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The 'AM death watch' thread... |
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#1151 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
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Quote:
Some BBC local transmitters have already been switched off, but others remain for coverage of sports and outdoor events (airshows, etc). Don't expect much change there until the BBC wakes up and discovers DAB+ and that local muxes can be dynamically reconfigured and split.
Quote:
Just found this, haven't had a chance to fully read it but there is a section on the position of Absolute Radio transmitter sites and its licence as well as other AM licences/maintenance contracts though I'm not sure of the basis for the claim that Ofcom would allow power reductions by Absolute.
http://www.frequencyfinder.org.uk/Opinion_AM.pdf They are promoting DAB and the internet app in cars but without an AM shutdown date there must be a quite a few still using AM in cars? http://absoluteradio.co.uk/listen/in-car/ |
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#1152 |
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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Fed up with the amount of electrical interference on MW, I finally made the switch from Gold to Smooth 101.4 as my default station of choice.
I might pop back to MW occasionally but basically it's dead already as far as I'm concerned. |
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#1153 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Retford
Posts: 20,450
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Quote:
Fed up with the amount of electrical interference on MW, I finally made the switch from Gold to Smooth 101.4 as my default station of choice.
I might pop back to MW occasionally but basically it's dead already as far as I'm concerned. Those switching from MW to DAB hoping to escape interference may be disappointed and it'll be something Digital Radio UK needs to take seriously for any forthcoming MW to DAB switchover. |
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#1154 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 214
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My experience is the opposite. FM reception is next to useless here, Medium Wave is okay with a decent set up & DAB is brilliant.
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#1155 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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I notice you are in Hertfordshire, Vince. I'm presuming you are just outside comfortable range for the London stations? Can you not even get the BBC nationals on FM?
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#1156 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 214
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Not really outside of the range, just around Hemel town centre it's particularly bad due to the hills. To the stage that yes, even the BBC Nationals are useless. BBC 3CR 92.1 & Heart 96.6 aren't as bad but still fade in and out & the TX is visible from most of the area.
I'd say the BBC Nationals from Wrotham, Crystal Palace & Bow Brickhall are all receivable here but none of them are particularly useful. Radio X is swamped by BBC Radio Leicester most of the time! The other London stations are unusable in pockets (useless when driving). The above is actually the reason I listen to Radio X in Mono on DAB even though that it is available in stereo FM, it's just too noisy when driving. If you were to take DAB out of the equation than even things like Absolute is much better on 1215 than 105.8. |
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#1157 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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Quote:
Radio X is swamped by BBC Radio Leicester most of the time!
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#1158 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Future EU Scottish Republic
Posts: 821
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Quote:
DAB isn't exactly interference free either. Particularly with buses. I find a few buses with LED panels cause interference you won't find with FM and a new fleet of buses with the local bus operator causes any DAB signal to drop completely within several metres of them...
This is not to mention the installation being daft, for converting the buses' 24V DC bus up to mains, then down again to whatever the DC drive voltage was for the panels. They should have specified direct DC drive at 24V or in the worst case ordered a bunch of SMD dropper resistors from RS.... You might want to pen a polite letter to the bus company, asking them to have whichever company fitted out the buses' electrical systems confirm that they are standards compliant (which said fitout firm will invariably have claimed to be the case). |
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#1159 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 214
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Quote:
Yes that's a monster signal isn't it! Based on that, can you get GEM 106 where you are, just out of interest?
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#1160 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 252
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Community station Radio Jcom in Leeds (1386 AM) has closed down, according to Ofcom. It still seems to be broadcasting online.
I noticed on recent travels that Radio Warrington has popped up on 1332 AM and an Asian station seems to be coming and going on 1413 AM. I don't know how long either of these have been around! We seem to be gaining more AM stations than we're losing at present. |
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#1161 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Herts
Posts: 6,184
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Quote:
Community station Radio Jcom in Leeds (1386 AM) has closed down, according to Ofcom. It still seems to be broadcasting online.
I noticed on recent travels that Radio Warrington has popped up on 1332 AM and an Asian station seems to be coming and going on 1413 AM. I don't know how long either of these have been around! We seem to be gaining more AM stations than we're losing at present. Radio Warrington is also a community radio station, came on air May 16 this year, 100 watts. |
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#1162 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 155
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I do miss the old AM/FM radios, manually dialling through the frequencies seeing which stations I would pick up. Occasionally getting the local police force by mistake - who remembers that?
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#1163 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Back of beyond
Posts: 1,929
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Quote:
I do miss the old AM/FM radios, manually dialling through the frequencies seeing which stations I would pick up. Occasionally getting the local police force by mistake - who remembers that?
Regards |
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#1164 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 155
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I still have an old fashioned radio, but 99.9% of the time use my digital radio instead. With preset channels and much better reception it's a no brainer really.
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#1165 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,448
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Quote:
I do miss the old AM/FM radios, manually dialling through the frequencies seeing which stations I would pick up. Occasionally getting the local police force by mistake - who remembers that?
As for manually dialling through the frequencies, the best radios have a manual tuning knob along with a digital frequency readout- the best of both worlds. |
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#1166 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Bristol UK
Posts: 944
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AM reception here from Clevedon, Droitwich and Washford is very good, far stronger and more robust than FM or DAB, Up until February of this year it was even better with very strong clear reception of Smooth on 1260Khz and BBC R Bristol on 1548Khz from the local Mangotsfield transmitter. Sadly this site was closed down and the site cleared for housing development.
On FM I also notice a period of hash type noise on FM as the buses pass our house. Not all of the buses do this but I suspect is the older ones that have had their internal lighting converted from fluorescent lighting to LED panels. |
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#1167 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 13,572
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Sad to hear Jcom have gone internet only did they give any reason for handing back the AM licence as it will be interesting to see if any station other than Caroline has applied for the latest round of community AM licences? Quote:
You might want to pen a polite letter to the bus company, asking them to have whichever company fitted out the buses' electrical systems confirm that they are standards compliant (which said fitout firm will invariably have claimed to be the case).
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#1168 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Dewsbury, England
Posts: 8,685
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Quote:
Community station Radio Jcom in Leeds (1386 AM) has closed down, according to Ofcom. It still seems to be broadcasting online.
Quote:
I noticed on recent travels that Radio Warrington has popped up on 1332 AM and an Asian station seems to be coming and going on 1413 AM. I don't know how long either of these have been around! We seem to be gaining more AM stations than we're losing at present.
Thee Asian station on 1323 is from Leeds and there is a faint signal here. Bradford Asian Radio on 1413 has a stronger signal which is easy to hear. I presume it is broadcasting with more power.
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#1169 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Stourbridge
Posts: 153
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Quote:
Fed up with the amount of electrical interference on MW, I finally made the switch from Gold to Smooth 101.4 as my default station of choice.
I might pop back to MW occasionally but basically it's dead already as far as I'm concerned. Radio Wales i find is a good listen on 882am,Chris Needs in particular is very funny. |
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#1170 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 99
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Quote:
Bradford Asian Radio on 1413 has a stronger signal which is easy to hear. I presume it is broadcasting with more power.
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#1171 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Dewsbury, England
Posts: 8,685
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Has Bradford Asian Radio gone off air oor reduced power? I can't receive it any more.
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#1172 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 175
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Looks like Trans World Radio from Tirana Albania is due to go off air in early 2017: http://mediumwave.info/news.html Quote:
07/11-2016 Radio Sea Breeze comes in quite well at times after dark at this location.
ALBANIA As of January 2017 Trans World Radio will stop its broadcasts on the mediumwave frequency 1395 kHz from Albania. The discontinuation of broadcasts from Albania could mean good news for the low power AM transmitters in the Netherlands that broadcast on 1395 kHz. Trans World Radio will use other mediumwave stations in Europe to achieve its targets. For example, the radio programme is broadcast on a mediumwave transmitter of Radio Monte Carlo (1467 kHz) and a mediumwave frequency from Georgia (1548 kHz). The transmitter in Albania is in a poor condition and there is no money to renovate it. Trans World Radio was the only radio channel still using the transmitter near Tirana. The transmissions, which take place in the evening hours, use high power and can also be received in the Netherlands. The Netherlands is also currently using 1395 kHz for low-power transmissions up to 100 watts. Under the the current broadcasting licences, the Dutch stations are not allowed to broadcast between sunset and sunrise on this frequency. With the disappearance of broadcasts from Albania it should be possible for radio stations that broadcast on 1395 kHz in the Netherlands to broadcast 24 hours a day via this frequency. The Radiocommunications Agency will have to give formal consent, however. Current broadcasters omn 1395 kHz include Seabreeze Radio AM (Friesland) and Q-AM (Gelderland) via this frequency. In addition, there are various authorizations issued by the Radiocommunications Agency for stations that have not yet started broadcasting. Source: mediamagazine.nl translated by Andy Sennit, who has just reported this on the PCJ Facebook group. Mike Terry, MWC fb group (7/11-2016) |
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#1173 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 107
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Meanwhile in Iceland.
RUV's technicians have for a year been experimenting with an MW transmission system, and there are indications that it could replace the two powerful LW transmitters at Eišar and Gufuskįlar. The transmitter at Gufuskįlar is Iceland's tallest manmade structure, about 412m tall, roughly equal to 5.5 church towers. The mast at Eišar is Iceland's third tallest structure, just shy of 220m. The LW transmitters are intended to transmit to ships around Iceland and plug holes in the FM distribution system. LW, however, is found on only a minority of radios sold today, and running the system is expensive. The LW masts use a lot of electricity and maintenance is expensive, not least fixing the strobe lights on the mast at Eišar which have repeatedly been damaged by weather. They also disturb the people living at Eišar. Gunnar Örn Gušmundsson, manager of RUV's technical division, says that an experimental MW transmitter at Vatnsendi has worked beyond expectations. Although it runs at only quarter power, its signals have been measured all the way to Eyjafjöll. MW masts are considerably lower and cheaper to run, and most, if not all, new radios can receive them. Further tests are needed before a decision can be made, but Gunnar thinks it likely to end with the LW transmitters being taken down. (from Ydun's Medium Wave Info) |
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#1174 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 252
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#1175 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Herts
Posts: 6,184
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Article on France Info's closure of 162 with helpline for questions.
https://www.franceinter.fr/societe/l...-grandes-ondes |
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