utility radio review

Globe Wireless: A Company Profile

We are definitely in a period of historic transition as coastal stations are continuing to be shut down around the world. The most recent was Stockholm Radio “SDJ,” which was shut down at 0100Z on February 1. The pedigree of the station can be traced back to 1902 when the Royal Swedish Navy built an experimental radio station at the entrance to Stockholm from the Baltic Sea. The location of the station moved to several different sites over the following decades.

Operating on 500 kHz, the modern history of this historic station dates back to 1947 when the current buildings were completed. At that time it was designated a maritime rescue coordination center. While providing a critical monitoring service for 500 KHz in the Swedish portion of the Baltic Sea for many decades, a critical change took place that made much of its operation redundant. That was the rise to prominence of inexpensive computer technology during the 1990s.

What was surprising about the decision in some ways was the fact that a considerable amount of time, money, and energy had been placed into the building up of the station during the 1970s and ’80s. During that time the station was merged with the HF Air/Ground and point-to-point station Enkoping Radio. This was also combined with VHF services for merchant and pleasure boats.