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Old 26th Dec 2018, 12:54 am   #1
linescan87
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Default Dutch Pirates

Hi All,

Hope you all had a great day. Told the better half half I was going to empty the dehumidifier in the workshop (which is code for I'm going to have a quick listen to the radio!)

There's usually 1 Dutch pirate to be found just above the top end of the medium wave band, but this evening I counted 7. Does anyone here listen out for them. They usually play a mix of traditional Dutch music and 60's classics, it can can make for great listening at times! Reminds me of Radio 10 gold before they left medium wave.

Regards,
John Joe.
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Old 26th Dec 2018, 12:27 pm   #2
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

Most nigts I have a quick tune around 1640 ± 30Khz to listen for what might be around.
They have been there at least since the mid '60s to my knowledge. I think the authorities 'bust' one or two occasionally, but the same ones keep re-appearing.
I really like the style of the older Dutch 'pop' music, even though my knowledge of the language is very basic.
Best picked up via the Twente S.D.R. in Holland.
I was also a "Happy Station" listener from the 1950s onward, but that was legit. Plus Radio Veronica, of course! Tony
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Old 26th Dec 2018, 4:45 pm   #3
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

I've never gone looking for them on MW: my preferred hunting-ground is between 6.2 and 6.4MHz - this morning the dog let me have a lie-in until 07:20 so it was around 10:00 before dog-walking and breakfast were completed - then there were plenty of free-radio stations to be heard on my Eddystone 840A fed from a 30-foot longwire antenna, though they were distinctly difficult to receive satisfactorily on my Philips B2X67U hooked to my 100-foot wire.

Which is a shame - I'd like to have been able to listen sensibly to Dutch pirates on a Dutch radio!

Maybe it's time I replaced the UCH81 in the Philips?
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Old 26th Dec 2018, 11:51 pm   #4
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

Radio North Sea Internation was a Dutch owned pirate station but with an English service at certain times.

Like Radio Caroline it's had periods of being an officially licenced oldies station.
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Old 27th Dec 2018, 4:09 pm   #5
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

I listen to them fairly often too especially late at nite when I'm mediums DXing many of them are entertaining to listen too although I done speak a word of Dutch. Also ive heard Greek and Serbian pirates on as well incidentally when I wanted to go up the shack late at nite ide use the dehumidifier as an excuse too
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Old 27th Dec 2018, 5:59 pm   #6
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Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post
Radio North Sea Internation was a Dutch owned pirate station but with an English service at certain times.
Like Radio Caroline it's had periods of being an officially licenced oldies station.
I don't recall R.N.I. being ever "Officially Licenced" by any government regulator at any time, anywhere, mainly to their persistent use of 6205 Khz which is, or was at that time, claimed to be a marine distress frequency.
This made them (so it is said) very unpopular with the "Powers that be" within the parts of Europe where their signal was strongly received.
Good entertaining listening, though! Tony.
P.S. I believe Mr M. or Mr B. (cant remember which one) eventually went to jail for his part in it's operation
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Old 27th Dec 2018, 6:09 pm   #7
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I was also a "Happy Station" listener from the 1950s onward, but that was legit. Tony
I discovered Happy Station in about 1966.
I don't know why, but I can't think about Eddy Startz without wondering if he and Jimmy Young ever met.
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 6:09 pm   #8
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

I, too, used to listen to the 'Happy Station', Someone else took over from Eddy Startz, but I don't recall who. Presumably like most SW stations, R. Nederland has discontinued it's programs by now. As for 'pirates', there used to be one called 'World Music Radio'. IIRC that operated on or around 6.2Mhz-above the official 49 metre band.
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 6:54 pm   #9
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

It's sad that RNW [Radio Nederland Wereldomroep] ended half a decade back; their content was intriguing and their carillion signature tune "Merck toch hoe sterck" [ https://youtu.be/S3bhZhNisko ] instantly recognisable.

There's still a Netherlands-Radio presence on the Internet - https://www.nederland.fm/
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 8:31 pm   #10
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Originally Posted by 'LIVEWIRE?' View Post
As for 'pirates', there used to be one called 'World Music Radio'. IIRC that operated on or around 6.2Mhz-above the official 49 metre band.
I distinctly remember World Music Radio in the early 1970s on Sunday mornings. I think it was on 6250. On my cheap and cheerful set I would find RNI (6205) and then tune up a little. Other stations used to pop up from time to time but WMR seemed well-established.
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 9:37 pm   #11
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I joined the WMR club. Still got the "45" with all the D.J.s on it, and the WMR pens etc. A bit sad, innit?
I always considered WMR to be very professional in it's presentation.
Anyone remember "DIT DIT DAH" around 6210?
I must second G6Tanuki's comments regarding Radio Nederland, too. (Post#9) Tony.
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 10:48 pm   #12
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

I remember WMR being very professional. I'm glad a few people remember them. I actually did a search of the net not so long ago but didn't turn up much.

I never wrote in for a QSL card - I made the mistake of talking about them to my father and as they were outright illegal he got very windy about it. I did win an LP record in a competition on RNI. The package got very close scrutiny by HM Customs and the Post Office. Fortunately Knacker of the Yard didn't appear on my doorstep.
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 11:12 pm   #13
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

Quote:
Originally Posted by G6Tanuki View Post
It's sad that RNW [Radio Nederland Wereldomroep] ended half a decade back; their content was intriguing and their carillion signature tune "Merck toch hoe sterck" [ https://youtu.be/S3bhZhNisko ] instantly recognisable.
Indeed.
But my favourite is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFzqLTBaIhs

Select "loop".
Heavenly.
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 11:42 pm   #14
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

Quote:
Originally Posted by boxdoctor View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post
Radio North Sea Internation was a Dutch owned pirate station but with an English service at certain times.
Like Radio Caroline it's had periods of being an officially licenced oldies station.
I don't recall R.N.I. being ever "Officially Licenced" by any government regulator at any time, anywhere, mainly to their persistent use of 6205 Khz which is, or was at that time, claimed to be a marine distress frequency.
This made them (so it is said) very unpopular with the "Powers that be" within the parts of Europe where their signal was strongly received.
Good entertaining listening, though! Tony.
P.S. I believe Mr M. or Mr B. (cant remember which one) eventually went to jail for his part in it's operation
I was getting a bit mixed up about RNI, it's just their jingles have been used by a Dutch oldies station in recent years rather than a fully licenced broadcast.

It's interesting that RNI risked things by broadcasting on a distress frequency, especially as a lot of potential listeners wouldn't have been able to pick it up unless they had a short wave radio.
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 1:38 am   #15
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Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post

It's interesting that RNI risked things by broadcasting on a distress frequency, especially as a lot of potential listeners wouldn't have been able to pick it up unless they had a short wave radio.
They didn't broadcast on the maritime distress frequency (2182Khz)
Why on earth would they want to?

The point being made by Richard_FM is that the UK authorities used to hint that any illegal station could interfere with ships in distress, aircraft, or whatever, in order to demonise their activity, and the press would print these myths as if they were facts.
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 1:40 am   #16
boxdoctor
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Originally Posted by Richard_FM View Post

It's interesting that RNI risked things by broadcasting on a distress frequency, especially as a lot of potential listeners wouldn't have been able to pick it up unless they had a short wave radio.
They were not only on short-wave, they also put out a good whack on medium wave, too, and claimed to be on FM, but I could never pick that up being so far away.Tony.
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 2:06 am   #17
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They were not only on short-wave, they also put out a good whack on medium wave, too, and claimed to be on FM, but I could never pick that up being so far away.Tony.
Announced as 100 Mc/s, Channel 44, not that I ever herd them there either.
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 2:18 pm   #18
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Default Re: Dutch Pirates

RNI was Swiss owned. It grew out of an operation that proposed to start Germany's first offshore station from the ex-Radio London ship Galaxy in the late 1960s, however, the German government got wind and quickly passed a law against offshore radio. This connection probably explains why early RNI programmes were in English and German. The name painted on the side of the MEBO II was Radio Nordsee International (using the German spelling).

When the station started in February 1970 MW transmissions were on 186m 1610kHz. When the ship was moved to off Clacton in late March 1970 the Coast Guard Service complained of interference. There then commenced many frequency changes, the jamming by the MPT, and all the controversy around the 1970 general election and the Caroline takeover. Eventually, in late July, RNI gave up and headed back to the Dutch coast. By this time transmissions were on 1385kHz but this frequency proved troublesome and in August they were moved to 1367kHz (announced 220m) where they then stayed until the Dutch Act came into force in 1974.

At the height of the British jamming Norway claimed that transmissions on 6210 were interfering with ship to shore communications on nearby frequencies and Rogaland Radio started transmissions in SSB to clear it. RNI closed 6210 but subsequently recommenced in August on 6205 where it remained.

The station also broadcast sporadically in the 31m band or thereabouts - 9940 was one of the frequencies used. I managed to hear some of these transmissions on my basic four valve superhet but 6205 was by far the best.
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 2:35 pm   #19
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P.S. I believe Mr M. or Mr B. (cant remember which one) eventually went to jail for his part in it's operation
I don't think this is correct. The MEBO II lost its anchor and drifted into territorial waters but I don't think there were any prosecutions. Some Radio Veronica directors were prosecuted for their part in the explosion on the MEBO II in 1971. RNI closed when the Dutch act came into force. There was a plan to move the ship to the Italian coast and broadcast as Radio Nova International but this plan never came to fruition. The MEBO II was eventually sold complete to the Libyan government.
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Old 29th Dec 2018, 5:09 pm   #20
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I remember in around 1983 to 1988 listening every Sunday morning to various pirates on 48 metre band I think my favourite was radio rainbow anyone else remember them?
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