“Very good night, here we are at Las Lomitas, on a radio of Mocase Via Campesina. This is our first time on air, our name is Paj Sachada, which means mount flight and we are running on solar power.”
This is the opening message of the radio station Paj Sachada and it was broadcasted by Margarita, who is only 17 years old.
This station is located on Las Lomitas, a remote spot in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. Because electrical power does not reach this place, the local people are using solar power to feed the radio station.
Las Lomitas is located 1350 kilometres far away from Buenos Aires, the capital city of Argentina, and has a territory of 70 square kilometres. Almost 110 families live in Las Lomitas, and the main source of income is the manufacturing of syrupy pumpkins and carrots and honey canning.
The radio station belongs to the Mocase ( Santiago del Estero Peasant Movement), an entity that protects the rights of native peasants (lule-vilelas). They have already built several radio stations to satisfy the need of communication.
An operator from the station who has completed a course of renewable energies says, “Once the battery is charged, it lasts five days. This system (solar power) is expensive to set up, but it is very cheap to maintain.”
The best part of this radio station is that it will bring information to the people, allowing them to be better prepared to fight for their rights and to protect their community.
Via | Critica
Image credit: Critica de la Argentina
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The question is, what’s its frequency and power? Is it mediumwave (AM) or VHF (FM)?
The question is, what’s its frequency and power? Is it mediumwave (AM) or VHF (FM)?
Es una FM que trasmite con 300 Watts.
the thing is: how will it be listened if there is no power for radio receivers?
Hi! Folks,
I am a member of the Community Radio Coalition in Nigeria currently on a short visit to US. My country is the only country yet to pass bill legilating community radio in Africa. With over i40million 750 ethnic nationalities, government continue to deprive the people from having a voice for themselves.
Seen the effort made by your group in Argentina, am encourage. We have haeard some pilot broadcast in the past, eletric power supply in most part of Nigeria is very erratic. Even, commercial, public and academic stations are graoning from the high cost of desiel used to runing the power generator.
I would like to know the entire hardware used in setting up your solar radio i.e.# and wattage of solar panels, accesories, power generated etc and also the followings:
1. Power of your Transmitter, (proceccors if any)
2. Antenna bay and type (vertical dipole or circular)
3. Type of Console
4. Audio Imputs (Cds,Tape, MD etc)
5.Computer systems (if any for playout/procudtion)
6. Studio Sizes (lightings, on-air light)
Thank you
S.friday Aizeboje
Radio4life
2A iyala Street, Alausa
G.P.O. Box 5411 Ikeja
Lagos, Nigeria
00234 8067282692
Fantastic, but to the radio stations with 30.000 watts, is posible?
hi,
Am pretty impressed by this initiative. I write from Lodwar (Turkana) a remote area in Kenya (East Africa)we are setting up a community radio station, and although there is power supply to the whole town supplied by a big generator, we would like to run the station with solar power. My question is in the line of Solomon Friday Aizeboje from Nigeria.
Thanks
Hi!
This is a follow up to my enquiry posted here september 2008. I am proud to let you know that we have a mobile station in a box comprising one 250W BSE Solid state FM Transmitter/grandplane omnidirectionl antenna, Solidyne D816 10channeldigital console, two 01U tascam CD/MP3 player, one Tascam MD350 and 0ne Tascam 302MK III double cassette player/recorder, B-truth B2030 active studio monitor and 250GB hard disc based workstation with 17″ LCD monitor AGK4500 and three Behringer B-2 guest Mics all in a roadcase rackmount enclosure.
We’ve done couple of 1-2weeks live broadcast in the past to date in some rural and campuses with a Restricted Service Licence (RSL) in an effort to create awareness and promote government effort towards putting in place community radio policy.
However, our effort can be further enhanced if we can get reliable solar power system that can power all the above studio equipment configuration mentioned above. kindly assist with information that could lead to getting possible assistance from donor who may be willing to partner with us or solar company service provider that can give us reasonable discount price on the quipment.
Best Regards
S.Friday Aizeboje
Co-Ordinator
Radio4life
2A Iyala Street, Alausa
Ikeja, Lagos state
Nigeria
email: sbc4radio@yahoo.com