I have picked up Real Radio 106.2 on a mobile phone on the A610 off Junction 26 of the M1. Also when down on the South Coast I had Invicta with RDS on my mobile phone which is a Sony W300i up on the hills north of Rottingdean near Falmer if anyone knows them parts.
I agree with Martin, Jackie has an amazing signal, which is good, as its so much better than Heart music wise. I listen to it in Central London without any probs and I know of people listening to it in north west london absolutely fine in the car
Aye, I listen to it in SE London in the car - a blessing really, as if Time 106.8 became the Radio Jackie of SE London their RAJARs would show some movement.
I've heard it said that they've got a very favourable antenna, and the site isn't half bad!
I have picked up Real Radio 106.2 on a mobile phone on the A610 off Junction 26 of the M1.
That area gets better reception from the yorkshire regionals than the East Midlands ones - my car radio will tune to Galaxy 105.1 and Real Radio, but not the East Midlands versions of Heart and Smooth (the West Midlands ones are okay though).
Lincs FM 102.2 gets around a bit, easily picked up in Nottinghamshire (doesn't get across to the west of the M1 though!) I've picked it up well into Norfolk and even in York...
When I used to live just east of the Ice Arena in Nottingham I could get Galaxy 102.2 with the aerial mounted vertically, and Lincs 102.2 with it horizontally :cool:
Radio Shropshire does keep going for miles - on a good radio it can be heard right across Warwickshire, the far side of Birmingham. Beacon from the same site doesn't cover nearly as large an area (although it can still be heard around Warks in places).
Also, I just looked at Jack FM's official coverage area that someone linked to here - it's completely absurd really that OFCOM still stick to these parameters - I can hear Jack FM very easily inside a coach - on a phone radio - going up the M40 well before getting to Oxford, probably at least 10 miles or so out. Admittedly this is not in perfect stereo, but then this is on a short piece of wire inside a large metal bus.
Yes...both stations give a whopping signal with BBC Leicester covering most of the West Midlands and Staffordshire as well as it's own TSA which is the East Midlands.
BBC Cymru (104.3) can be heard pretty much solid along the M6 spaghetti junction (Birmingham) up to Blackpool...and probably further NW than that.
I can get BOTH stations where i am now in full RDS stereo!
I think that many of the torrestrial service maps are just predicted and not the genuine TSA as such.
You're confusing predicted and/or measured coverage areas (MCA) with total survey areas (TSA)...
The service area maps shown on Ofcom's website are not TSA's, they are MCA's (either predicted, measured or a combination of both). TSA's are what radio stations and RAJAR use for marketing and surveying purposes. It doesn't mean that a particular part of a TSA will get an 'acceptable' signal (i.e. 54dBuV/m or greater). MCAs are what Ofcom have actually measured or predicted to be at 54dBuV/m or greater. These tend to be smaller than TSAs. In fact, at the bottom left of each Ofcom map, it states it is an MCA.
While Ofcom, the BBC, Arqiva, etc still work to 54dBuV/m, or 500uV terminated voltage, for 'acceptable'/good stereo coverage (as set in ITU rec. 412) , a lot of todays radio will still provide good results at far less field strengths (e.g. at around 8dB less), which is less than the figure for good mono coverage (which is set at 48dBuV/m or 250uV terminated voltage). This will give the apparence that a service area is much bigger than that which is predicted and/or measured to 54dBuV/m.
I suppose the best way to look at it, is to compare the power output of a station, versus the distance in which is covers from one end to the other.
You can't really guage it on power versus distance alone, as you also have to take in to account how high the antenna system is (either above ground level, or above sea level), plus local topography. I mean, you could have 100W fed in to an antenna system which is only 30m asl over flat land (i.e. like the Fens, Broads, etc) and that may get out better than a system which has 100W fed in to it at 100m asl over hilly terrain (i.e. like that in Scotland, Yorkshire Moors, Wales, etc).
In fact I've known RSLs to have 25W from an antenna system at 126m asl and only manage 5-6 miles in hilly areas, yet known a 10W from 60m asl manage a greater distance over flat(ish) land, meaning antenna height and topography do play a part in how far a station 'gets out'
I suppose the best way to look at it, is to compare the power output of a station, versus the distance in which is covers from one end to the other.
Probably the best is Signal One (4kW) - 120 miles from Birmingham to Preston (at reasonable signal levels).
The London stations do pretty well (or, at least, used to) - from the Downs just north of Brighton to Milton Keynes, around 110 miles.
I have no idea how you are recieving Signal 1 from Birmingham to Preston?
Even using a decent car radio - I lose Signal 1 between Cheshire and Manchester when driving from Birmingham.
Even from Birmingham to Cheshire is superb for 4KW.
If you drive from Birmingham to Preston...Beacon (97.2) covers a decent distance and when you start to completely lose Beacon...in comes 'Rock' on 97.4.
Travelling from the NW to Birmingham....Rock (97.4) starts to break up badly very near the sign "Birmingham 49" - so Rock FM has a decent output...then retune to 97.2 and Beacon starts to come in nicely.
If anyone has ever been to Beacon Radio's TX site...the height is quite worrying if you suffer from vertigo.lol
If anyone has ever been to Beacon Radio's TX site...the height is quite worrying if you suffer from vertigo.lol
75m agl/341m asl (at 1kW HP + 1kW VP) is nothing compared to some stations, like that which is used by Cool FM in the Belfast area (232m agl/533m asl at 1.34kW HP + 1.84kW VP) :eek:;)
Probably the best is Signal One (4kW) - 120 miles from Birmingham to Preston (at reasonable signal levels).
I would have thought the North West stations (Smooth, Century, Rock FM) would have a larger coverage area end to end - Cumbria to Stoke-on-Trent with ease.
I have no idea how you are recieving Signal 1 from Birmingham to Preston?
Even using a decent car radio - I lose Signal 1 between Cheshire and Manchester when driving from Birmingham.
When I was younger and we travelled from Oxfordshire to Preston a lot we used to listen to Fox FM from South Oxon to south Birmingham, BRMB round Brum, then flick back to 102.6 and Signal 1 after the M54 junction, which we could listen too until we got to the Bamber Bridge junction of the M6 - nowadays coverage is slightly worse as it drops out round Wigan (thanks to Wish), but you can just about get it in Preston (alongside BBC Radio Leeds on 102.7) - all on standard fit Ford Escort/Fiesta radios
I would have thought the North West stations (Smooth, Century, Rock FM) would have a larger coverage area end to end - Cumbria to Stoke-on-Trent with ease.
should Rock FM be beamed from Winter Hill ?? or does it cover the entire area
Rock is beamed North West and has a similar signal in that direction to Century. Anywhere South or East of Winter Hill though and Century is much stronger.
97.4 is probably a clearer frequency down towards Stoke than 105.4 though so I doubt there's much difference around there.
I think that Rock FM's antenna is pointing towards the Liverpool area.
Agreed with Andy Carlton, 104.3 cymru is an extremely good signal and can be heard anywhere in Manchester with a very good clear signal, not bad for the west of Wrexham.
I can also hear an Irish station on 101.4 most days although the signal isn't as strong.
Rock is beamed North West and has a similar signal in that direction to Century. Anywhere South or East of Winter Hill though and Century is much stronger.
97.4 is probably a clearer frequency down towards Stoke than 105.4 though so I doubt there's much difference around there.
Indeed it is, rather clear round there unlike Century which takes a battering from Leicester Sound.
Also Garrison FM 107.0 from Colchester seem to get out quite well and Saint FM 94.7 get out OK and am able to pick it up most of the time here unless there is tropo when a French station comes in.
Radio 1 98.8 from Wrotham kent goes for ever at least 200 miles.
Have picked it up in Norfolk to.
With respect FMRADIOTUNER, Kent to Norfolk is hardly 200 miles as radio waves travel in a straight line....Kent to the north in a straight line must be up to Yorkshire and to the west must be into S Wales..to the south, well into France and to the east well into Belgium....does the mighty Wrotham really get that far?
Comments
I've heard it said that they've got a very favourable antenna, and the site isn't half bad!
That area gets better reception from the yorkshire regionals than the East Midlands ones - my car radio will tune to Galaxy 105.1 and Real Radio, but not the East Midlands versions of Heart and Smooth (the West Midlands ones are okay though).
When I used to live just east of the Ice Arena in Nottingham I could get Galaxy 102.2 with the aerial mounted vertically, and Lincs 102.2 with it horizontally :cool:
Also, I just looked at Jack FM's official coverage area that someone linked to here - it's completely absurd really that OFCOM still stick to these parameters - I can hear Jack FM very easily inside a coach - on a phone radio - going up the M40 well before getting to Oxford, probably at least 10 miles or so out. Admittedly this is not in perfect stereo, but then this is on a short piece of wire inside a large metal bus.
Yes...both stations give a whopping signal with BBC Leicester covering most of the West Midlands and Staffordshire as well as it's own TSA which is the East Midlands.
BBC Cymru (104.3) can be heard pretty much solid along the M6 spaghetti junction (Birmingham) up to Blackpool...and probably further NW than that.
I can get BOTH stations where i am now in full RDS stereo!
You're confusing predicted and/or measured coverage areas (MCA) with total survey areas (TSA)...
The service area maps shown on Ofcom's website are not TSA's, they are MCA's (either predicted, measured or a combination of both). TSA's are what radio stations and RAJAR use for marketing and surveying purposes. It doesn't mean that a particular part of a TSA will get an 'acceptable' signal (i.e. 54dBuV/m or greater). MCAs are what Ofcom have actually measured or predicted to be at 54dBuV/m or greater. These tend to be smaller than TSAs. In fact, at the bottom left of each Ofcom map, it states it is an MCA.
While Ofcom, the BBC, Arqiva, etc still work to 54dBuV/m, or 500uV terminated voltage, for 'acceptable'/good stereo coverage (as set in ITU rec. 412) , a lot of todays radio will still provide good results at far less field strengths (e.g. at around 8dB less), which is less than the figure for good mono coverage (which is set at 48dBuV/m or 250uV terminated voltage). This will give the apparence that a service area is much bigger than that which is predicted and/or measured to 54dBuV/m.
Probably the best is Signal One (4kW) - 120 miles from Birmingham to Preston (at reasonable signal levels).
The London stations do pretty well (or, at least, used to) - from the Downs just north of Brighton to Milton Keynes, around 110 miles.
You can't really guage it on power versus distance alone, as you also have to take in to account how high the antenna system is (either above ground level, or above sea level), plus local topography. I mean, you could have 100W fed in to an antenna system which is only 30m asl over flat land (i.e. like the Fens, Broads, etc) and that may get out better than a system which has 100W fed in to it at 100m asl over hilly terrain (i.e. like that in Scotland, Yorkshire Moors, Wales, etc).
In fact I've known RSLs to have 25W from an antenna system at 126m asl and only manage 5-6 miles in hilly areas, yet known a 10W from 60m asl manage a greater distance over flat(ish) land, meaning antenna height and topography do play a part in how far a station 'gets out'
I have no idea how you are recieving Signal 1 from Birmingham to Preston?
Even using a decent car radio - I lose Signal 1 between Cheshire and Manchester when driving from Birmingham.
Even from Birmingham to Cheshire is superb for 4KW.
If you drive from Birmingham to Preston...Beacon (97.2) covers a decent distance and when you start to completely lose Beacon...in comes 'Rock' on 97.4.
Travelling from the NW to Birmingham....Rock (97.4) starts to break up badly very near the sign "Birmingham 49" - so Rock FM has a decent output...then retune to 97.2 and Beacon starts to come in nicely.
If anyone has ever been to Beacon Radio's TX site...the height is quite worrying if you suffer from vertigo.lol
75m agl/341m asl (at 1kW HP + 1kW VP) is nothing compared to some stations, like that which is used by Cool FM in the Belfast area (232m agl/533m asl at 1.34kW HP + 1.84kW VP) :eek:;)
I would have thought the North West stations (Smooth, Century, Rock FM) would have a larger coverage area end to end - Cumbria to Stoke-on-Trent with ease.
When I was younger and we travelled from Oxfordshire to Preston a lot we used to listen to Fox FM from South Oxon to south Birmingham, BRMB round Brum, then flick back to 102.6 and Signal 1 after the M54 junction, which we could listen too until we got to the Bamber Bridge junction of the M6 - nowadays coverage is slightly worse as it drops out round Wigan (thanks to Wish), but you can just about get it in Preston (alongside BBC Radio Leeds on 102.7) - all on standard fit Ford Escort/Fiesta radios
Yep, Century on 105.4 does Stafford to Carlisle.
Rock is beamed North West and has a similar signal in that direction to Century. Anywhere South or East of Winter Hill though and Century is much stronger.
97.4 is probably a clearer frequency down towards Stoke than 105.4 though so I doubt there's much difference around there.
Agreed with Andy Carlton, 104.3 cymru is an extremely good signal and can be heard anywhere in Manchester with a very good clear signal, not bad for the west of Wrexham.
I can also hear an Irish station on 101.4 most days although the signal isn't as strong.
Indeed it is, rather clear round there unlike Century which takes a battering from Leicester Sound.
That said, I can get the NOW Plymouth multiplex quite effectively where I live, too.
Century comes in very clearly in much of Stoke, while Rock FM is non-existent.
I can get in Swansea:
Pirate FM
Atlantic FM
Radio Pembrokeshire
Is Swansea under Radio Carmarthenshire's Official coverage area ?
With respect FMRADIOTUNER, Kent to Norfolk is hardly 200 miles as radio waves travel in a straight line....Kent to the north in a straight line must be up to Yorkshire and to the west must be into S Wales..to the south, well into France and to the east well into Belgium....does the mighty Wrotham really get that far?