|
||||||||
The 'AM death watch' thread... |
![]() |
|
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
|
#926 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: SA1 - Swansea
Posts: 5,400
|
1260 - Smooth from North Wales or maybe Sabras from the East Midlands area or Absolute?
1548 - Gold from London probably |
|
|
|
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
|
|
|
#927 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
|
Quote:
1260 - Smooth from North Wales or maybe Sabras from the East Midlands area or Absolute?
1548 - Gold from London probably |
|
|
|
|
|
#928 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,685
|
Quote:
Whatever the Edinburgh service on 1548 is called now is a possibility, I used to hear that at night here in Hampshire if I nulled out London and Brizzle
|
|
|
|
|
|
#929 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Herts
Posts: 6,184
|
Quote:
I live in North Bristol. Does anyone know what I 'might' be able to pick up when 1260 and 1548 disappear?
I usually pick up stuff from the Midlands, so chances are I'll pick up something from there. I looked at this but unfortunately it's old data: http://www.mediumwaveradio.com/uk.php .. http://www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php |
|
|
|
|
|
#930 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
|
Has there been any mention on Smooth Bristol regarding the demise of 1260, or does absolutely no one listen to them ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#931 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Bristol UK
Posts: 944
|
BBC R Bristol on 1548 from just after 1400 today, right in the middle of the news, went to a looped tape message advising listeners of alternative ways to listen, such as FM, DAB, Freeview and online. This message will continue until the transmitter is finally switched off on the night of 19/02 to 20/02.
Smooth is continuing on 1260 as normal with no mention of the forthcoming closure. |
|
|
|
|
|
#932 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Scotland east
Posts: 2,842
|
AM (MW) is an excellent band - it's the receivers that are useless. This is just a cost cutting exercise because each Kw of power uses 3Kw of electricity.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#933 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,685
|
Quote:
This is updated regularly, has already posted the date of the Mangotsfield 1548 closure.
http://www.mwlist.org/mwlist_quick_and_easy.php |
|
|
|
|
|
#934 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
|
Quote:
BBC R Bristol on 1548 from just after 1400 today, right in the middle of the news, went to a looped tape message advising listeners of alternative ways to listen, such as FM, DAB, Freeview and online. This message will continue until the transmitter is finally switched off on the night of 19/02 to 20/02.
Smooth is continuing on 1260 as normal with no mention of the forthcoming closure. Though I suspect the switch off will be during 'office hours'. What's the point of paying overtime for someone to switch off a service ? Manor Farm at Reading was switched off just after 9am on a Friday |
|
|
|
|
|
#935 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,114
|
Quote:
BBC R Bristol on 1548 from just after 1400 today, right in the middle of the news, went to a looped tape message advising listeners of alternative ways to listen, such as FM, DAB, Freeview and online. This message will continue until the transmitter is finally switched off on the night of 19/02 to 20/02.
Smooth is continuing on 1260 as normal with no mention of the forthcoming closure. |
|
|
|
|
|
#936 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 1,477
|
Quote:
Has there been any mention on Smooth Bristol regarding the demise of 1260, or does absolutely no one listen to them ?
![]() Oh! .. hang on ...
|
|
|
|
|
|
#937 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Nr Cambridge
Posts: 924
|
this maybe a stupid question but what is planned or happening to the mw spectrum once all stations are shut down?
|
|
|
|
|
|
#938 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
|
Quote:
Has there been any mention on Smooth Bristol regarding the demise of 1260, or does absolutely no one listen to them ?
![]() I'm surprised Global can afford to p*** so many listeners up the wall without even offering an announcement to tell them what is going on. |
|
|
|
|
|
#939 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
|
Quote:
According to Radio Today's Rajar pages , Smooth West Country (I am looking at the right one here, aren't I ?) has 123,000 listeners.
I'm surprised Global can afford to p*** so many listeners up the wall without even offering an announcement to tell them what is going on. Bristol Smooth AM will probably be 1 to 6k which Eagle extra was on 1566 before it closed? The only other use for the AM band was DRM as tested in Plymouth but never caught on. |
|
|
|
|
|
#940 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
|
Quote:
That includes other areas anddigital.
Bristol Smooth AM will probably be 1 to 6k which Eagle extra was on 1566 before it closed? The only other use for the AM band was DRM as tested in Plymouth but never caught on. |
|
|
|
|
|
#941 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,685
|
Quote:
this maybe a stupid question but what is planned or happening to the mw spectrum once all stations are shut down?
There's no point of it sitting there going to waste, but also they wouldn't want it to be filled with just pirates and people saying 'alpha, bravo, *bleepy morse code*' constantly either. Relaxing the licenses and making it easier for smaller, niche stations to broadcast would make the most sense I think. They should even consider loosening the bandwidth restrictions seeing as it will probably be less crowded; however most sets don't support higher AM bandwidth, so that's probably unlikely. DRM hasn't taken off; otherwise if it had we may have expected a few of those to pop up in the empty space. Good question though. I'd also like to know as well. It's an interesting (and sad) time for the AM bands. |
|
|
|
|
|
#942 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,685
|
Quote:
BBC R Bristol on 1548 from just after 1400 today, right in the middle of the news, went to a looped tape message advising listeners of alternative ways to listen, such as FM, DAB, Freeview and online. This message will continue until the transmitter is finally switched off on the night of 19/02 to 20/02.
Smooth is continuing on 1260 as normal with no mention of the forthcoming closure. |
|
|
|
|
|
#943 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
|
Quote:
That's a good way to handle it. They probably should have had it running for a week. Though the people most affected (old folk) would probably tune in every day. I know my grandparents used to, though they switched to an FM portable maybe about 10 years ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
#944 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 2,685
|
Quote:
I would expect the loop recording to be there for about a week, therefore it indicates an actual shut down of carrier(s) next Friday, Place your bets !!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
#945 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 178
|
Bbc Bristol
Quote:
BBC R Bristol on 1548 from just after 1400 today, right in the middle of the news, went to a looped tape message advising listeners of alternative ways to listen, such as FM, DAB, Freeview and online. This message will continue until the transmitter is finally switched off on the night of 19/02 to 20/02.
Smooth is continuing on 1260 as normal with no mention of the forthcoming closure. |
|
|
|
|
|
#946 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
|
Quote:
There is no mention of the closure of 1548 on the BBC Radio Bristol website!
|
|
|
|
|
|
#947 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
|
Quote:
I'd be willing to bet a few hundred quid they'd close it on the announced date, i.e. tomorrow night
|
|
|
|
|
|
#948 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
|
Quote:
There is no mention of the closure of 1548 on the BBC Radio Bristol website!
|
|
|
|
|
|
#949 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 821
|
Quote:
[The MW spectrum] will probably end up being quite quiet in the daytime, but I think dead spectrum at night will still be a long way off. I remember reading that OFCOM were going to encourage local community stations to use it, so they may relax the licenses a bit there....DRM hasn't taken off; otherwise if it had we may have expected a few of those to pop up in the empty space....
DRM may be down, but I wouldn't count it completely out yet despite it's boat having sailed as far as a mainstream deployment in the UK is concerned. I'm intrigued, though, by the Beeb's lack of any major signalling of the end of R5L's medium wave infrastructure; for what else could this be, other than hedging their bets on a future DRM30 rollout? Various wonks-du-jour in the Beeb have been forced to mutter darkly that a "home will be found for R4LW" - this doesn't mean that it'll be on LW, and receivable without a set upgrade. Given the current political agenda to drive DAB through battering-ram style, it would be impossible for the Beeb overtly to declare this as a future strategy, and we're probably at least a WARC away, more realistically two from a refarming of MF to permit 18/20kHz bandwidth DRM30. But the longer the Beeb keep shelling out for Arqiva to operate and maintain the MF masts, the more likely an eventual move to DRM30 becomes. |
|
|
|
|
|
#950 |
|
Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
|
Quote:
DRM30 and DRM+ capability have quietly been added to all of the modern SoCs and chipsets in the DAB/DAB+ market. Particulary in an automotive setting, the active antennas tuned for MF and LF are all there ready, whereas it's extra component count for consumer kitchen boxes.
DRM may be down, but I wouldn't count it completely out yet despite it's boat having sailed as far as a mainstream deployment in the UK is concerned. I'm intrigued, though, by the Beeb's lack of any major signalling of the end of R5L's medium wave infrastructure; for what else could this be, other than hedging their bets on a future DRM30 rollout? Various wonks-du-jour in the Beeb have been forced to mutter darkly that a "home will be found for R4LW" - this doesn't mean that it'll be on LW, and receivable without a set upgrade. Given the current political agenda to drive DAB through battering-ram style, it would be impossible for the Beeb overtly to declare this as a future strategy, and we're probably at least a WARC away, more realistically two from a refarming of MF to permit 18/20kHz bandwidth DRM30. But the longer the Beeb keep shelling out for Arqiva to operate and maintain the MF masts, the more likely an eventual move to DRM30 becomes. Whilst it pains radio enthusiasts to admit it, the direction of travel is all towards IP delivery. I'm sure the government would rather spend any subsidy on a multifunctional Mobile IP delivery platform (4G coverage) for the sticks which, by the way, can be used to listen to the radio rather than a single use MF delivery network uniquely implemented in the UK. |
|
|
|
![]() |
|
All times are GMT. The time now is 23:47.




