A visit to All India Radio - Bangalore SW Transmitter site
-Jose Jacob, VU2JOS

Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka state in South India. It is known as the Garden City of India.

Recently when I returned from my native place in Kerala to my work place in Hyderabad, I took detour via Bangalore so that I could visit the AIR Superpower SW station there by prior appointment.

I reported at their City office at Yelahanka New Town which itself is 17 kms away from the city. Their staff quarters and guest rooms are also located there. I accompanied the Suptg. Engineer and Station Engineer to the actual transmitter site which is near Aralu Mallige Village, Doddaballapur about 45 kms away in a remote area. On the way we can see several vineyards and the transmitting towers are visible from a long distance.

The Super Power Transmitter (SPT) site is in a 632 acre (255 hectare) site and it houses 6 numbers of 500 kw transmitters made by British Brown Boweri in Switzerland. It is the most powerful SW transmitter site in South Asia.

All the transmitters are in a large hall with 4 transmitters on one side and 2 on the opposite side. Each transmitter is named after a major Indian river as follows:

BL1 Ganga BL2 Cavery BL3 Yamuna

BL4 Krishna BL5 Narmada BL6 Godavari

In the first phase, 2 transmitters of BBC SK 55 C3 2 type were installed. Test transmissions were conducted from November 1989 to February 1990 and it was inaugurated on 9th March 1990. In the second phase, 4 more transmitters of BBC SK 55 C3 2-P were inaugurated on 28 Sept 1994 which uses Pulse Step Modulation (PSM) technology. They operate on latest power saving Dynamic Carrier Control (DCC) technique. It has facility to operate even in SSB mode. These transmitters can operate between 5.9 to 26.1 MHz but now a days they use frequencies between 9 to 17 MHz. The transmitters have automatic tuning facility and can change frequencies in about 30 seconds. Currently BL2 & BL 4 are off air due to shortage of the final valve problems. Each valve costs about 1 crore Rupees. A siren is sounded just before any transmitter is switched on. There are no transmissions from here between 0530 to 0900 UTC (11.00 am to 2.30 pm local time) and they do the maintenance work etc. at that time. Occasionally 2 transmitters use the same frequency with the same programs of course.

AIR is having a 66 KV, 20 MVA electrical substation exclusively for this station. For the cooling purposes, there are 9 numbers of 30 ton chilled water type air conditioning plants .

There are 36 multi band curtain aerials hung between 21 towers of heights varying between 60 to 115 Meters. They have slewing facilities with remote operation of Antenna Change Over and Slew switches. The antennas are in 3 zones with 8+8+5 towers. It can beam in 8 directions and is broadcasting to all areas of the world except the Americas. Any aerial can be selected on any transmitter. The antenna feeder line is 19 kms long. The strength of the staff is about 100. The transmitter building is in the shape of a hammer and is well shielded.

The transmitters were initially used exclusively for External Services of All India Radio. However now a days it also used for the national programs viz Vividh Bharath on 10330 kHz and the National Channel on 9425 kHz. Currently External Services in the following languages are broadcast from here viz. Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Gujarathi, Hindi, Kannada, Russian, Tamil and Telegu.

The programs are received by satellite from New Delhi studioes (except for the Kannada programs which is received from the AIR Bangalore studioes via the STL UHF link on 1440 MHz).

There are 2 standby studioes here and I could see tapes in various languages of AIR External Services to be used during any failure of program links but it has been hardly used At the entrance there is a large world map showing the beam headings. The station has won several awards for its excellence which are displayed. The compound wall is 9 kms long . We have to pass through two security gates to enter the building. Photography / Video recording is strictly forbidden.

I was told that Reception Reports received here are replied directly in the same mode (by email or post).However most publications list their old address and letters reach here only after a lot of wandering. The exact adress of the concerned office is:

Mr.R.Narasimha Swamy, Superintending Engineer,

Super Power Transmitters, All India Radio,

Yelahanka New Town, Bangalore 560064.

Karnataka, India

Email: [email protected]

Most of the QSLs for this station are issued from the AIR HQ in Delhi.