Kieran Murray Homepage - Radio Photo Gallery - 23

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JUNE 1986: RADIO RAINBOW INTERNATIONAL, TOGHER, COUNTY LOUTH.

This was the 'antenna system' for Radio Rainbow International! The station broadcast on 6240 KiloHertz Short Wave, each Sunday from 10:00hrs to 13:00hrs. There were usually three one-hour shows, which were all pre-recorded on cassette during the previous week in the Boyneside Radio studios in Drogheda. The antenna, transmitter and cassette player were located in Eddie Caffrey's house in Togher [just north of Drogheda town].

The house did not have an antenna mast, but it did have an electricity power line pole at the end of the long back garden. A stone was tied to a chord (which was connected to the antenna cable) and then was thrown over the electricity pole and landed just in the gap between the two power lines. This was then tightened-up to give a perfect antenna, rather like a clothes line. After the broadcasts were finished, the 'antenna' was then taken down very carefully to avoid an electric shock.

I did this a number of times and was blissfully unaware of the extreme DANGER of doing anything like that. DON'T ever try this. You run the risk of being electrocuted. Such is the love of Free Radio!!!