Radio Station 8: Vintage Radio Display

Following the dismantling of the old IZD studio in Spring Street,-a considerable amount of equipment, originally donated to local colleges found its way to the Tauranga Historic Village. Included in the pile of “junk” was a “Talks Studio” console originally designed and built by the NZBS in the late 1950s for the Recording Centre. This was used in lZD sub-control. Museum technical staff with the assistance of Radio BOP technicians, refurbished and installed the desk in the “Town Board” offices at the Museum. A fire which gutted the offices a week before installation meant that the studio had to be rebuilt from scratch to suit operational needs with wall ducts, carpets and acoustic treatment. As well as public broadcasting the studio is used to feed piped programmes around the Village complex on Museum “activity” days and once in 1982 as a remote broadcast studio to celebrate Radio BOP’s 21st birthday.

Later a 1936 Collins C20 IKW transmitter became surplus to BCNZ needs and was offered to the Museum. Paengaroa staff carefully dismantled the transmitter, labelling every component so that re-assembly beside the Museum studio was relatively simple.

Nearly all the equipment is surplus gear “on loan” from BCNZ and recent “loans” have included two Ampex 400 and two Ampex 600 recorders from Wellington and a line termination unit from Te Aroha. The station also has had many donations of old records, 78s, 45s and LP’s. Programming for Museum “live” days is taken from this impressive library and visitors to the Museum are encouraged to participate in the broadcasts.

RADIO COLLECTION

One of the finest collections of vintage radios is also exhibited in the building housing the radio station; Some magnificently and lovingly restored by the village volunteer restorer and many dating back to the 1920s. These radios are displayed beside a collection of war-time transmitters and receivers together with the two-Way radio from the tug Taioma which also saw considerable World War II service.

Also on display is a collection of early radio equipment.

The call signal was assigned as 1368 KHz and feeding an inverted L aerial constructed out off our fibreglass street lamp standards, Station 1XT first went to air to celebrate Tauranga’s Centenary on 13 April 1984. From the first evening’s test transmission, a DX report was received of clear reception in Invercargill. Since then reports have been received from ‘as far as New Plymouth, Taumarunui and Christchurch.

During 1984 the station was used, with support from Radio BOP,’ for Maori Language Week, then for some three weeks by the Museum and City Council for the Orange Festival celebrations and, at Labour Weekend, by the Country 8: Western Club to publicise their activities.