© 2014-2021 Offshore Radio Museum
Britain Radio - Technical
Right:
The aerial mast on board Laissez Faire
Below:
The transmitters on board Laissez Faire
Transmitter
50Kw (claimed)
Continental Electronics 317C transmitter (one of two on board Laissez Faire)
Aerial Height
160’ (49m) - from deck level. The top 123’ (37.5m) was tubular tapered welded-section steel mounted on 37’ (11.3m) of the original ship’s mast.
The station claimed an aerial height 210’ (64m)
There were two separate wire cage or sausage antennas - the 227m (1320kHz) (used by Radio England) was slung between the main and back mast; while the 355m (845kHz) (used by Britain Radio) was slung from the main mast to the deck
Top right: one of the identical studios on board Laissez Faire, used by Britain Radio
Bottom right: the automated Carousel machine used mainly for Britain Radio’s overnight programmes with the Scully tape machines below.
Studio
2 x turntables
9 channel Collins audio mixing console
3 x Scully tape machines
1 x Carousel (an automated tape player)
Altec microphone
Hammond organ reverb unit
Thanks to Ian Anderson for providing information from his research into offshore radio aerial masts (originally published in Offshore Echos Magazine December 2007 and April 2008)
QSL Card
Radio station engineering departments issue QSL cards to verify reception reports received from listeners
Left: 9 channel Collins audio mixing console
Photo: Andy Cadier
Left: Two views of the Scully tape machines
