Why does no commercial radio station cover Keswick?

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,398
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    Do you know whether the relay is using the Keswick Forest FM or Keswick UHF site and what the power will be?
  • jack846jack846 Posts: 655
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    Mark C wrote: »
    You might get away with RBL of 102.2 using the UHF TV site, as the relay site.

    Couldn't sound any worse than Yorkshire Coast Radio's rebroadcast of Oliver's Mount at Whitby. Actually that was the old mast, heaven knows what it sounds like from the new site (unless it's now line fed ?)

    Last time I was in Whitby it was still a mono feed. Not bad sounding, just the fact it was mono! :)
    I noticed when in Keswick while on holiday there about 10 years ago, very good reception of Divis, including Radio Ulster on 94.5.

    You weren't near Castlerig were you? I noticed BBC Radio Ulster was recievable there along with weaker reception from Cool FM and U105 too. That area must have a good outlook towards the West as Manx FM and 3FM from the Isle of Man was recievable too.
  • jack846jack846 Posts: 655
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    vinnielo wrote: »
    Very exciting news.
    Lakeland, along with The Bay are amongst my favourite stations in the UK.
    Like the OP, I was frustrated with the lack of local commercial radio in the town of Keswick when I visited back in 2002.

    I hope the transmission site will be able to provide contiguous coverage between Keswick and Ambleside.

    Congratulations on this great achievement.

    Yeah, The Bay and Lakeland Radio are good listens.

    Good luck to all the team at Lakeland Radio.
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,726
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    jack846 wrote: »
    Last time I was in Whitby it was still a mono feed. Not bad sounding, just the fact it was mono! :)

    Ah, It was stereo when we were there in Aug 2005, the old mast. It was awful, birdies all over the transmitted signal.
    jack846 wrote: »
    You weren't near Castlerig were you? I noticed BBC Radio Ulster was recievable there along with weaker reception from Cool FM and U105 too. That area must have a good outlook towards the West as Manx FM and 3FM from the Isle of Man was recievable too.

    We were a bit further down, about here:-

    http://goo.gl/maps/EPWdh

    The TV signal from the local relay had co-channel interference on it, most likely culprit would have been Divis.
    I did manage to tune the TV into both BBC 1 and BBC 2 Scotland from Sandale, weak signals, but you could tell what they were. (It did rain a lot while we were there :(:D )
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22
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    Anybody in the Keswick area can now hear Lakeland Radio Test Transmissions on 101.4FM ahead of our launch in a weeks time
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,726
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    Anybody in the Keswick area can now hear Lakeland Radio Test Transmissions on 101.4FM ahead of our launch in a weeks time

    Where is the transmitter site ?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22
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    The transmitter is at Keswick Forest
  • trevgotrevgo Posts: 28,241
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    Lucky Keswickians (or whatever!), I say ;)

    Lack of commercial radio must do wonders for property prices.
  • 6262 Posts: 295
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    This is great news.

    I worked at Lakeland prior to the CN takeover and, at the time, it wasn't considered economically viable to extend north.

    It's amazing how being part of a larger group can change a station's ability to expand.

    Will there be some OB activity in the town through the summer months, Dan?
  • jack846jack846 Posts: 655
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    Anybody in the Keswick area can now hear Lakeland Radio Test Transmissions on 101.4FM ahead of our launch in a weeks time

    Wow, great news Dan! Do you (or anyobdy else?) know how far the signal is reaching around the area? :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 22
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    Thanks for the messages, we've got quite a few OB's lined up for Keswick over the coming months, so we're really looking forward to becoming part of the community there.

    We've been driving around recently listening to the test transmissions, you can get us across Keswick, over to Threlkeld and the signal disappears before you get to Penrith heading east. Heading South you can get the new signal down to Thirlmere lake where our Windermere 100.8FM takes over. Going North we can get to Lake Bassenthwaite and the Village of Bassenthwaite and we've not been West yet to have a listen. Hope that helps

    Dan
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,398
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    Keswick Forest eh?

    What power are you using? The BBC stations all seem to use around 60 watts.
  • jack846jack846 Posts: 655
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    Thanks for the messages, we've got quite a few OB's lined up for Keswick over the coming months, so we're really looking forward to becoming part of the community there.

    We've been driving around recently listening to the test transmissions, you can get us across Keswick, over to Threlkeld and the signal disappears before you get to Penrith heading east. Heading South you can get the new signal down to Thirlmere lake where our Windermere 100.8FM takes over. Going North we can get to Lake Bassenthwaite and the Village of Bassenthwaite and we've not been West yet to have a listen. Hope that helps

    Dan

    Thanks Dan. Great to hear that the Keswick transmitter meets coverage with the Windermere 100.8 transmitter - that whole Thirlmere area is a bit of a black hole for radio (I can't even remember if the BBC stations reach there!).

    Good luck for the launch tomorrow. Coverage map here. http://lakelandradio.co.uk/keswick/
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,726
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    bowland37 wrote: »
    Keswick Forest eh?

    What power are you using? The BBC stations all seem to use around 60 watts.

    Even more interesting, how is the signal delivered there ?

    Too far to RBL Windermere, and providing a landline to such a remote site would have been pricey ?
  • vinnielovinnielo Posts: 8,346
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    Congratulations on the launch.
    As already mentioned, very useful to have continuous coverage on the A591.

    The other main thoroughfare in the National Park yet to be covered by local radio is the A592 in and around Ullswater.
    Would be pretty amazing if this could ever get into the Lakeland footprint.

    I wonder if there's any source of external funding available from anywhere for the purpose of relaying important information on road conditions in severe weather.

    P.S. Will Lakeland Radio Gold be available any time in the distant future and across the South Lakes? I'd love to give it a try the next time I'm in the area!
  • HappyboiHappyboi Posts: 87
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    When i go to Coniston I always Listen to lakeland Radio.
    One thing I find strange is that get a better signal on 100.1 but not 100.8 yet 100.8 is at Windermere. Any reason for this
  • vinnielovinnielo Posts: 8,346
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    100.8 is on the wrong side of the hill between Windermere and Coniston.
    So Coniston just sits in the shadow of that hill.
    The Bay on 96.9 comes in quite strongly on Coniston Water.
  • 6262 Posts: 295
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    Mark C wrote: »
    Even more interesting, how is the signal delivered there ?

    Too far to RBL Windermere, and providing a landline to such a remote site would have been pricey ?
    Skype?
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,726
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    62 wrote: »
    Skype?

    You mean via some form of 3G reception ?
  • _ben_ben Posts: 5,758
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    Mark C wrote: »
    Even more interesting, how is the signal delivered there ?

    Too far to RBL Windermere, and providing a landline to such a remote site would have been pricey ?

    I spent a very pleasant hour listening to the station this evening which I really enjoyed. It has a lovely clean unprocessed sound (at least that's how it sounded listening on the car radio), real human presenters, they played some of my old favourites and introduced me to some new music I liked too. I'll definitely be listening again.

    I took the opportunity to visit the transmitter site as that particular car park at Noble Knott has some happy memories for me (I used to park up there when I first got into amateur radio many years ago, long before there was a transmitter there). Having visited the site, I can confirm that there are no new antennas on the mast. They must be sharing the log periodic that BBC Radio Cumbria uses for transmission, and I can only speculate that the feed is coming via the microwave link that T-mobile use for backhaul at the site.
  • BrightonelectriBrightonelectri Posts: 181
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    There is a local FM station for the Isles of Scilly-covering a very small population. Falklands Islands has its own MF and
    FM radio for about 3,000 population.In remote areas of the UK people with Sky or Freesat dishes can access dozens of commercial stations.in my experience the further away from London you are, the more popular the local station is!
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,726
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    bowland37 wrote: »
    Keswick Forest eh?

    What power are you using? The BBC stations all seem to use around 60 watts.

    According to today's update to Ofcom's Tx Params, it's 100 watts H Pol only, same antenna as the Beeb services by the look of things, (and by the post up thread by Ben who visited the site)

    Appears in the VHF csv list, not the main sheet (yet)
  • _ben_ben Posts: 5,758
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    Lakeland and the BBC stations have been off since about 15:00 today, probably a tree fallen on the power cable. I'll have a wander up there with the dogs tomorrow and take a look, hopefully won't find the mast in a crumpled heap.
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