Today 16-08-2026 we visited a very special piece of radio history: Grimeton Radio Station, near Varberg in southern Sweden. 🇸🇪📻
As a radio enthusiast, this is definitely a place you can’t simply drive past. 😄 The station was built between 1922 and 1924 and is one of the best-preserved monuments from the early days of transatlantic communication.
What immediately catches your eye are the six enormous steel towers, each 127 metres high. Wires are suspended between the towers, forming the antenna system. An incredible sight!
Inside the station, the original Alexanderson transmitter is still there. And the best part: it still works! This mechanical transmitter is now a unique piece of radio technology.
The transmitter’s callsign is SAQ and it operates on 17.2 kHz. On special occasions, the old transmitter is switched on and traditional Morse messages are sent. For a radio amateur, that is absolutely fantastic to see and experience. 📡
Grimeton has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004, and when you walk around here, it’s easy to understand why. You are literally standing in the middle of the history of global communication.
For me, this was therefore a visit with an extra special meaning. Technology, history and our hobby all come together beautifully here.
73 from Sweden! 🇸🇪📻
Willem – PD5WVE
