Broadcast - 2 August 2026
For club members’ information, this week’s Wednesday Technical Night will feature the item we ran out of time to show at the last session.
While Britain was retiring BBC Radio 4 Long Wave at sites like Droitwich, Westerglen and Burghead, citing ageing infrastructure, high costs, and changing technology. Something quite different has been happening in North Queensland near the township of Brandon, where a medium wave transmitter site has been rebuilt.
Unfortunately we see the “dropping” of a magnificent piece of broadcast history: a 198 metre capacitive tophat antenna constructed in 1959. As sad as it is to watch a tower or antenna come down, in this case it was necessary so the site could be modernised.
The station’s 630 kHz AM transmitter, running 50,000 watts, is now coupled to a brand new 236 metre vertical radiating element.
For information and those of us that can remember, a capacitive top hat antenna is the same principle that the OTC antenna used which adorned the top of the Domain in Hobart, only this one is much, much taller.
This is a short video presentation from Wade, VK4WM, and is summed up in his own words “Broadcasting infrastructure is not obsolete just because it’s old. Sometimes old technology survives for one very simple reason. It still does the job.”
See you Wednesday night.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CW course - Every Wednesday night, on 3.580 MHz from 7 to 7.30 pm. Your CW Coach for the evening is Nic, VK7WW.
On Air Test and Technical gathering - Wednesday nights, on 3.567 MHz from 7.30 pm.
Club Room Technical night - The next session will be Wednesday the 5th August and will commence at the usual time of 6.30 pm at the Club Room Archer Street, Rocherlea.
Coffee Morning - Held every Friday in the NTARC Club rooms. Time is from 10 am to noon.
Club General Meeting - Saturday 8th August at 2:00 pm. Held at the NTARC Club Room, Rocherlea Scout Hall, Archer Street, Rocherlea. If you have items you would like added to the agenda please email the secretary at: secretary@ntarc.net no later than Friday the 7th August.
Finally - If you have any items of news please email them to the Secretary at the following address news@ntarc.net all items to be received no later than 5 pm on the Friday prior to the Broadcast.
That’s all folks,
73, Stefan VK7ZSB.
