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Orlunda långvågsstation

59292 Vadstena, Sweden
Address
 
 
Floor area unfortunately not known yet  
 
Museum typ
Transmitting and Studio technique

Opening times
 by prior appointment
efter överenskommelse

Admission
Status from 06/2014
 We don't know the fees.
Contact Unknown contact data for this museum - please help via contact form.
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Our page for Orlunda långvågsstation in Vadstena, Sweden, is not yet administrated by a Radiomuseum.org member. Please write to us about your experience with this museum, for corrections of our data or sending photos by using the Contact Form to the Museum Finder.
Location / Directions
N58.426944° E14.977222°N58°25.61664' E14°58.63332'N58°25'36.9984" E14°58'37.9992"
ca. 20 km südwestlich von Motola
Description Wikipedia.en:

Orlunda radio transmitter

The transmitter was a longwave broadcast facility in central Sweden which broadcast Sveriges Radio Programme 1 from 1962 to 1991.

Construction

The Swedish Telecom had begun plans for an upgraded longwave transmitter to serve central Sweden as early as the 1940s. The original facility, located in central Motala, was both antiquated and poorly situated; the transmitter was inefficient and staff were needed on site to operate it and signal fading occurred as close as 80 kilometres away. After studies it was determined that a site east of the town of Vadstena would provide a clear signal to the surrounding area. Construction began in 1958; engineer Strandén designed a ring antenna system consisting of a central mast surrounded by five antennas, to be connected to two 300 kW Compagnie Français Thomson Houston (CFTH) transmitters. The station itself was built underground in a windowless concrete bunker with 1.5 metre thick walls designed to survive a Soviet air attack. The bunker would host the power supply, transmitters, transformers, and a V-12 diesel engine as backup generator.

Technical specifications

The two transmitters could be used either independently or together, and featured a CFTH specialty, steam-cooled tubes called "Vapotrones". They had a power efficiency of 66%.

The antenna system was designed to produce a ground wave intended to prevent interference with distant transmitters on the same frequency. Unfortunately, the transmitter also broadcast a signal at a 40° angle; this did not affect reception, but its effect on distant stations is unknown. Programs were sent to the facility by telephone cable and were amplified before transmission. The centre antenna, 250 metres in height, was located near the station and the secondary antennas, 200 metres each in height, were arranged in a ring surrounding the station; each secondary antenna was 630 metres from the centre antenna and 630 metres from its neighbours.

Construction was completed in 1961. The station began broadcasting in 1962, after the necessary tests and adjustments had been conducted.

Operations

The station originally broadcast Programme 1 of Sveriges Radio, on 191 kHz. Its improved coverage and higher power provided a better signal to hundreds of thousands of listeners in central Sweden. The station was also audible in northern Sweden at night.

Some Swedes complained that it was a mistake to build an expensive longwave facility financed by license fees when the more enjoyable FM radio was gaining in popularity. Critics pointed out that many FM stations could be built for the cost of one longwave station. Televerket responded by stating that the Orlunda station was required because many of its listeners did not yet own FM receivers. However, despite Televerket's insistence on the importance of AM broadcasting, it introduced an FM network only a few years later; the Orlunda facility was the last longwave transmitter and the second-last AM transmitter (Sölvesborg was the last) built by Televerket.

The end

In 1986 the station's frequency was changed to 189 kHz. A rubidium oscillator was installed to stabilize the carrier. In 1987 three of the five remaining antennas were demolished. The transmitter beam was later changed on the two remaining antennas to improve reception in Copenhagen and Helsinki without decreasing reception in Oslo.

In 1989 only 200 people tuned in regularly. In 1991 it was decided that the station would be shut down on 30 November. Listeners had 6 months advance notice of the closure.

In 1994 and 1995 the two remaining antennas were dismantled.

Today:

Everything remains at the station today except for the antennas and the V12 diesel engine. It is currently operated as a private museum.
Description
(other)		 sv.wikopedia Motala långvåg:

Orlunda långvågsstation

Orlunda långvågsstation byggdes 1958 till 1961 i Orlunda sydost om Vadstena och invigdes i maj 1961 av Prins Bertil. Det var en modernare station på 2 × 300 kW för parallelldrift från Compagnie Français Thomson-Houston (CFTH, idag enbart Thomson). Slutrören var utrustade med vapotron-kylning, en CFTH-specialitet. Antennsystemet var en unik ringantenn, utvecklat av civilingenjören Folke Strandén vid Televerket, bestående av fem 200 m höga master stående i en ring runt en centrummast på 250 m med ett inbördes avstånd av 630 m. Projektledare vid uppbyggnaden av Orlundastationen var Tore Myrén vid Televerkets Radiobyrå.

Den 12 juli 1970 kl. 01:50 störtade centrummasten samman under ett åskoväder när blixten slog ned i masten och satte fyr på en av de oljefyllda stagisolatorerna varpå en av staglinorna brast. Masten störtade samman över bunkern. Bunkern fick obetydliga skador tack vare sin kraftiga konstruktion.

Sändningsfrekvensen alstrades av en extremt noggrann generator, som gjorde att Orlunda kunde fungera som station för normalfrekvens för vetenskapliga ändamål. Räckvidden var dagtid drygt halva Sverige, under den mörka delen av dygnet mycket större, så att stora delen av Europa täcktes. Motalasändaren användes för att återutsända SR P1 med målområde Skandinavien. Den nyuppförda mellanvågsstationen i Sölvesborg, som tog vid efter sändaren i Hörby pensionerats för gott, fick sköta Radio Sweden, Sveriges Radios utlandsprogram.

Sändaren stängdes av 30 november 1991, och 1995 revs de sista masterna. År 1987 hade militär från K 3 i Karlsborg fått öva sina sabotagekunskaper på tre av masterna. Inspelade filmsekvenser från sprängningen användes i den militära utbildningsfilmen Förebudet. Totalt upptog stationen 240 hektar inklusive jordnät och kraftkablar nedlagda under plogdjup. Idag finns en 86,4 m hög mast för mobiltelefoni på samma plats som den ursprungliga mittmasten. I januari 2006 skrev några privatpersoner till länsstyrelsen i Östergötland med begäran om att stationsbyggnaden skulle byggnadsminnesförklaras.

Stationens beräknade täckning var en stor del av Finland, hela Danmark, norra Tyskland, södra Norge och halvvägs till Storbritannien. Under stationens sista år ändrade man om något i antennriktningen så att man koncentrerade strålningen mot Finland och Danmark.
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