The world record for medium-wave power at 2000 km is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The foundation stone for the Solt medium-wave transmitter was laid on 5 September 1974, and it’s going strong!
While some countries prefer to ignore the protection of national minorities in one of their regions, Hungary ensures it even in neighbouring countries where three million Magyar speakers live.
There used to be a national transmitter at Lakihegyi, but due to interference it no longer covered the desired area at night.
In 1970, Hungary decided to install a new 2000 kW transmitter. The transmitter, consisting of two 1000 kW units, was of Russian manufacture. A 120 kV high-voltage line fed the centre over the Danube.
The antenna consisted of a lattice tower with a triangular cross-section, 303.6 m high, resting on two cylindrical ceramic insulators. Stability was ensured by three rows of steel cables separated by porcelain insulators. The whole structure weighed 184.5 tonnes.
But over 40 years of operation, the power and sound quality deteriorated and the transmitter was deemed to be too energy-consuming. The transmitters consumed more than 6,400 kW: 2,000 kW was sent to the antenna and the remaining 4,400 kW was given off as heat.
In 2017, Hungary did not hesitate to replace its 2000 kW medium-wave transmitter with a new one of the same power.
An ultra-modern solid-state transmitter supplied by the Canadian company NAUTEL. It consists of five transmitter blocks, each with a capacity of 400 kW. Coupled together, they produce a carrier of 2 MW. Efficiency has risen from 30% to over 90%, and improvements to the antenna circuit have increased the area covered.
In addition to the possibility of DRM, the new installation has 3 major advantages: energy consumption is considerably reduced; the installation is remotely controlled; and modules can be replaced during operation.
Despite commissioning the new transmitter, the radio station wanted to keep its old transmitter in reserve. This turned out to be unnecessary, because even if it failed, the new transmitter could continue to broadcast at reduced power by isolating the faulty module.
The emergency transmitter installed at Lakihegyi was also useless. Today, it is only used to transmit the long-wave radiosignal.
By maintaining the world-record power of 2,000 kW, Radio Kossuth is able to broadcast better than ever throughout Hungary, Slovakia and substantial parts of Austria, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Romania. At night, the station can be received in good conditions throughout Europe.
To those who claim that medium wave is ‘finished’, Hungary is thumbing its nose at them, and it is not about to abandon this range of waves!
It will be on the air for a long time to come.

Michel Fremy‘s FB page Radio Magazine (2024-09-05)