dutch yard if i remember correctly some point in the 90's ! . Converted many of my friends too . I've got no idea how much power the transmitters put out , but i can say i only ever lost the signal at Port Talbot , in Wales . Fortunately i only travel over that way once a week , just west of Swansea . Otherwise i had pretty much National coverage . Who remembers the 15 , 49 lotto ad's ?

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

I don't remember the lotto ads, but I do remember the Caroline Cash Casino from the '60s. They used a 50Kw RCA transmitter in the '80s but don't know if they were able to run it at full power, they were always a big signal into London though.

[@foamer443]

Canada here. I never heard Radio Caroline, but certainly knew of it. Back in the 80's my mother would listen to CJRN & CJRT, from St. Catherine's Ontario. In the mornings there was a call in show (there was rarely a defined topic, a rarity all by it's self) hosted by "John Micheals". Not his real name. He quite openly said he had hosted shows on Radio Caroline, which must have been in it's early days, as I recall he had related he had been on England's Olympic diving team shortly after WWII. And weirdly one semi-regular caller was a former U-Boat Captain.

[@edwardhunt8061]

Oh, my. I knew the ship was in the Blackwater, because my sons both sail there. But the memories! I listened to Caroline on headphones, using a crystal set! Living in Felixstowe, I was only about 4 miles from the ship and could see her from my bedroom window. That was in the early sixties. What wasn't mentioned was that later the British authorities used powerful transmitters to try to blanket pirate radio broadcasting with a warbling jamming signal. That, I think, was in the late sixties while I was at College. Excellent item. Thank you!

[@timothystockman7533]

I wish you had shown pictures of the 100 meter transmitting mast which was, at the time, the most prominent feature of the ship. The current mast is a mere shadow of the original.

[@plecman]

Really enjoyed this..shame the old girl can't be restored as quickly as the old DJ did his hair!

[@PeterCampbell-k4b]

What about Radio London? 266 on your dial.

[@richiehoyt8487]

Surely the Dutch raid was in breach of international law, or "The law of the Sea", or some such? Then again, if you're a 'pirate' broadcaster, operating from international waters for the more~or~less express purpose of circumventing (though, as stated by another commenter, not _breaking_ ) the law, what're you going to do when The Babylon show up? Call the authorities?! I'd imagine that theoretically they might, at the least, have had a civil case, but no doubt to take on the Dutch government they would have needed deep pockets, with victory far from being a foregone conclusion.

[@rickchapman9232]

How was the tower grounded? What I’ve seen on you tube a.m. stations the tower is energized so if you touch it you can get shocked or worse.

[@Reaktanzkreis]

For AM transmissions there is a very long antenna necessary. So in this case the mast is not grounded, the mast is the antenna. If the transmitter is switched on, noone should touch it. RF can cause serious burns, even death. The transmitter onboard the ship shown in this video got probably an output power of 20 to 30 kW. A modern one made in these days which the size of the one here in the video reach easily the 100kW mark.

[@JamieW-o7b]

The pirate radio stations were awesome and have never been equalled or surpassed! Governments don't like freedoms that they cannot control or exploit!

[@radioman1170]

This was a great feature but it just ended. No summary, no "this is the future" etc. We thought "maybe they come back to it later in the programme" but nothing, zip, nada. Odd.

[@michaelelcoat6323]

Shocking to let part of our history go and be gutted it should have been a presurevation order and made a museum in dry Dock somewhere in this country even though the damn bbc ect should have lowed this as it was fantastic at the time radio 1 would have not exhisted

[@Cashpots]

Implying the broadcast equipment was in some way hidden is the most ridiculous thing I have heard in ages. It’s not difficult to find a medium wave transmitter aerial! Obviously made for an unsophisticated American audience.

[@peterrenn6341]

This whole series is like that. Garbage writing and false mystery spoiling what are often interesting stories. The whole "mystery electronics intro" and the title "abandoned engineering" - and then they tell you it's open to the public as an attraction!

[@calxtra5361]

PIRATE RADIO IMPOSSIBLE IN THIS INTERNET AGE

[@radioman1170]

You think? You've never visited London then where Pirate radio continues to this day.....

[@BarefootMike]

Pirate radio has mostly moved to internet streaming, where it isn't really "pirate", but there's definitely plenty of "alternative" stations with non-sanctioned content, since pretty much "anything goes" on the internet.

[@faderman36]

Load of rubbish Caroline is still on air. No mention of this or the many people who look after the ship. Do your research before making a crap film.

[@peterrenn6341]

The whole 'Abandoned Engineering' TV series is the same. They don't care about accuracy and it's often twisted to make it look like some big mysterious secret. Shame interesting stuff is ruined by cheap TV.

[@joineralbert2493]

Not the original radio caroline ship 👎

[@michaelelcoat6323]

Extra comment all that 60s original radio equipment irreplaceable no acrying shame just like the Fred Dibnah sagor

[@MrDmjay]

Pathetic over dramatization.