The Laser ship Communicator, was broadcasting as Laser 558 from May 1984, until the ship, short on fuel and food went into Harwich, Essex in November 1985. Until December 1986 the ship was moored on the river between Essex and Suffolk, then the ship put back to sea and for a short time broadcast as Laser Hot Hits. Between 1987 and the early part of the 90s the ship spent time on the North Sea off air and in port in the Portuguese capital. The ship was refitted with a new TX and aerial in the early 90s and for some time was broadcasting legally moored in Holland. The Communicator just recently has been on air broadcasting as the Super Station running on a small scale 3 month trial license in Scotland. October 2007 and the ship was broken up for scrap.

BBC News the night in 1985 Laser came into Harwich
Sunset over the Laser ship
on the communicator in 85
Laser Harwich 1986
Communicator tx room as Radio Veronica 1994
Lasers two 25kw transmitters with combiner
In Harwich 1986
Eurosige recored 1985
Welding on the new mast
2nd studio on Laser

The ship Communicator was fitted out as a radio ship in America and Eire in 1983. It dropped anchor off the English coast just 1.5 miles from the Caroline ship Ross Revenge between Christmas and New Year 1983. First transmissions were on 729khz; the station was to be called Laser 730. In May 1984 the station started broadcasting on 558khz as Laser 558. Laser 558 sailed into Harwich in November 1985 after a government blockade of both The Ross and Communicator. At sea we called it Euroseige 85, and boy did we get some great publicity. Caroline stayed at sea as most of the supplies for the station were coming from Europe, and the blockade had little if no effect on the station.
TX 1 Back
TX 1 Front open
Back view of TX 1 on Laser this photo taken in 1986
TX room re paint 1986
At Harwich in Essex
Think this is the only photo of the TX room orange, I got board 1 day!!
on air again in Holland 1993
After spending just over a year in Harwich harbor the Communicator went back out to sea once again and for a short time was broadcasting off the Essex coast as Laser Hot Hits, again with an all American DJ line up.
In my old Cabin 1994
Communicator Studio after a bad winters storm
New Masts on deck 1987

Laser 558 used 2, 25 kW CSI transmitters which could have been combined to give a total power of 50kw.The station only used 1tx at a time with one on standby.In reality the station never used more than around 12kw.
Lasers 2, 25kw CSI Transmitters
Laser tx and combiner
Laser hot Hits Studio
After broadcasting on the North Sea as Laser 558, and for a short time as Laser Hot Hits, the Communicator spent a few years silent on the North Sea and in ports around Europe, before being taken to Holland and re-fitted to broadcast legally on 1224 kHz AM.
Laser ship legal in Holland Mid 1990s
As Veronica in Holland mid 90's
Communicator now on air as Veronica Mid to late 90s
ATU on the communicator while on 1224 khz
Snow on the communicator
The Mast Cage in 2003
Another photo from 2003
More snow
Holland 2003
Found some more pictures of The Communicator, when these were taken her days of broadcasting in Holland were over and the ship was looking somewhat sad. All photo's taken 2003, before sailing back to Lowerstoft in Suffolk
Accomadation passageway on the ship
Mast, Still holding firm
 The Hold
This way to the cabins. most of the time it was one person to a cabin, so you could hide away.
The Ships bottom hold, when it was on air as Laser, a beach was built here with the sand ballast!
One of the ships DC gens, a Lister
Same Lister
 Gen switching unit
Whats left of the back of the 25KW CSI Laser tx
. One thing I will say about the Communicator is, of all the radio ships I worked on, this one rolled more in storms than any others, but from the people I worked with I learned a lot about radio, and would like to thank all the Americans I meet back in the mid 80s. What a great time it was to be in Radio in 84, 85 and 86, Caroline and Laser, well it was like London and Caroline in the 60's a part of European history .
Leaving the ship 2003

Two last photo of the Communicator for now - picture on the right was taken around spring 1988 when the ship was 'resting' in Mistly, Essex.

The one on the left, was taken in late 2003, here she's tied up still in Holland.
Mistly Essex 1988
Communicator in Lowerstoft 2003

Still getting people sending in pictures of the Communicator, thanks for them, and keep them coming and any memories you have of Laser.

Got this e-mail from Matthew Frost and 2 picture's of the ship in Lowestoft Suffolk .

Two pictues attached taken in Lowestoft harbour in july 2004, (I was helping a friend move his sailing boat from Ramsgate to the Humber, and we put up in Lowestoft harbour for the night). I may have a couple more pics, if I find them I will let you have them.

When I saw the ship it was looking in a bit of a sorry state and I thought it could have been Laser but was not sure (I could not remember the name of the Laser boat at the time), although it looked familar as I had seen it in Harwich harbour in the 80s following the DTI blockage when it had to come in (I was about 16 at the time and me and some mates cycled down to have a look at it). I also saw it at mistley in the late 80s, but remembered two aerials. It was only when I saw your pics on the web I thought yes that boat in Lowestoft it was the communicator

Communicator in Lowerstoft
 

Sadly the end has now come to the old Laser ship. Shes been broken up in Scotland. As you'll see from the photos, she's looking very sad. Thanks to P.J from Bristol for allowing me to use the pictures.

 
taken 2009
Laser 558, Thank You For The Music