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The 'AM death watch' thread... |
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#951 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Worcester
Posts: 506
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I tried 1260 and 1548 in the car at 9:30 (MW is useless in the house for some reason) and I think they've gone. There was a mush on 1260 and 1548 seemed empty, although to be fair Worcester isn't in the coverage area?
Are they gone? I have fond memories... |
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#952 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 821
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Quote:
I don't know why you conclude that 'finding a home for R4 LW' equates to DRM30. I think it much more likely that by the time R4 comes off LW the BBC will have moved at least some of their stations to DAB+ freeing up space for a 'LW' opt out if required....Whilst it pains radio enthusiasts to admit it, the direction of travel is all towards [4G] IP delivery....
At the end of the Beeb's national mux rollout there will still be significant areas of the UK that are officially "uncovered" on DAB/+. Most of my action radius in the Highlands and Islands comes to mind, as does the interior of Wales. An SFN using DRM30 could be the answer here, and with frequency refarming could afford the Beeb up to 4 speech quality channels for the likes of Parliament, Daily Service and assorted sports commentaries. Power levels from the main sites on DRM30 would only have to be a small fraction of what is now in use for AM, say a couple of kW from a site that previously radiated 100kW per audio service, resulting in a significant and perhaps game-changing OPEX saving. Remember that the reason DRM (as it was then) was developed was to make MW and LW relevant in the digital age, not to replace any existing high-quality DAB or WBFM services. DRM30/+ is not a "new platform" and in fact has been in service to a limited extent around the world for a decade now, certainly on shortwave. As mentioned in posts above, DRM functionality is now baked into more modern digital radio chipsets, so by and large add a ferrite antenna and suitably screened front-end and you're good to go. As for 4G being the panacea for all service delivery woes, it always amuses me that those proposing this notion are not those who actually work in the industry. I'm a radio nutter in my spare time, and wander the world designing, building and optimising 3G and 4G networks for a living. 4G is not the saviour, as the bandwidths, throughput and numbers of users that can be accommodated on a mobile network simply do not scale to anything like that required for a broadcast network. Mostly this is the fault of the transmission infrastructure between the sites and the 'core network' as, out in the boonies where you propose 4G will help the most, the idea of self-healing transmission rings is a fantasy. Rather, the reality is long daisy-chains of sites where the first in the chain has to support all of the downstream bandwidth, usually over a microwave link to the core instead of fibre. Not only is this a single point of failure but also it leads to the transmission guys hard-limiting the capacity to each site to a small fraction of what the 3G and 4G air interfaces are able to support. I could give about two dozen further reasons from experience why mobile networks do not/won't ever scale to broadcast grade but this is an 'AM deathwatch' thread and I'm conscious it would bore most folk. |
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#953 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
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Quote:
I'm not concluding anything. I'm throwing out for discussion one idea as to why Aunty is keeping a MW network going while all around are ceasing what is left of their networks.
Perhaps why further work was needed after the last local radio MW shutdown trials with DAB rollout and getting DAB and internet in cars? I notice there is still an hour a day DRM to Europe from Wooferton but might not last? |
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#954 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Surrey
Posts: 1,023
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Quote:
maybe memories from the complaints the last time LW was to be closed?
Yet whenever anyone complains about the switching off of any AM transmissions, they just seem to back off and leave well alone. Even the notice on the BBC website about the closure of Radio Bristol's AM transmitter at http://www.bbc.co.uk/reception/news/item82 claims they "examined a number of options to keep the medium wave service on air" which, if true, doesn't sound like the action of a broadcaster planning to switch off its AM network. |
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#955 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: London
Posts: 710
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Quote:
I'm not concluding anything. I'm throwing out for discussion one idea as to why Aunty is keeping a MW network going while all around are ceasing what is left of their networks. If you can propose a better reason for this intriguing behaviour of the Beeb, then please share it.
.............................................. I could give about two dozen further reasons from experience why mobile networks do not/won't ever scale to broadcast grade but this is an 'AM deathwatch' thread and I'm conscious it would bore most folk. Here in London, one transmitter mast at Crystal Palace provides the radio and television services for almost 12 million people. If that was all to go over to IP, it would be interesting to see how the networks manage. |
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#956 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
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Quote:
I tried 1260 and 1548 in the car at 9:30 (MW is useless in the house for some reason) and I think they've gone. There was a mush on 1260 and 1548 seemed empty, although to be fair Worcester isn't in the coverage area?
Are they gone? I have fond memories... |
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#957 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,114
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Quote:
Still on at lunchtime today I'm told
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#958 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
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Quote:
Does anyone know if there is an announcement on 1260 or is it just regular output?
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#959 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Worcester
Posts: 506
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Just had to go out in the car again so checked 1260.
It's still on with normal programmes, unless I am getting Wrexham which I think is very unlikely! I gather from a friend in Bristol that 1548 has gone. |
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#960 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,462
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Medium Wave has always been terrible in the Highlands which is why the BBC went straight to VHF FM in the Highlands many years ago. I am sure it would be feasible to fill the gaps using DAB - the Radio Scotland site at Crubenmore would get well down the A9 and across the A86. I came through Glencoe this morning, they seem to have the some of the existing VHF FM sites down for DAB - the police(?) site by Glencoe village would probably get right up the gorge towards Rannoch Moor (I would not be surprised if Crubenmoor got onto Rannoch Moor because there is a radio path from that direction). Oban transmitter would serve a much wider area i it was up at Torosay. There are many places that could really fill in gaps.
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#961 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 237
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Smooth 1260 is still on air as normal. Radio Bristol has finished regular programming has just has a loop playing asking people to retune.
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#962 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Scotland, Dunfermline Area
Posts: 10,699
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It must be a good 4 or 5 years since I have really listened to AM(MW) for more than 10mns for all the stations I get on AM(MW) are also on DAB.
It must near 15 years since I have listened to LW as I have not had a radio that can tune in to LW since the early 2000. Not that there is much on LW I would listen to anymore. Used to love going though the AM(MW) band at night back in the 80s and early 90s trying to see what I could pick up. I still listen to FM at times. Darren |
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#963 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,114
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Can someone please check 990 kHz (Redmoss transmitter) that carries BBc Radio nan Gaidheal.
According to the new Tech Parmaaters, this transmitter has closed. It is no longer listed on the spreadsheet. Thanks |
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#964 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
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Delete
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#965 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
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Quote:
Can someone please check 990 kHz (Redmoss transmitter) that carries BBc Radio nan Gaidheal.
According to the new Tech Parmaaters, this transmitter has closed. It is no longer listed on the spreadsheet. Thanks |
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#966 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Bristol UK
Posts: 944
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Quote:
Smooth 1260 is still on air as normal. Radio Bristol has finished regular programming has just has a loop playing asking people to retune.
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#967 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
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Quote:
Both outlets from Mangotsfield were abruptly switched off at 0104. The sad end of an era.
Very poor effort by Global not to ( apparently) make any mention of the switch off. Rather contemptuous really to treat their listeners like that |
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#968 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Worcester
Posts: 506
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Smooth's website hasn't caught up yet: http://www.smoothradio.com/how-to-listen/fm-am/
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#969 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Nr Cambridge
Posts: 924
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can receive the following stations to a general decent standard-
smooth- 1332, 1557, 792 5 live- 909, 693 absolute- various talk sport- various bbc cambs- 1026 bbc asian- 1449 bbc norfolk- 873 bbc 3 counties- 630 can recieve others but signal quality is up and down and most of time not listenable was hoping to pull in bbc humberside for the football sometimes but signal is poor here and sound is so quiet as well |
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#970 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Essex
Posts: 3,858
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Quote:
Interesting, I wonder if they were switched off remotely from Arqiva's control centre at Emley ?
Very poor effort by Global not to ( apparently) make any mention of the switch off. Rather contemptuous really to treat their listeners like that Probably best to confuse people! |
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#971 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,079
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Quote:
Maybe it's an experiment to see what they can get away with. They presumably had the ability to play out adverts for the Bristol area so could have substituted a message for one of the ads. But no-one thought or cared for that. It would have just caused complaints to come in.
Probably best to confuse people! |
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#972 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
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Quote:
can receive the following stations to a general decent standard-
smooth- 1332, 1557, 792 5 live- 909, 693 absolute- various talk sport- various bbc cambs- 1026 bbc asian- 1449 bbc norfolk- 873 bbc 3 counties- 630 Perhaps 5 live and Talksport a bit longer? It might be later this year Caroline might be back on AM from the Ross Revenge at about 100W? The radio equivalent of heritage Steam railways? http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radio-...ence/timetable Quote:
11 Medium wave (AM) band, for locations anywhere throughout the UK Second half of 2016
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#973 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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Quote:
Very poor effort by Global not to ( apparently) make any mention of the switch off. Rather contemptuous really to treat their listeners like that My guess is most listeners will just switch their radios to FM and listen to the first station they come to. Hopefully not a Global one. |
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#974 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: London
Posts: 710
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Maybe they could have dressed it up as a competition?
Do you live in the Bristol area, and always wanted your own medium wave transmitter in your back garden? Now you could be the envy of your neighbours......... |
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#975 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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My French is very poor. When France did its grand switch off, did the stations make an effort to let listeners know what was going on, suggest alternative platforms etc?
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