View source for Transmitter Solt

{{short description|Radio transmitter station in Hungary}}
{{Expand Hungarian|topic=struct|Solti rádióadó|date=April 2013}}
{{Infobox building
|name=Transmitter Solt
|native_name=''Solti rádióadó''
|image=Antennenmast Solt.jpg
|caption=
|building_type=[[Radio masts and towers|Mast radiator insulated against ground]]
|location=[[Solt]], [[Bács-Kiskun]], [[Hungary]]
|coordinates=
|status=In use
|start_date=6 September 1974
|completion_date=10 January 1977
|destruction_date=
|height=303.6 m
|civil_engineer= 
|architect= 
|main_contractor= [[Magyar Posta]] (Hungarian Post)
|other_designers=
}}

The '''Transmitter Solt''' ({{langx|hu|Solti rádióadó}}) is a [[Transmitter|radio transmission facility]] for 540&nbsp;kHz [[Mediumwave|MW (Medium Wave)]] near [[Solt]], [[Hungary]], serving as the primary transmitter site for [[Kossuth Rádió]].<ref name="Solt2">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hiradastechnika.hu/data/upload/file/1976/03/1976_03_02.PDF |title=Fucskó Lajos: A magyar középhullámú műsorszórás (History of the Hungarian medium wave broadcasting, 1924-1975), Híradástechnika, 1975 (Hungarian) |access-date=2013-08-22 |archive-date=2021-06-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210612193828/https://www.hiradastechnika.hu/data/upload/file/1976/03/1976_03_02.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref> With an output power of 2000&nbsp;kW (2 MW), it is the [[List of European medium wave transmitters|most powerful radio transmitter in Europe]] and is among the most powerful radio transmitters in the world.<ref>[http://www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php?area=1&kHz=540 List of medium wave transmitters worldwide, MWLIST - longwave, mediumwave, tropical bands and shortwave radio database (English)]</ref><ref name="Solt">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hiradastechnika.hu/data/upload/file/2008/2008_kszam/HT_kszam_tv50-4.pdf |title=Hlatky Béla: Egy évforduló nyomában – 30 éves a solti adó (Solt Transmitter is 30 years old), Híradástechnika, 2008 (Hungarian) |access-date=2013-08-16 |archive-date=2021-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126143425/https://www.hiradastechnika.hu/data/upload/file/2008/2008_kszam/HT_kszam_tv50-4.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its intended broadcast area covers the [[Hungarian people|Hungarian-speaking]] territories of [[Central Europe|Central]]- and [[Eastern Europe]], however successful reception of the [[Kossuth Rádió]] was reported from as far as [[Michigan|Michigan, United States]]<ref>{{cite AV media| url-status = live| archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/J7OcQIr5_cA| archive-date = 2021-12-08| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7OcQIr5_cA| title = 540 kHz MR1 Kossuth Rádió Hungary Medium Wave DX Heard in Michigan | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and [[Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://shortwavedxer.blogspot.com/2012/10/mr1-mr1-kossuth-radio-solt-hungary-on.html|title=SOUTH EAST ASIA DXING: MTVA / MR1-Kossuth Radio (Solt, Hungary on Medium-Wave)|date=27 October 2012}}</ref>  It uses a 303.6-metre tall [[guyed mast]].<ref name="Solt"/> The transmitter site (including all its original equipment) has been a preserved industrial [[monument]] since 2013.<ref>[http://www.kecskemeti-hirhatar.hu/hirek/muemlek-lett-a-solti-radioado Műemlék lett a solti rádióadó (Transmitter Solt became a monument), Kecskeméti hírhatár (Hungarian)]</ref>

== Location ==
Transmitter Solt is located in the [[Great Hungarian Plain]], 4&nbsp;km north from [[Solt]] and 80&nbsp;km south from [[Budapest]].<ref>Magyarország autóatlasz, Dimap-Szarvas, Budapest, 2004, {{ISBN|963-03-7576-1}}</ref>

== History ==
By the early 1970s, interference from the increasing number of powerful MW transmitters across Europe rendered the [[Lakihegy Tower|Lakihegy Transmitter]] inadequate to provide the required coverage (covered approximately 50% of the territory of Hungary in 1972) so the [[Magyar Posta|Magyar Posta (Hungarian Post)]] and the [[Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party|central government]] decided to build a new transmitter with improved characteristics.<ref name="Solt"/> The high priority project involved [[Hungary|Hungarian]], [[Poland|Polish]] and [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] engineers from several companies and organizations. Construction works started in 1974, with several [[farmhouse]]s and [[barn]]s having been demolished on the intended site.<ref name="Solt2"/>

The transmitter was completed in 1977 and went on air the same year.<ref name="Solt"/> It underwent a substantial renovation and equipment modernisation in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ahrt.hu/hu/hirek/befejezodtek-a-solti-kozephullamu-radioallomas-rekonstrukcios-munkai|title = Antenna Hungária &#124; Befejeződtek a solti középhullámú rádióállomás rekonstrukciós munkái}}</ref>

==Equipment==
The original 1977 transmitter was made of two identical, Soviet-made [[vacuum tube]] based 1000&nbsp;kW units, combined for the required 2000&nbsp;kW output power.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hte.hu/fooldal/-/hir/40-eves-a-solti-radioado-allomas|title = Főoldal - HTE site}}</ref> It was replaced in 2017 by a solid state Nautel NX2000 consisting of five [[Digital Radio Mondiale|DRM]]-enabled NX400 units combined for 2000&nbsp;kW output.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nautel.com/solutions/digital-radio/2-megawatt-transmitter-antenna-hungaria/|title = 2 Megawatt Transmitter for Antenna Hungária}}</ref> The original vacuum tube transmitter (being a preserved industrial monument) remains on site as a functional backup unit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hte.hu/fooldal/-/hir/latogatas-a-solti-kozephullamu-radioallomason-a-media-klub-a-veteltechnikai-es-a-kabeltelevizios-szakosztaly-beszamoloja|title = Főoldal - HTE site}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Kossuth Rádió]]
*[[Lakihegy Tower]]
*[[List of masts]]
*[[List of European medium wave transmitters]]
*[[List of tallest structures in Hungary]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110903121046/http://www.ahrt.hu/Sajtoszoba/Sajtofotok.aspx?sc_lang=en Press photos on the webpage of the operator (Antenna Hungária Zrt.)]
* {{Structurae|20017541|Solt Transmission Mast}}
* {{SkyscraperPage|39961|Solt Transmission Mast}}

{{coord|46|50|3.51|N|19|1|53.64|E|region:HU_type:landmark|display=title}}

[[Category:Radio masts and towers in Hungary]]
[[Category:Towers in Hungary]]
[[Category:Hungary–Soviet Union relations]]
[[Category:Hungarian People's Republic]]
[[Category:Industrial archaeological sites in Hungary]]
[[Category:Towers completed in 1977]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Bács-Kiskun County]]
[[Category:1977 establishments in Hungary]]