Alan's 2NCR membership card On the left is my membership card no C97419. I have no idea of the reference of this card but that was my passport to broadcasting. The signature on the bottom belongs to Andrew Nicholson, the then station manager of 2NCR. Andrew is a good friend who always shared my penchant for corny jokes. I had to show that I was competant in handling the broadcast console before I was given this card. Needless to say, my experience as a club deejay stood me in good stead! It was my first time on radio and I was stoked! I can still remember the very first song I played: Angel Eyes by The Jeff Healey Band.
The 2NCT station antenna on Parrots Nest This is a picture of the transmission antenna of 2NCR FM in Lismore. Located on a hill called Parrot's Nest, about a twenty minute drive from the station, it is in a good vantage point to ensure that the broadcast signal from the station is clear. I had to go up there with Andrew Nicholson, the station manager as well as Ken Larkin, the technician, to ensure that the antenna was always in good condition.

Right next to the antenna is a little shack that houses the transmitter. It is an NEC transmitter that pumps out 3000 watts of power. The station is linked up to the transmitter via a digital leased line from Telstra. We always had to check that there was no static in the lines and sometimes, Ken Larkin used to do a transmission reading to ensure all was well.

There were times when good ol' Ken had to climb up the antenna to tie down the signal cables when they broke loose from their binds, especially after strong winds. Ken used a hiking rope that he threaded through the mast. It can get pretty windy up there in Parrot's Nest but the job has to be done so that a constant, clear signal is achieved by 2NCR-FM.

The 2NCR transmitter Right here we have a 3000 watt NEC transmitter that is located in the little shack next to the antenna. To the left of the picture, the leased lines can be seen. Ken Larkin used to check the circuitry in the transmitter very often to ensure that there were no burn-outs or faulty electronics. I made sure that the place was kept clean at all times. The place is always cool as there is an air conditioner installed on the premises to ensure the transmitter does not over-heat.
The logging tapes Every radio station has something like this...a programme logging facility. That is what these two recorders are for -- to log...period! there are times when some members of the public may not agree with what was said or uttered by a presented while on air and may make a complaint. These logging tapes would then be used to play back a section of that programme to see if there is any merit to the complaint. I have actually seen this being used and it resulted in a presenter being barred from 2NCR for uttering some expletives.

These tape recorder could record for twelve hours non-stop and when they finished, the second one would take over. 2NCR kept these tapes for a period of time before re-using them again.

On the bottom-right hand corner of the picture you can see the two cartridge recorders that I used to make jingles and sponsorship announcements for the station. Some of the sponsorship announcements came in 7" open reels and I had to transfer them to the cartridges. The mixing desk was also used to produce trailers for on-air broadcasts. Brendan Graves, Jeremy Fenton, Paul Doherty, Caryn Wilson, Teresa Mason, Sam Kwok and many others used them to make many a trailer! Oh, the fun we had!

Who can forget Lyon Laxman aka The Crazy Malaysian? Here he is, in the studio broadcasting a programme live to air with a crazy look on his face! the name of his programme was called The Groovy Show. late in the night, or rather morning the programme was did NOT deter listeners from listening in to him. Funny bloke.
The production studio And this, folks, is the production studio. Lets see...on the top shelf is a Revox B-77, the middle is a Tascam 8-track and on the right, a Revox A-77. The equipment may be old but they run great and they sound totally fantastic! The tape decks were always lovingly cared for by Andrew Nicholson. They really were a joy to listen too and I always loved listening to tapes on these.

The mixer is an Allen & Heath 24-channel with 8 subgroups. A great sounding mixer, it was used for many a performance as well as recording. On the shelf underneath th 8-track recorder is a patch panel and a couple of DBX noise reduction modules.

Alan live on air! Well whaddayaknow? Its yours truly going live to air! This was my very own show called "The Retro Lexicon." I was told it was a pretty popular show as I used to get many callers calling in for requests. I mostly played song remixes of the 80's as well as hits of the 70's

You can see all the cartridges right behind me. These carts held sponsorship messages, trailers, jingles, you name it. On my right are two Revox tape recorders for playback mostly.

Farewell card 2NCR was more to me that just a radio station. It was also family. The great friends I made while at the station will stay with me for life. There are some names I mentioned above and they will be mentioned here again, those that signed the farewell card for me. Caryn Wilson, Jeremy Fenton, Theresa Mason, Margaret Alexander, Sam Kwok, Steve Gray, Kate Benecke, Chris, and Bev Ferris. I really miss those guys and trust me, there is more than once when I think back and think of all the fun we had. You guys rock...you seriously do! Click on the pic on the left to see the bigger version and read what they wrote.
Steve Daley and Steve Gray Here you have the two Steves. On the left is Steve Daley, an immensely affable guy always ready for a quick joke. On the right is Steve Daley, one who always used to get ribbed by me while I was on air. Both of these guys are great fellas and I really miss them. Excellent broadcasters, both of them.
Paul Doherty and Caryn Wilson On the left, tucking into some crisps is Paul Doherty and on the right is Caryn Wilson, or Caz as she is more popularly known as. The name of the show they presented? Not The Breakfast Show. A very apt name as it started at 6 in the evening. Caz always used to get me cappucinos during my shift. A very dear friend indeed. Paul is an excellent webmaster and great friend, nice to talk to.
Brendan Graves Ah. Here he is. The legendary Brendan Graves. Brendan was the one who helped me when I first went on radio. Thanks to his tips, I was able to make the Retro Lexicon a very popular show. Brendan had a program on Friday nights called The Virtual Gig, where he played recorded acts of student musicians in the university, giving them the airplay they deserve. Now if that is not a selfless act, I don't know what is. I respect this guy a lot, not because he is a great friend but because he is really magnanimous. Brendan, if you are reading this, get in touch with me will ya?
Caryn Wilson and Jeremy Fenton Here we have Caz and Mr Jeremy Fenton, a chap that never fails to amaze me. Besides being a broadcaster, he is very well-read, submitting book revies for the Lismore Echo, a local newspaper. Jeremy always used to groan at my jokes but I sure as heck know that he secretly enjoyed them! Both these guys were a couple when I was in Lismore and I think the both make an excellent couple...just right for each other. Guys,I will always remember you.