Blank carrier on 87.5 - a pirate?

Nick_G · 28/12/14 - 09:38

For the past 3 days or so i have noticed a blank carrier on 87.5 when beaming south. It can't be an iTrip because I can hear effects like aircraft flutter and fading on it, pointing to a genuine tx somewhere. As it's to the south of here I was wondering if it was coming from the Southampton area. Can anyone else over that way hear it? Maybe it's a pirate doing tests?

Seagull259 · 28/12/14 - 09:47

There are reports of a station called Supreme on this frequency in Southampton including a thread on here.

http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2030003

Also
http://www.radionecks.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=373

Am in the area at present & am not getting anything.

Nick_G · 28/12/14 - 10:01

Aha thanks for that. Interesting.

Every so often the signal will jump in strength for a few seconds, enough to light up 1 bar on the Sony XDR-F1HD/go fully quieting. Otherwise it's slightly scratchy.

Nick_G · 28/12/14 - 10:52

Just switched it on again and they are now playing drum & bass so definitely a pirate and very probably Supreme. I will see if there are any IDs.

Seagull259 · 28/12/14 - 11:00

Nick_G wrote: »

Just switched it on again and they are now playing drum & bass so definitely a pirate and very probably Supreme. I will see if there are any IDs.

Yes getting it too. Only in mono at my location, no RDS & the signal is not very stable with the power seeming to keep jumping up & down.

Update : audio stopped abruptly at 11.07 but fluctuating carrier still on.

Nick_G · 28/12/14 - 11:22

Yes same here - the drum & bass stopped suddenly shortly after 11 am.

It's almost as if there's something not quite connecting properly in the TX as the signal keeps jumping between slightly scratchy to fully-quieting.

CeeO · 28/12/14 - 13:30

Nick_G wrote: »

Yes same here - the drum & bass stopped suddenly shortly after 11 am.

It's almost as if there's something not quite connecting properly in the TX as the signal keeps jumping between slightly scratchy to fully-quieting.

And if its antenna related the resulting high swr will likely damage their tx if its left operating in this condition.

Seagull259 · 28/12/14 - 15:58

Strong blank carrier on the west side of Southampton on a car radio around 11.45 but nothing now.

Nick_G · 28/12/14 - 19:50

Yes it seems to have switched off this evening, although whilst driving down the A34 just before the Bullington cross junction earlier this afternoon it was coming in well on the car radio but no RDS PS name came up.

Nick_G · 28/12/14 - 21:59

Back on again with stable signal/full power and IDed as 'Supreme Live UK'.

Seagull259 · 29/12/14 - 08:45

On this morning with continuous music but no ID. Strong signal on car radio. Audio stopped about 08.30. Rare for a pirate station to operate in Southampton. I remember hearing PCRS in the 80s. Seem to also recall mention of a Blaze FM & Future FM in the last 20 years. Has not been much activity since the 70s/early 80s when there were several stations based on the Isle of Wight on AM - Radio Kathy being probably the biggest but also a Radio Solent City & Radio Rock.

Seagull259 · 30/12/14 - 15:17

On all day today with continuous drum & bass. Signal fairly weak in the city centre but strong in the New Forest some 10 miles west of Southampton.

Nick_G · 30/12/14 - 16:34

Yes in all day here with a 1 bar signal on the Sony XDR-F1HD and also audible on the car radio driving between home and Andover although the signal becomes weak and noisy in Andover itself. It must be putting out quite a bit of power to get that sort of coverage.

Phil Dodd · 30/12/14 - 21:45

When one person alone complains of this strange carrier on 87.5, no RDS and the same music played repeatedly, it usually is someone with an MP3 player plugged into an FM modulator so that they can listen to MP3s on their car radio. These FM modulators often default to 87.5. And you get stuck in a traffic jam behind them...

But if several of you over a large area are hearing the same music on 87.5, it can't be that...

Seagull259 · 01/01/15 - 11:41

Found a 256kbps stream in sync with the FM transmission with ID as Supreme Live.

http://66.90.103.189:8036

Nick_G · 01/01/15 - 18:04

Thanks for that. The FM feed is about 20 seconds behind that web stream so I presume they are using it as the source for the FM tx. Interesting comparing the audio quality through the hi-fi too - the FM feed is mono, thin and flat sounding compared to the web stream which is much fuller, punchier and in stereo. The FM feed also seems to have no RDS, whereas the web stream gives info on what DJ is on etc.

Nick_G · 01/01/15 - 21:16

I've noticed that since the wind has got up the signal from 87.5 is fluttering up & down and is unstable. Is anyone else getting the same effect? If so, perhaps their aerial is being blown about in the wind!

Shimano · 02/01/15 - 10:35

Nick_G wrote: »

Interesting comparing the audio quality through the hi-fi too - the FM feed is mono, thin and flat sounding compared to the web stream which is much fuller, punchier and in stereo.

Probably due to most pirates inability to set up or implement decent FM processing.

Nick_G · 02/01/15 - 16:15

Back on again this afternoon but the signal is considerably weaker than yesterday, not enough to light up 1 bar on the XDR. Whether it was enhanced recently due to the high pressure or something has changed at the tx site I'm not sure.

Seagull259 · 09/01/15 - 19:45

Have not heard the station for a week although the stream is still there. Only other thing I have found is this

http://www.yourmuze.fm/station/supreme-live-uk-%28southampton%29

Hey there!

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Blank carrier on 87.5 - a pirate?

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