SCR Harmomic

[Jock Wilson]

SCR was heard regularly on 2.sth Mhz one Xmas/New Year in Edinburgh using a Sony ICF 2001D portable receiver and a cheap shortwave portable with telescopic antennae only, with SINPO 3-4.4-5.3-4,5,3-4 daytime and nightime. I believe that was in the early 80's, but I can't remember which year! Said harmonic from SCR's MW rig was rather strong! Luckily, the actual frequency was relatively clear, resulting in good reception.
This gave me the idea to put Radio Stella International on 3.9 Mhz once I had a site that could accommodate a 1/2 wave dipole for said band. If anyone is interested, RSI was only using around 10 watts on that band, from Eire, received well in Edinburgh regularly in the 90's. Click on the following URL for rig photos!

http://www.conceptnews.org/stella.html

[Gary Phillips]

Thanks for the interesting information Jock on both SCR and Radio Stella International.

Me personally, I'm local to Merseyside and the SCR harmonic was very loud here too. I guess I was getting it by groundwave propogation though unlike you.

Nice pictures there as well Jock. I don't think I ever received Radio Stella International, but it was a much listed radio station in all of the free radio magazines of the time that I used to get

[Jock Wilson]

Yep, Gary, those were the days. The SCR harmonic on sth like 2.5 or 2.6 Mhz was audible in Edinburgh 24/7 at that time. It was unique for us Jocks to hear English free radio stations on MW or FM without special receiving antennae or MW loops. Via an harmonic was another, though unusual way!
As for the hf scene, the listener response was excellent in those days. But I guess that the internet has been very detrimental to that. I used to get around 20 letters a brodcast in the early 80's when RSI was only broadcasting with around 10 watts.
I'm still in the PRC, married to a Chinese, and teaching English to make a living. But I still listen to SW, especially the sports program on the BBC World Service for live football commentary, the show starting at 10 pm local time here every Saturday. You've just changed to BST,haven't you? I'm now + 7 hours ahead here. I should say that once I heard Radio Jackie at dusk in Edinburgh, for about 30 minutes. They must have been on high power that time. It was in December, I think, and on 227 metres! I was only using a cheap trannie!