THE MV FREDERICIA  RADIO CAROLINE NORTH  MARCH 1964-MARCH 1968

Ramsey, the bay of Ramsey, beautiful Isle of Man

The original Radio Caroline 4 miles off Ramsey

wheel on the stern of the Fredericia<who is this>

original studio onboard 1964. panel operator in action

Gates turntables and mixer, Ampex reel to reel

power alternator unit

Jerry Super Leighton and Don Allen dec 1966 on 259 mtr.

the late Don Allen, true marine-broadcaster and the voice of Caroline North

summer 1967

Martin Kayne behind the Gates, Dee Harrison, Don Allen,Wally Meehan, Mark Sloane and Jimmy Gordon September 30, 1967

 the continuing voice of free radio, 4 nautical miles of Ramsey, Isle off Man

March 3, 1968 it's all over, under tow to Amsterdam Holland.

an artist impression of this act of piracy, the hijjacking of the Fredericia

March 9, 1968 arrival in Amsterdam. Never to be at sea again

Oude Houthaven Amsterdam early 1972

                    side by side, Fredericia and Mi Amigo 1972. By this time most of the studio equipment had been removed by 

                    former Caroline employees

beautiful bridge of the Fredericia

studio close up on the former sundeck, situated above the original 1964 studio

waiting for the scrap yard

         different by size and shape,the Mi Amigo and Fredericia just before the auction in 1972

sad end

NORTH

    MV Fredericia, the original Caroline pictured in 1975.

                                                                                                                          Andy Cadiers <Martin Kayne> story about working conditions on the MV Fredericia

Radio Caroline North had a small Gates mixer that only had four or five
channels.  The first two rotary controls from the left were the DJ's
microphone and next the news microphone which was bolted to a small desk on
the other side of the studio.  There were two push buttons (like on a door
bell) also attached to the news desk so the newsreader could fire
appropriate jingles by remote control.  The second and third channels would
control the output levels of all the other studio equipment, 2 spotmaster
cartridge players, 2 Gates transcription turntables with large Grey
pick-ups, the tracking weight of each was increased by the attachment of 2
one penny coins above the stylus.  Also 2 Ampex heavy duty tape recorders
which had separate play and record heads that enabled them to be used to
create and echo effect. A row of switches in the middle of the mixer enabled
the operator to select which of the two channels would carry the audio from
the selected items.  The up position gave you channel 3, middle position was
off, and down position was channel 4. This could be confusing when
attempting to use many items almost simultaneously, so many DJ had several
switches in both the up and down position, meaning that more than one item
of equipment was sharing the same level control.  The knob on the far right
was a master control which seldom required any movement.

Above the panel was a book rest with a clip board containing items to be
read, or instructions for the days broadcasting and a programme schedule.
Two red pigmy bulbs on this warned when a microphone was open.  The DJ's
microphone was the square type of AKG that were in common use at the time
and was supported by a metal stand rather than the anglepoise device.  The
sound was monitored by two loudspeakers behind the DJ and a headphone socket
was to the left of the panel.

The record library was outside the studio which had been constructed on the
after-deck, it had previously been below next to the transmitter room.  The
library also housed the newsroom in which a radio receiver, typewriter and
another Ampex recorder stood.  There was also a spare turntable and
amplifier so DJ's could listen to records outside the studio.  Another
interesting point was that the record library was always warm as there was a
ventilation hatch which could be opened allowing hot air from the forced air
transmitter cooling system to enter the room:  A shirt could be washed...and
dry before the end of your show.  Also in the record library was a cage that
contained the RF combiner that allowed both of the 10kW transmitters to be
run together to hopefully produce 20kW.

The transmitter room was on deck level, more or less below the studio where
the two Continental Electronics transmitters stood side by side along with
an audio compressor/limiter.  This room also served as a workshop and
contained much electrical test equipment are spare components.  The
transmitters each contained a series of safety features which would cause
them shut down in the even of a problem.  In very rough weather it was not
uncommon for them to switch off, seldom both together, but the engineer
would have to be on hand to push the reset button.  I am not sure if this
was due to the transmitters being tilted and tossed around or the effects of
the waves breaking over the aerial upsetting the antenna tuning.

Power was provided by 2 Mercedes generators during broadcasting hours, after
which a ships generator took over and supplied both the ship and the
studios.  If you were doing any meaningful production after broadcasting
time it was worth checking with the ships engineer that the alternating
current provided for the studio was at 50 c.p.s. or you could find all your
recordings being either fast or possibly slow when played back with the main
generator running.

The ships engine was run every Monday and the bilges pumped as the old ship
leaked a bit through the propeller shaft.  We did have a practice abandon
ship as the part of an emergency drill conducted by a Dutch captain.  We had
self-inflating life rafts which was very fortunate...the wooden life boat
when lowered over the side promptly sank!

The antenna was a folded dipole with a multiple wire forming one leg and the
steel mast as the other.  The loading coils were in a purpose built cupboard
in the ships lounge with heavy duty coaxial cable leading to the
transmitters.  In fact the mess room monitor speaker was just an amplifier
and speaker with a piece of wire just wrapped around this feeder cable.  The
tall mast was counterbalanced by very heavy slabs of old reinforced concrete
placed in the ship's lower hold.

The MV Caroline/Frederica had been a passenger ferry so the DJ's had
excellent living quarters with a wash basin and electric heater in each
cabin.  Portholes with curtains and a wide staircase similar to that of a
hotel leading upstairs to the main lounge and dining room.  The tender
initially brought supplies from Ramsey at the Isle of Man, but after the
British Marine Offences Act the 'Offshore 3' went to Dundalk in Ireland
which could take about 10 hours.

Andy Cadier.02/02 NOTE: Thanks to Andy for his contribution.

There are two other stories from Andy about working conditions on the Knock John

tower and onboard the Olga Patricia.

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