Engineer/DJ Robin
Banks recalling his time in the 1970's working on board the Mebo 2
A consortium of businessmen
had been working to use the former Radio London ship Galaxy for Radio Gloria,
but the German Marine Offences Act became law on 2nd July 1969 & the
projects backers ran short of money so the project floundered
Two of the group,
Edwin Bollier & Erwin Meister continued with their own plans & purchased
the 124' long 374 ton Norwegian ship the Bjarkoy, the first Mebo was named
using the first two initials of her owners surnames
It soon became apparent
that the Mebo was too small so a larger vessel was purchased
The RNI ship was built
by De Groot & Vliet in 1948 at Slikkerveer in Holland, first named the
Silvretta the 186 foot 630 ton ship was converted by the same Dutch yard
to became the radio ship Mebo 2
Mooring off the Dutch
coast the garishly colourful Mebo 2 came on air as RNI with a German on short
wave in January 1970
Followed by English
on medium wave & later programmes were heard in Dutch
By the funnel on the
ships port side
Audio Break
Robin Banks
programme on RNI from 29th March 1974
Interior
ship walkway
Night
shot of the Mebo 2 galley with Rudi Kagon & Gerrit de Winter
Brian
MacKenzie taking tea in the mess room before his programme
Bob Nokes compares used
& new transmitter tubes
Crew
member sailor Rein at the ships main engine
Brian
MacKenzie on the walkway by "Daffy" Don Allen's den
of iniquity. Every space including the outside cabin door &
walls were adorned with his collection of glamour pictures
Early
days, Captain on his bridge as news goes out before the news studio
had been built
On board the Mebo 2 there
were 5 transmitters, a main 105kW transmitter for Medium Wave: RCA BTH 100B
serial 002. A 10.5kW standby Medium Wave: RCA BTA 10J formerly used by Radio
390. A 10.5kW for 31 metre band Short Wave: RCA BHF 10B. A 10.5kW standby
Short Wave: Brown & Boveri Corporation used for 49 metre band. A 1.2kW
Rhode & Schwarz 100mHz FM
Bob
Nokes setting up the RCA BHF 10B the 10.5kw 6210mhz 49m short
wave band transmitter
Bob
Nokes completes his final adjustments to the RCA BHF 10B with
a screwdriver that's just a tad too big for a trim pot
Rudi
Kagon with Roger Kent & Peiter
Same
cigarette surely not the same link
"Daffy"
Don Allen leaves his cabin cuddling toy bear "Louise"
Louise
worked at Manx Radio on the Isle of Man & it was Don that
talked her into recording links for the overnight Skyline Programme
Rudi
Kagon in the wash room
"Daffy"
Don prepares for his Country & Western Jamboree
Bruno
Brandenburger lowers a temperamental tape machine to a watery
grave with Bob Nokes looking on
Don
Allen the hot seat
Audio Break
On-air Daffy
Don Allen on Radio North Sea International with King Kong's "Funny"
still used on some ILR's in the Noughties
Will
the cook the Captain, Bobby Schmitz, Rudi Kagon & all but
hidden John de Mol, Roger Kent & Brian MacKenzie
Navy
ship passes astern
Robin
Banks with Roger Kent on the port side stern, note the bicycle
on deck above
Bobby
Schmitz doing a spot of fishing over the stern
Robin's
in his cabin self named "Banks' Bungalow"
Like the brightly
painted ship, the station was to have a colourful time RNI was jammed, became
embroiled in politics, had writs issued against her, was fire bombed &
even accused of being a spy ship
Just logged onto your site. Very nice to see that you are
keeping the great stories alive, as you may know I was one of the Directors,
PD & DJs on RNI & Caroline - Larry Tremaine
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