A new announcer operated studio was established to save wear and tear on the older control desk (vintage 1953) which uses valves which are hard to come-by and expensive.
Tauranga Village Radio Museum Incorporated is always on the lookout for new volunteers to help with announcing, panel work, technical support and the general running of the station.
After gathering dust and out of action for 13 years with a burnt out high voltage transformer, the old Collins one kilowatt transmitter had been repaired and tested.
At the time, in 1937, these Collins Transmitters were regarded by radio engineers as the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of broadcasting, with very low distortion and a near perfect flat frequency response.
It is thanks to a grant from the Lotteries Commission (NZ) and the expertise of a team from a Judea transformer rewinding business that the transmitter had been able to get back in operation.
Listeners may support the station by making a donation of their choice, picking out 20 tunes which will be broadcast and they also become a Friend of Village Radio entitling them to participate in functions organised by the Volunteers.