What's Going on at 1395kh, Medium Wave, in south Dublin - January 2017

Declan A Walsh

I happened to be switching around bands on my car radio yesterday afternoon near Ballinteer and I noticed some program on 1395kh on Medium Wave.

There was a presenter playing ambient music. The reception was very good and I had no idea what station it was - it certainly didn't sound like Energy Power AM (the automated oldies pirate previously on that frequency)!

Later that evening, I put it on again in the car and I heard charityradio.ie - this time there was quite a bit of interference and the reception was poor.

I turned it on this evening to hear Dublin South FM - clearly a relay. Again, the reception was not great. I wonder was that the station I heard yesterday afternoon on this frequency, although the reception was far superior the first time.

Any ideas? Could this be Energy Power AM relaying other stations?

Fuzzy Clam

It was the Energy AM transmitter. I think its just on test at present.

There seems to be a foreign station on that channel as well which is causing some interference to Energy.

Infoanon

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

It was the Energy AM transmitter. I think its just on test at present.

There seems to be a foreign station on that channel as well which is causing some interference to Energy.

There is a religious service (Romania afaik) which broadcasts from 7pm to 10pm on high power.
Radio Seagull also use the frequency occasionally

Fuzzy Clam

Infoanon wrote:

There is a religious service (Romania afaik) which broadcasts from 7pm to 10pm on high power. Radio Seagull also use the frequency occasionally

Are you referring to Albania?
If so, that's now no longer on air.

Losty Dublin

1395 in on air a lot more than we'd think. It relayed Radio Snowflake's recent output.

Stasi 2.0

Infoanon wrote: »

There is a religious service (Romania afaik)

Albania and the Netherlands have used 1395 in the past but are not doing so currently as far as I'm aware.

thejuggler

Don't know much about Medium Wave other than the broadcast antennas are much larger than those used for FM. Does that not make it difficult for a MW pirate to 'hide' their existence/location?

Infoanon

The size of the transmitter for AM is a bigger issue when it comes to running a pirate - the mast is generally bigger but there are ways and means of hiding that to an extent - in terms of being found - no difference - both as easy to track - just cant run down a mountainside with an AM transmitter in your back pack !!

Stasi 2.0

"Infoanon wrote: »

just cant run down a mountainside with an AM transmitter in your back pack !!

A certain infamous Dublin pirate of old once managed to evade siezure of the transmitter by burying it in the back garden (there may also have been a couple of non-working decoys stashed around the place) another trick was to build a transmitter whose main components which could be quickly pulled out (and hidden) at short notice.

Fuzzy Clam

cbreeze wrote:

Has anyone EVER won a prize in the multiple prize draws which survey companies keep promoting? I don't believe them. One asks you if you want the points or a FREE entry in their prize draw (can't remember which one).

Stasi 2.0 wrote:

Albania and the Netherlands have used 1395 in the past but are not doing so currently as far as I'm aware.

I think 1395 is allocated for a low power station in NL, Radio Seagull (?).
There are at least 2 stations using the channel and one was playing Dutch "ompah ompah" type music a few days ago. May have been Radio Seagull or a pirate.

Fuzzy Clam

thejuggler wrote:

Don't know much about Medium Wave other than the broadcast antennas are much larger than those used for FM. Does that not make it difficult for a MW pirate to 'hide' their existence/location?

Although physically FM aerials are smaller than AM aerials, they usually need to be in the open and high up to be effective and this can make them quite visible.
MW aerials are "usually" long wires and can blend into the background......sometimes.
It can be easier to trace a MW signal using just a small transistor radio because the aerial in an AM radio is very directional .

Stasi 2.0

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

There are at least 2 stations using the channel and one was playing Dutch "ompah ompah" type music a few days ago. May have been Radio Seagull or a pirate.

Just checked both channels there now 1395 was carrying very cheesy folk music (probably Dutch) 1386 was carrying a news/speech programme in what sounded like an East European/Slavic language ?

SATNAV

Listing to 1395 AM today quality of sound was excellent ,
really strong signal out south Dublin , but no station ID , wondering if energy are back on air ?

arybvtcw0eolkf

SATNAV wrote: »

Listing to 1395 AM today quality of sound was excellent ,
really strong signal out south Dublin , but no station ID , wondering if energy are back on air ?

Listening to it here in Dublin 13 this morning.

I haven't come across this station before today, but then I usually only browse MW after dark.

Really strong signal here, and excellent sound quality and great music selection

Declan A Walsh

Jaxxon Tight Starch wrote: »

Listening to it here in Dublin 13 this morning.

I haven't come across this station before today, but then I usually only browse MW after dark.

Really strong signal here, and excellent sound quality and great music selection

This is a station which has got quite a but of mention on this forum over the years. Here are some other threads specifically about Energy Power AM:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=82036949
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=84794894
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055269543

I am a bit surprised to say the least at the name at the bottom of the letter from 2012 in the attachment. Although, I suppose it is possible that it could be a different John Power, given his involvement in licensed radio for many years. However, one of the stations that has been relayed this year on Energy is GCR (Garden County Radio) and one of the principals and presenters is John Power!

I was driving to work today and just before reaching the Kingswood turn off on the N7 I tuned into 1395 Khz and discovered this station as I was tuning from BBC R Ulster on 1341 which is a good signal in Dublin compared to Carlow which is much better in the early morning evening and night, I was impressed by the audio quality and good signal. Good music.

Since the FM band is so crowded it would be good if a lot more stations went on MW, decent non pop stations.

I would love to have the money and I'd buy the 567 Transmitter from RTE or perhaps upgrade it to Solid State. But if it works it would be a waste not to use it.

turbocab

Deleted User wrote: »

I was driving to work today and just before reaching the Kingswood turn off on the N7 I tuned into 1395 Khz and discovered this station as I was tuning from BBC R Ulster on 1341 which is a good signal in Dublin compared to Carlow which is much better in the early morning evening and night, I was impressed by the audio quality and good signal. Good music.

Since the FM band is so crowded it would be good if a lot more stations went on MW, decent non pop stations.

I would love to have the money and I'd buy the 567 Transmitter from RTE or perhaps upgrade it to Solid State. But if it works it would be a waste not to use it.

they will be increasing power and antenna height in the coming weeks from what I hear,

Infoanon

turbocab wrote: »

they will be increasing power and antenna height in the coming weeks from what I hear,

On AM location not transmitter height is more important - they run 300 watts on AM which gives them a good signal across Dublin.

I was amazed I could pick it up all the way to the Castledermot\Carlow turn off on the M9 a couple of weeks ago, couldn't hear it far past Kilcullen recently but 2 Kw should make the world of difference if they could stretch the budget that far, perhaps a website with donation option could gather some needed funds.

MW has good potential in Ireland for decent stations to open up, the FM band is too crowded and DAB never took off and that's no harm because MW offers much greater ranges than DAB and internet radio sucks if you go far outside the house....

hawthorne

Energy now audible in East Mayo on 1395 KHz. Slight fading, but a constant weak signal.