Free Radio Forum: Re: RNI on FM

Yes, there is photographic evidence that the Mi Amigo was drydocked in 1968 (and not in the same dock as in 1966).

What no one yet seems to know positively is 1) why? and 2) who paid? It has been suggested that Wijsmuller was still responsible for the vessel and that the Americans were still the owners. If so, when did that cease? Maybe Paul Rusling has discovered more in recent years.

The hull was seen to in the work in 1966. There is unlikely to have been much deterioration in the subsequent two years that the drydocking and cleaning in 1968 could not have sorted.

As for "an entirely new hull to be put on the ship", well I wonder what that even means. Maybe hull plate replacement, assuming that could even be done with current materials on a vessel that vintage. They key to working with Ronan was not to believe everything he said.

There is another question, and that is when the German project to use the Galaxy hit issues in 1969, was the Mi Amigo not considered?

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Thanks Ian.

I do have another question, following on from a previous thread ..

You mentioned the Mi Amigo dry-docking in 1968, and may know that Ronan mentioned this in an interview in October 1973's 'DJ and Radio Monthly'. He also said then that in 1966 "the insurance company paid for an entire new hull to be put on the ship". Is this true?

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Neptune, I wrote about this in Offshore Echos 164 (2011).

There were various RNI International Service charts over the years from a Top 30 to a Top 50 (Nifty 50) and indeed it was an International Service Top 30 when I was there.

At that time the chart was supposedly complied by the on-board team sitting around the usual port side mess table. However, in effect, it was compiled by the team leaders, either Don Allan or Brian McKenzie, guided by the latest Record Mirror chart which, by the time that arrived on board, was for record sales from up to three weeks previously. A Gilbert O'Sullivan new entry at 18 at the end of March 1973 had already been in the UK top 10 for a couple of weeks. Equally there was some Radio London type predictions, eg Roxy Music already in the RNI top 10 for two weeks while it took another three weeks for it to get to 10 in the Record Mirror charts. There was always a personal favourite or two, which usually got nowhere, with the same going for the hit-picks.

You probably know about Non-stop RNI Top 50s which refer also to the International Service charts:-

https://www.meijering.info/Top%2050/T50%20in%20order.htm

Happy to answer any other queries.

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Ian,

Going in a different direction, but keeping with RNI, who compiled the International Top 30?

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I had forgotten that. Just goes to show, once again, that photographs are more reliable than memories, although I would have thought Ted Allbeury would have remembered correctly. Or was it after he resigned (10 February 1967)?

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Radio 390 did acquire an FM transmitter. You can see a photo of it on Bob Le Roi's website, on the 'Red Sands 40 - Part 1' page.

On the same site ('The Glendinnings - Part 2' page) Robin Adcroft says they were "foxed about how to mount the VHF aerials on top of the MF mast."

I think they may also have had difficulty finding a suitable frequency when so little of the FM band had been cleared for broadcasting. Maybe they could have snuck in just above the Home Service.

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This is what Radio 390's chief, Ted Allbeury, told Chris Edwards on a planned FM service. Published in Offshore Echos number 26 in December 1978:-

"Yes, we had in fact - or I had - laid my eyes on a second hand VHF transmitter. That came to nought I'm afraid. It was a bit late in the day and the shareholders would not allow us to spend money on that."

My comment: Red Sands would have been the best offshore location for a VHF/FM service, especially directing the signal westwards up the River Thames while including a good bit of Kent and Essex. However Northfleet would have been 30 miles, Greenwich 45 miles and Ealing 60 miles, so maybe not an all-London service. However, then, there were far less high-rise buildings to block/divert the signal path.

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There was no use of the FM transmitter when Caroline was on the Cheetah 2. Conditions on there were not good.

https://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/odds31.htm

There were plans for the Cheetah 2 to anchor off the North Wales Coast and broadcast as Radio 390 North. They would then broadcast as Radio 390 South from Red Sands Fort with an FM service in parallel as a listener survey had found a demand for it. More here.

http://www.offshoreradiomuseum.co.uk/page263.html

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Scandinavia were using FM as their main broadcast platform way before the British isles so as you say, several offshore stations used it. There were very few FM stations in this part of the world back when RNI was on FM and there were none above 98 MHZ so RNI on 100 MHZ was a clear channel so DX reception was ideal. Allocating the top half of the band 2 FM band to Radio telephones and two way PMR and was a crazy move which held back the roll out of FM radio in the UK for many years until they could be cleared again.