© 2014-2022 Offshore Radio Museum
Above: aerial mast on board Cheeta
Right and below:
3 views of the Malmo recording studio, with Britt Wadner
Above and right: the studio and control room on board Cheeta 2
Above: transmitter on board Cheeta
Left:
FM Transmitter on board Cheeta 2
Transmitters
(claimed)
Cheeta - 1.5kw (ERP 20kW from a directional aerial) home built transmitter
Cheeta 2 - 21kw Siemans transmitter
Aerial Heights
Cheeta - 98’ (30m) approx
Cheeta 2 -
TV Aerial mast 90’ (27.4m)
Studios
Technical equipment on board the original Cheeta was relatively primitive and
largely home built by William Petersen, a bicycle mechanic and amateur radio enthusiast.
He built the original FM transmitter, largely from an old taxi radio, as well as the
antenna installed on board the ship.
Cheeta 2 had more sophisticated, Siemens professional equipment on board, including 4 reel to reel Lyrec tape recorders and a mixer to play back pre-recorded programmes.
Later when facilities were built on board for live programming they were equipped with 4 Garrard turntables (2 in the studio and 2 in the control room) with Ortofon Pick ups on a special arm, which kept the pick-up in the track even in windy conditions.
Landbased studios in Malmo were equipped with Ampex, Lyrec and Movic tape recorders; Garrard turntables with Ortofon Pick Ups; Neumann, Sennheiser, Pearl and Bauer Microphones.
Photos: Ingemar Lindqvist
QSL Cards
Radio station engineering departments issue QSL cards to verify reception reports received from listeners
Left:
Another view of the Malmo recording studio, with Ragnar Landerholm and K G Alfie
