Sölvesborg medium wave transmitter
Sölvesborg mediumwave transmitter, a radiostation at Björkenabben on the peninisula Listerlandet, inagurated 30 May 1985. 55°59′28″N 14°40′01″E / 55.99111°N 14.66694°E
The station transmitts on mediumwave on the frequency 1179 kHz, and it's used by Radio Sweden Internationall, owned by Teracom.
Technical specifications
The stations is situated outside Sölvesborg far out on the peninsula Listerlandet right on it's outer point Björkenabben at the seabord of the Baltic Sea and gets then optimum earthing characteristics, which is a qualification for optimal cover on these frequencies. The station takes advantage of a phenomena called "sea gain", which means that the singnal is amplified by the surrounding sea. Two 135m (443ft) high steel lattice towers that works as antennas and are feeded half way up by 8 feeders from a feeder house beneath each of the two antennas, where the feeders from the transmitter are connected.
The antenna currencies are phase offseted to acchive that direction that has been decided in a internationall overcome. One of the antennas is feeded with 450kW and the other one only with 150kW. The station acchives most of its aiming towards west and north. It must be lowered towards east and south to not interfere with other stations on the same frequency. The station is sharing the frequency with five other stations in Europe. Maximum aiming are in the directions 70 and 270 degrees.
The transmitter has a power of 600kW (PEP) and together with the antenna gain the output power is 2000kW (ERP).
The station replaced the more and well completley torn transmitter in Hörby on 100kW which had been an object for artificial reproductive techniques for several years. The staff prayed every morning for the old station would start... The Hörby-transmitter was scraped directly after Sölvesborg had went into service. The station in Hörby had been into service since 1947.
14 January 1985 the station was done and short after, the adjustment works began. You don't start up a transmitter on 600kW just only pushing a button. 30 May 1985 the station was inagurated by Televerket Radio together with representatives from Sölvesborgs kommun and Sveriges Radio.
Construction works
The construction works began in 1982. The antenna towers took only three month to assemble. Smedjebacken-Boxholm has made the drawings and Wibe has assembled. They only weight 70 ton each. In the ground around the towers 8km of copper wire has been digged down which ends up in large copper plates to get a good earthing characteristics as possible. Two 350m long feeder cables isolated by compressed air goes from the station buildning to each of the antennas. The transmitter is a Telefunken S4006. Major parts of the transmitter is cooled by water with forced ventilation on some exposed parts. The effiency lays around 73% which is almost as possible it can be theorticaly. .
Totaly the costs of the station ended up on 25 million Swedish Krona. For that:
- 1500ton concrete
- 140ton steel
- 100km copper thread
- 20000 man working hours
were used.
The station building is prepared for one more transmitter.