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Belmont Transmitter Lincolnshire

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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in Radio and Podcasts #1
Hi, I listen to BBC Lincs and Lincs FM which both come from the Belmont transmitter and are they different angles on the transmitter? In other words is Lincs FM 102.2 on the North side of the transmitter and is BBC Lincs 94.9 on the South side of the transmitter? BBC Lincs 94.9 barley gets to low ground of Scunthorpe but can be heard along way South as its strong enough to wipe out BBC Coventry and 94.8 and Lincs FM 102.2 struggles to go South in that direction due to Galaxy 102.2 from Birmingham. As soon as you get towards Scunthorpe on the North side BBC Tees on 95.0 is wanting to come in and almost be on 94.9!

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  • swb1964swb1964 Posts: 4,700
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    #2
    I'm not sure about this one.
    Lincs FM used to be strong as far away as Burton on Trent in the days before Choice/Galaxy/Capital on 102.2

    Even now it gets into the suburbs of Derby
  • Black BoxBlack Box Posts: 765
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    #3
    Not sure why, but I believe they use the same antenna...I'm sure someone told me this a few years ago.

    Lincs FM is on 3.2kW and Radio Linconshire 3kW.
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,894
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    #4
    Black Box wrote: »
    Not sure why, but I believe they use the same antenna...I'm sure someone told me this a few years ago.

    They don't, different arrangements

    http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/gallerypage.php?txid=807&pageid=2217
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    #5
    I know since the days when Galaxy changed to Capital, 102.2 for Capital tends to reach more and gets out along way outside Birmingham! Capital 102.2 gets into Leicester city center quite well but BBC Lincolnshire 94.9 is clear in the same area. Wants you get North of Derby and Nottingham Lincs FM does come in even though Capital 102.2 still wants to come in for a few miles North around the Tibshelf area on the motorway. It will make more sense if Minster FM was on 102.2 and Lincs FM on 104.7 and BBC Lincolnshire on 102.2 for Grantham!
  • Black BoxBlack Box Posts: 765
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    #6
    cornwalldanny wrote: »
    It will make more sense if Minster FM was on 102.2 and Lincs FM on 104.7 and BBC Lincolnshire on 102.2 for Grantham!

    No it wouldn't...because the area you're on about isn't Lincs' official coverage area, so it doesn't matter.
  • Rupert RigsbyRupert Rigsby Posts: 279
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    #7
    Lincs FM and BBC Lincs use separate aerials at Belmont.

    Lincs shares the INR aerial (Classic FM) which means they both have identical aerial patterns. According to ofcom they are not omnidirectional but do have some restriction towards London and the West Midlands.

    BBC Lincs' aerials are tightly focussed onto the South. The aerial array is located on the south side of the mast firing the full power southwards & west towards Lincoln. There is 1 aerial on the northside of the tower which puts a much lower powered signal toward Hull.

    Hope this clears it up. Pics of the aerials are on mb21
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,894
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    #8
    Rupert Rigsby wrote: »
    Hope this clears it up. Pics of the aerials are on mb21

    I actually provided a link three posts up, but hey !
  • derk weaselderk weasel Posts: 936
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    #9
    here in peterborough i get lincs fm on 102.2 fairly well actually but bbc lincs i can get but signal quality is not as good as lincs fm.

    considering i am only a few miles from the lincs border i am quite surprised the power for these is not stronger in a southern direction tbh.
    there is no stations in this area that are on 94.9 or 102.2
  • Vince800Vince800 Posts: 678
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    #10
    derk weasel wrote: »
    here in peterborough i get lincs fm on 102.2 fairly well actually but bbc lincs i can get but signal quality is not as good as lincs fm.

    considering i am only a few miles from the lincs border i am quite surprised the power for these is not stronger in a southern direction tbh.
    there is no stations in this area that are on 94.9 or 102.2

    Really? I've found that BBC Lincs is listenable down to around Raveley when BBC Radio London starts to take over. The one I am surprised about is BBC Leicester, I thought it would be a lot stronger in northern Cambridgeshire than it is.
  • derk weaselderk weasel Posts: 936
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    #11
    Vince800 wrote: »
    Really? I've found that BBC Lincs is listenable down to around Raveley when BBC Radio London starts to take over. The one I am surprised about is BBC Leicester, I thought it would be a lot stronger in northern Cambridgeshire than it is.

    there is a bit of a dead patch for dxing junction 21-22 on paston parkway right where i happen to be. as i move off in any direction it does start to come back but lincs fm does seem to have patchs where the signal is as strong as ever but can go as quick as it comes. i did put it down to maybe a bit of tropo.
    once i get out of the dead spot i can get bbc leicester have also managed to get bbc notts and even bbc suffolk as well as bbc norfolk
  • Garry_RoseGarry_Rose Posts: 128
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    #12
    Vince800 wrote: »
    Really? I've found that BBC Lincs is listenable down to around Raveley when BBC Radio London starts to take over. The one I am surprised about is BBC Leicester, I thought it would be a lot stronger in northern Cambridgeshire than it is.

    We can't get radio Leicester in Rutland but it's very strong in the west midlands apparently!!
  • Vince800Vince800 Posts: 678
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    #13
    derk weasel wrote: »
    there is a bit of a dead patch for dxing junction 21-22 on paston parkway right where i happen to be. as i move off in any direction it does start to come back but lincs fm does seem to have patchs where the signal is as strong as ever but can go as quick as it comes. i did put it down to maybe a bit of tropo.
    once i get out of the dead spot i can get bbc leicester have also managed to get bbc notts and even bbc suffolk as well as bbc norfolk

    Yes BBC Suffolk & Norfolk are easy to get in most of Cambs.
    We can't get radio Leicester in Rutland but it's very strong in the west midlands apparently!!

    Yeah, I mean I'm not expecting it to work out of the TSA (Though isn't Rutland supposed to be covered by BBC Leics since I've never really heard BBC Cambs do any proper coverage for them). Just BBC Leicester seems to take over from Radio X just past Luton so I expected it to be somewhat stronger in Peterborough but there we go, I haven't looked at the coverage maps for it.

    Rutland Radio is definitely listenable with RDS in & around Whittlesey.
  • derk weaselderk weasel Posts: 936
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    #14
    Vince800 wrote: »
    Rutland Radio is definitely listenable with RDS in & around Whittlesey.
    comes booming in here too out of the dead spot
  • R300R300 Posts: 2,521
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    #15
    Probably more to do with the fact that BBC Radio Lincolnshire is only for the county of Lincolnshire whereas Lincs FM is for the county and the old South Humberside area to the north, hence their signal is stronger as they need it to go further. Saying that though, they still need a filler in Scunthorpe anyway.
  • Garry_RoseGarry_Rose Posts: 128
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    #16
    derk weasel wrote: »
    comes booming in here too out of the dead spot

    That's the mighty 97.4 Stamford transmitter
  • Garry_RoseGarry_Rose Posts: 128
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    #17
    Vince800 wrote: »
    Yes BBC Suffolk & Norfolk are easy to get in most of Cambs.



    Yeah, I mean I'm not expecting it to work out of the TSA (Though isn't Rutland supposed to be covered by BBC Leics since I've never really heard BBC Cambs do any proper coverage for them). Just BBC Leicester seems to take over from Radio X just past Luton so I expected it to be somewhat stronger in Peterborough but there we go, I haven't looked at the coverage maps for it.

    Rutland Radio is definitely listenable with RDS in & around Whittlesey.

    Rutland Radio is our local and one of the best stations around
  • beans0ntoastbeans0ntoast Posts: 1,236
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    #18
    Depending on the receiver, I can sometimes get a bit of Lincs FM 102.2 in Northamptonshire, which is quite a long way out of the TSA for that area!

    However, BBC Radio Lincolnshire cannot be received in my area.

    With regards to that poster saying about picking these stations up in Leicester, I'll have to try that - and get back to you on it.
  • Nick_GNick_G Posts: 5,137
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    #19
    During a lift at the end of October last year I got both Lincs FM and BBC Lincolnshire with RDS. They do seem to get out very well. I also heard a weak signal from Minster FM on 104.7 too, which is a first for me.
  • PowerplayPowerplay Posts: 4,690
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    #20
    I used to live in Milton Keynes and getting Lincs FM was a rare treat back in the late 1990s. 102.2 from London was the dominant signal in the area. BBC Lincs on 94.9 was an easier catch when I nulled out BBC London, but only during lift conditions.

    With Lincs FM you can tell there is a null to the South and West of Belmont, which is also the direction of Lincoln from the mast and once on the wrong side of the hill, the signal gets patchy in parts of West Lincoln, yet the signal picks up again towards Newark once out in the country.

    The signal from Belmont gets into West Norfolk very well indeed, where most people in Hunstanton seem to have Lincs FM on when I've been up there and the TV aerials are all pointing across The Wash towards Belmont. Also up in Hull, East Yorkshire 102.2 blasts in as strong as Viking!
  • derk weaselderk weasel Posts: 936
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    #21
    Powerplay wrote: »
    The signal from Belmont gets into West Norfolk very well indeed, where most people in Hunstanton seem to have Lincs FM on when I've been up there and the TV aerials are all pointing across The Wash towards Belmont. Also up in Hull, East Yorkshire 102.2 blasts in as strong as Viking!

    when driving from peterborough to hull i just tune in to lincs fm and leave it at that. solid signal for the whole journey and no having to retune.
    my radio will not retune automatically and has a bit of a fit and goes off if it tries.
    also do the same when off to hunstanton or west norfolk for the day. i think around hunstanton lincs fm seems to be stronger than klfm from kings lynn
  • PowerplayPowerplay Posts: 4,690
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    #22
    derk weasel wrote: »
    when driving from peterborough to hull i just tune in to lincs fm and leave it at that. solid signal for the whole journey and no having to retune.
    my radio will not retune automatically and has a bit of a fit and goes off if it tries.
    also do the same when off to hunstanton or west norfolk for the day. i think around hunstanton lincs fm seems to be stronger than klfm from kings lynn

    As the mast is so high and on top of the Lincolnshire Wolds, there must also be a null to the East to save a wasted signal out in the North Sea? Here here maps of the covereage for both Lincs FM & BBC Lincs.

    http://fmscan.org/net.php?r=f&m=m&itu=G&pxf=Lincs+FM

    http://fmscan.org/net.php?r=f&m=m&itu=G&pxf=BBC+Radio+Lincolnshire

    You can clearly see the null to the North of 94.9.
  • swb1964swb1964 Posts: 4,700
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    #23
    Has Lincs FM got a relay in Grantham? I never knew that.
  • Mark CMark C Posts: 20,894
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    #24
    swb1964 wrote: »
    Has Lincs FM got a relay in Grantham? I never knew that.

    Yep, in fact the relay also carries BBC Lincs and R1-4

    http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/grantham.php
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