Orlunda Radio Transmitter - Planning and Construction

Planning and Construction

The Swedish Telecom Administration Board and its technical department, Televerket, had begun plans for an upgraded longwave transmitter to serve central Sweden as early as the 1940s. The original facility, located in central Motala, was both antiquated and poorly situated; the transmitter was inefficient and staff were needed on site to operate it day and night, and signal fading occurred as close as 80 kilometres away. After numerous studies it was determined that a site east of the town of Vadstena would provide a clear signal to the surrounding area. Construction began in 1958; engineer Folke Strandén designed a ring antenna system consisting of a central mast surrounded by five antennas, to be connected to two 300 kW Compagnie Français Thomson Houston (CFTH) transmitters. The station itself was built underground in a windowless concrete bunker with 1.5 metre thick walls designed to survive a Soviet air attack. The bunker would host the power supply, transmitters, transformers, and a V-12 diesel engine to be used as a backup generator. All cables leading to and from the facility were likewise buried underground.