Humber Radio Remembered

For a hay fever sufferer, a quick and jolly solution is to make it to the coast, which is, for the most part, pollen free.

AOR is gaining recognition by marine users and, as a supplier, could not be further from the sea. If you live around here, you head for the English East Coast and the haven of Sutton-on-Sea. Steel yourself with a stiff scotch in The Baccus Hotel, climb the sea defences into the on-shore drizzle and look for aerial masts.

The ones on the horizon belong to BT Humber Radio, an MF/HF site for marine users. A 24 Hour watch is maintained on 2182 with voice working on Channels Q, R and S. Ships hear these on 1925, 2684 and 2810 respectively, all USB.

Channel Q ship-to-shore is one of the reasons why 160m LSB ham operation is power-limited, a great test for filter shape-factor in the AR7030.

Weather and Navigation info are broadcast on the half hour on 1869 USB. Night propagation will take this signal well inland. Listen at 2103GMT for a Gale Warning, the real thing.

It would be nice to think the massive tee aerial nearest the sea wall carries this, transmission at its purest. Eighty-metre hams know they share their band with Humber and other Coast Stations, a radiotelex service tests the local receiver front-ends, AOR included, on 3607.3

The eerie thing about this station is that it is unmanned, control comes from Portishead. The shape of the central building suggests an era when radio operators routed calls looking out sea before these defences were built. A smaller outbuilding still bears the legend RADIO STATION, but there is nobody here. Did Humber stay on-air during the 1953 floods? Which mast does what?

Enough for now. I've been told I've got to enjoy myself at the funfair in Mablethorpe.