The 'AM death watch' thread...

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lundavra

24-02-2016

Originally Posted by Vectorsum:
“2003 apparently, but outside the Highlands and Islands RnG is on the main FM txs only, and some of them at much reduced power. So it's just a token gesture really, much in the same way as 1kW on 990kHz from Redmoss; Radio Scotland MW in English is on 5kW from the same site so maybe the Beeb's thinking was that less transmit power was required as Gaels must have more sensitive hearing from hunting haggis all day on the hills

585kHz is still around, as a Radio Dumfries opt-out from Radio Scotland I think. It's quite useful in the Uplands going down the road, when Westerglen fades out and before Sandale FM comes in. It also came in handy recently when I was in Dublin, as it offered an alternative frequency to 810kHz for the evening footy, when this faded down.”

It could be because of the maximum power allowed into the main station combiner and antenna though I think some had a separate antenna for Radio nan Gaidheal though that itself could have power restrictions. I think there were also not as many frequencies available for the service so they tend to be grouped quite close together which could be another factor - I know we had a lot of problems at at least one relay in getting a usable feed so input and output were a lot closer than normal.

Zaxx

28-02-2016

RTL-TV ran a nice feature about
R.Luxembourg and its Marnach tx blow-up
http://tele.rtl.lu/emissiounen/top-t...n/3055109.html

starts at 3:00

Eitshal

28-02-2016

Originally Posted by Vectorsum:
“He he, I was tempted to post a similar comment, but glad to be able to quote someone else! There's nothing as incomprehensible as a Peterhead trawlerman in full flight down the local boozer

Redmoss 990kHz always was a very strange outpost of Gaeldom; that the service vanished without a whimper shows that the "audience" was probably in the low double figures. It didn't even get a mention on the Beeb's own reception advice news. It would actually be quite interesting to know the thought process of whichever Beeb wonk thought it would be a great idea to put RnG onto 990 after Radio Aberdeen's disappearance.

Along with the Borders and East Central Scotland, the Northeast is not a Gaelic-speaking area. Historically, after about 1400 these areas spoke Broad Scots. No offence intended, but hearing anyone east of Inverness speak what they think is Gaelic always makes me smile. To a Gael it sounds pretty similar to what the cast of 'Allo, Allo' must sound like to a French speaker...”

To be quite fair, the Western Isles and West Highlands are barely Gaelic-speaking areas either. In some parts, on the mainland especially, you'd be hard pressed to even find a Scottish-sounding accent in amongst the upper-middle class English folk "escaping the rat race". Gáidhlig is kept alive only by a small, publicly-funded "Gáidhlig mafia" - it'd die away pretty quickly if it wasn't subsidised.

Sid Law

29-02-2016

Originally Posted by Eitshal:
“To be quite fair, the Western Isles and West Highlands are barely Gaelic-speaking areas either. In some parts, on the mainland especially, you'd be hard pressed to even find a Scottish-sounding accent in amongst the upper-middle class English folk "escaping the rat race". Gáidhlig is kept alive only by a small, publicly-funded "Gáidhlig mafia" - it'd die away pretty quickly if it wasn't subsidised.”

I think the majority of folks wouldn't disagree with you there.

I'm guessing your user name is related to where you are from as opposed to where you now live? LOL

lundavra

29-02-2016

Originally Posted by Sid Law:
“I think the majority of folks wouldn't disagree with you there.

I'm guessing your user name is related to where you are from as opposed to where you now live? LOL”

Certainly there are many parts of the Western Isles were use of Gaelic is quite common. It is not as common as Welsh is in Wales though - the big test is whether teenagers use it between themselves in everyday life.

It is much less common to hear Gaelic on the mainland - the difficulty that they had in getting a headmaster for the Gaelic school in Inverness is an indication of that.

I know Gaelic speakers and hear them speaking it but I have never heard Gaelic in the street but will hear various East European languages every time that in the town.

commseng

08-03-2016

There's one place where the 1260kHz signal of Smooth Radio Bristol is still available, and that's the Smooth Radio website.

As it has been a few weeks since Mangotsfield went off air, you'd have thought they'd have removed the listing by now!

Mark C

08-03-2016

Originally Posted by commseng:
“There's one place where the 1260kHz signal of Smooth Radio Bristol is still available, and that's the Smooth Radio website.

As it has been a few weeks since Mangotsfield went off air, you'd have thought they'd have removed the listing by now!”

I'm glad to see the 1548 listing for Radio Bristol has been removed from the Radio Times

chriswyatt

08-03-2016

It's because it's such a relaxing station. No one can be bothered.

hanssolo

23-03-2016

The US Society of Broadcast Engineers has responded to the US FCC's plan for AM revitalization about the domestic interference affecting reception.

Quote:
““AM radio is particularly susceptible to interference from electronic devices of all types, including such ubiquitous items as TV sets, vehicle engines, fluorescent lighting, computers, and power lines. The noise on the AM band that is caused by those sources is only expected to increase as electronic devices continue to proliferate.” The SBE suggested that this increase in noise is not inevitable.

However, it is a serious and worsening problem. Citing the aggregate effects of Part 15 and Part 18 unlicensed devices, the SBE notes that the FCC does not have any practical ability to address the interference potential of unlicensed devices past the point of sale. Reductions in field staff available to conduct spectrum enforcement have made enforcement in interference cases involving unlicensed devices unavailable in the future. The only source of regulatory reform that has a meaningful chance to positively affect the noise floor over time are the regulations that create obligations on manufacturers and importers and dealers, prior to the point that the consumer deploys it. - See more at: http://www.radioworld.com/article/no....RNwiXJLN.dpuf”

It is also affecting the UK where rather than restrict interfering devices, digital platforms are seem as AM replacements, Surprised still no announcements on a date for closing music stations like Absolute, Smooth and Gold etc from AM?

MikeBr

31-03-2016

Belarus Radio will be closing down on shortwave, mediumwave (1170) and longwave (279) on April 1.

timbouk

31-03-2016

What is on the website is the feed of Smooth Bristol & Bath which used to be on 1260kHz but is now on DAB only.

In the Bristol areas it is the only 'digital only' station that offers a local service such as travel and adverts.

wns_195

31-03-2016

Originally Posted by MikeBr:
“Belarus Radio will be closing down on shortwave, mediumwave (1170) and longwave (279) on April 1.”

I've never heard Radio Station Belarus on 1170 or 279. Did it broadcast in English on those frequencies? How many hours of English programming will the station be broadcasting daily online?

swb1964

31-03-2016

Originally Posted by wns_195:
“I've never heard Radio Station Belarus on 1170 or 279. Did it broadcast in English on those frequencies? How many hours of English programming will the station be broadcasting daily online?”

I've tried 279 before and got nothing but static. But Belarus is a long way away!

o_blackburn

31-03-2016

Originally Posted by swb1964:
“I've tried 279 before and got nothing but static. But Belarus is a long way away!”

279 always seemed to be undermodulated making it harder to hear.

MikeBr

31-03-2016

Both frequencies carried Belarus Programme 1 apart from 1170 carrying 2 hours of Polish in the evening.

Their internet schedule is here, it's in Belarus time 2 hours ahead of us, plenty of English broadcasts
http://www.radiobelarus.tvr.by/en/internet

882657

02-04-2016

Drove from Cardiff to Oxford very good signal on Radio Wales all the way there and round the A40 to Goucester. Long may 882 am stay on air.

FmBandScan

02-04-2016

Originally Posted by 882657:
“Drove from Cardiff to Oxford very good signal on Radio Wales all the way there and round the A40 to Goucester. Long may 882 am stay on air.”

I noticed earlier this week that 882 here had a bad echo, not sure if it's any better now!

Chris_Hulse1

03-04-2016

What can be heard on 1548/1260 in Bristol now?

MikeBr

08-04-2016

Radio Maria, Netherlands has resumed broadcasts on 675.

Dutch Media Magazine article today with photo of mast:
http://www.mediamagazine.nl/radio-ma...en-middengolf/

English translation via Herman Boel on Facebook:

"Catholic Radio Maria resumes broadcasts on 675 kHz with 5 kW from Aarle Rixtel (in the province of North Brabant). The national telecom agency allows up to 25 kW. The power and antenna will be improved in due course."

No reported reception yet or mention on their website/social media feeds.

Mr_Boltar

08-04-2016

The interference problem on MW & LW is down to AM modulation being used, not the frequency. I wonder if a gradual switch over to FM on these bands would improve the listening experience or there are factors I haven't thought of that would cause issues?

Hybrid tellies

08-04-2016

Originally Posted by Chris_Hulse1:
“What can be heard on 1548/1260 in Bristol now?”

During the day on 1548 you can pick up a faint signal from Gold via Saffron Green, on 1260, again very faintly you can just hear Sabras Radio from Leicester.
Near and after Dusk on 1548 you can hear City 2 from Liverpool and Forth 2 from Edinburgh. The Forth 2 signal is frequently the dominant signal often received very clearly. On 1260 it's either Smooth from Wrexham or one of the Absolute low powered transmitters.

David_Vaughan

08-04-2016

Originally Posted by Mr_Boltar:
“The interference problem on MW & LW is down to AM modulation being used, not the frequency. I wonder if a gradual switch over to FM on these bands would improve the listening experience or there are factors I haven't thought of that would cause issues?”

I don't think that is possible due to bandwidth

hanssolo

09-04-2016

As David says MW does not have the bandwidth for FM or even narrowband FM as it only has 9khz slots. In India they are now using 18khz with part AM and part DRM30 which will work in the bandwidth. But even DRM and FM can be affected by interference from TV sets, vehicle engines, fluorescent lighting, computers, power lines etc on the MW band.

Interesting R Maria restarting local MW (rather than national) in the Netherlands, must have found a new mast location?

Things are quiet on more AM shutdowns and also RTE 252 reducing hours which they said they will do in 2016?

Colin_London

09-04-2016

The next big shutdown known about is France Inter 162kHz at the end of the year I think.

chriswyatt

09-04-2016

It would be nice if they could increase the bandwidth on MW/LW now that the spectrum is becoming emptier. The only trouble are the added costs of transmitter power and that many radios will not support the extra bandwidth.

It's a shame that DRM never really took off. A mix of DRM and wider AM channels would be quite nice: people would still be able to listen to AM with old sets, and the newer DRM compatible sets could support the wider bandwidth AM. Perhaps this is what India are aiming for?

Relax the licensing on AM. Allow for wider channels. And then you could have some reasonably good sounding community stations utilising that new space (well, MW anyway). That still doesn't solve the problem of interference though.

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