Another DO YOU REMEMBER-----When in the 60s and 70s before radios where fitted as standard trying to wire up a radio,putting supressors where you thought they had to go,trying to fasten a silly little ariel on cab gutter or any where it would go.Then the moment of truth,start up and all you could hear was whining and all sorts of interference but definitely no music.If by some miracle it worked you would find it wouldn"t work everywhere and picked up interference in many places,drove you round the bend.Got the first MAN 232 column change at Preston depot and bliss they had radios fitted and no interference. Cheers all
For years I didn’t bother with the radio because you couldn’t hear the music above the engine noise / wind noise. Then suddenly lorries were much quieter and but I didn’t listen to the music on the radio because I couldn’t hear what the engine and gearbox were doing. So I sing instead. Robert 
robert1952:
For years I didn’t bother with the radio because you couldn’t hear the music above the engine noise / wind noise. Then suddenly lorries were much quieter and but I didn’t listen to the music on the radio because I couldn’t hear what the engine and gearbox were doing. So I sing instead. Robert
The Siinging Lorry Driver dont remember your records but, you are dead right about the engine noise and wind.Funny never bothered about hearing the engine note in a lorry but always like to hear the engine on my 3 litre Capri. regards ardennes
I fitted a radio to my D series, old push button thing, 247 radio one and 208 radio Lux for night time. Then it was one for 275 and other for 285 radio one. “Mike read , Mike read 275 and 285, Mike Read Mike Read national radio one’” How come I can remember that but I can’t remember what I had for breakfast this morning…
I never knew the words for any of the songs as I could never hear them over the Perky engine that blasted out through the burst gear stick gator.
I later fitted a cassette player, but that was no good either as I was doing bulk sawdust and that used to get in the heads and knacker it up.
Whole differant ball game when I got my Volvo.
Jeff…
Aye there wasny a lot o point in a radio in a FODEN or ERF the GARDNER aye had better VOLUME. Eddie.
a proper foden driver could overcome the small problems , i had a transistor set on a bracket about 2" from my right ear . hard retuning it though .playing it at full volume soon wore the batteries out , so we nicked the big batteries out of council lamps and wired them up to the radio . dave
We had a Phillips radio in the Brady Octopus,the origional aerial had long been knocked off the cab roof but I fixed up a welding rod to the stump of the broken aerial and hey presto it worked a treat,Eric Poss the driver used to say regularly,“are you a ■■■■■■■ trailer mate or a radio operator” 
But he always insisted on listening to “Sing something simple” on the old BBC Light programme on a Sunday evening on our way down to South wales 
I could get Radio Caroline North when we in the North West as well.Everything changed in Sept '67 when Radio 1 and 2 started,the M1 was never the same cheers Bewick.
Bewick:
We had a Phillips radio in the Brady Octopus,the origional aerial had long been knocked off the cab roof but I fixed up a welding rod to the stump of the broken aerial and hey presto it worked a treat,Eric Poss the driver used to say regularly,“are you a [zb] trailer mate or a radio operator”
Radio Caroline was brilliant,will never ever forget hearing for the first time “The House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals , still love all the 60s music,there was in the 60s and 70s so much music to turn up the volume and just drive and sing along,no-one could hear you,great.
Regards ardennes
Hi, FOLKS , Ihad a atki mk1 unit fitted the radio on the back of the cab with a pice of rubber so that it didnt short out as it was ran off one battrey under the seat as it was only 12 volt up the 62 to leeds perfect music turned onto the A1 ,only get Mrs Dales diary ,They say the good old days Cheers Barry
In a Marathon, grinding up those Turkish mountains, it helped if you sang along to the music over the rumble of the engine and the Fuller 9-speed transmission: ‘Kiss me once, kiss me twice; and kiss me once again: it’s been a long, long time - drink up lads!’ ■■■■ Rivers in Destination Doha. Robert 
rigsby:
a proper foden driver could overcome the small problems , i had a transistor set on a bracket about 2" from my right ear . hard retuning it though .playing it at full volume soon wore the batteries out , so we nicked the big batteries out of council lamps and wired them up to the radio . dave
a proper foden driver !!!. Right what is a proper Foden driver apart from being in this case a bit of a smart a–e. Eddie.
My first Fm radio was a bit of a bodge fit to say the least.
Bought it off a mate for a fiver,it didnt come supplied with any wiring though ,think it started life in a Ford ■■■■■■ 
a proper foden driver would be quite deaf , have a knackered left knee and a left arm like an olympic weight lifter . also talented at roadside get you home bodges . dave
rigsby:
a proper foden driver would be quite deaf , have a knackered left knee and a left arm like an olympic weight lifter . also talented at roadside get you home bodges . dave
Oh Dave how right you are!!!
I think that my first “transistor” was a “Dansette”…could not hear it down the A5 in a 4LK S20…then mounted it about 4 inches from my ear on the cab back…still could not hear it…batteries flat!!!
Motor rola “chrome” push button in an S36…(with copious earth wires)…still a lousey tone…but the volume…(with a “Bewick” bit of welding rod for an aerial, was great!!! Shame that the stations could not follow me down through Europe…
But then came RTL, and Mx Meynier…we in the UK have never experienced such a phenominem, eveyone n France respected, and appreciated the lorry driver…but not in he UK!!!
Makes me sad for a lost opportunity…even seeing the following for the TV Stobart, Ice Road Truckers, and the Australian Series , …the interest is there…just needs the right person to ignite it…
Cheerio for now.
Intersting statement Saviem, after I spent a few years traveling round the world dirving truck I saw the attitude that some of the other countries have towards truck drivers and decided that I should leave Britian for good. I was most surprised when I was working for an Italian firm to the attitude they had for drivers and the high regaure they had for us.
When I was doing long haul I used to get my sister to bung a couple of C120 cassettes in the radio and record anything that was on.
I was stopped near Muscat one day listening to the Radio One Christmas Special, my mate opened the door as the news was on and wondered how I getting such good reception.
Jeff…
Isn’t that why so many British drivers stuck at international work for so long? It wasn’t just the adventure, the travel and the engagement with other cultures; it was the daily affirmation that you were a worthwhile working citizen so at the end of each day there were clean tablecloths, good quality food with wine, sanitary washing facilities and civilised parking. Western European countries on the continent have always shown this level of respect for as long as the oldest drivers can remember. Britain never has, and shows zero signs of ever intending to do so. Maybe this thread should merge with the ‘Why we lost the battle’ thread! Robert
The first wagon I had a radio in as an Atkinson viewline and it was an old valve car radio wired off of one battery ( coming off of Scammell highwayman you did not even think of a radio ) I was able to get the light program ( 1500 ) all over the UK and down to the out skirts of Paris in France.
cheers Johnnie
lol a bit o a plank wi an old radio and a speaker screwed on a bolt wi a wing nut an old car aerial wi a clamp was magic 
made the days on local tipper work pass quicker…as long as the garage an the boss never caught ya.
jimmy.
When I started for a company in '66/67 there was radios fitted in the 20 ton Albion Reivers but the boss told us we had to buy the vehicle radio licence, cost £1 iirc, but I think it was discontinud about that time so I was able to use the remainder of the licence the last driver bought for the lorry.
Saviem:
rigsby:
a proper foden driver would be quite deaf , have a knackered left knee and a left arm like an olympic weight lifter . also talented at roadside get you home bodges . daveOh Dave how right you are!!!
I think that my first “transistor” was a “Dansette”…could not hear it down the A5 in a 4LK S20…then mounted it about 4 inches from my ear on the cab back…still could not hear it…batteries flat!!!
Motor rola “chrome” push button in an S36…(with copious earth wires)…still a lousey tone…but the volume…(with a “Bewick” bit of welding rod for an aerial, was great!!! Shame that the stations could not follow me down through Europe…
But then came RTL, and Mx Meynier…we in the UK have never experienced such a phenominem, eveyone n France respected, and appreciated the lorry driver…but not in he UK!!!
Makes me sad for a lost opportunity…even seeing the following for the TV Stobart, Ice Road Truckers, and the Australian Series , …the interest is there…just needs the right person to ignite it…
Cheerio for now.
All them moons ago when my French was very poor, travelling through France with out Max on the radio was a must, couldn’t understand a word he was saying but a ■■■■ good show
For those who don’t remember RTL and Max Meynier.
