Thought it was time to start a general discussion thread.
What's the ongoing problem with the Winchester tx?
What's the ongoing problem with the Winchester tx?
The Breeze network
The sound. Keeps popping up and down. Don't really know how to explain it. I'll record a sample when I get a chance.
The audio levels on the Aldershot/Woking DAB mux for The Breeze are all over the place- distortion earlier in the week, now really quiet. Also the timing is out- when falling back to 107.6fm or 102.0, you find it's a full 30 seconds ahead of DAB, making a mockery of any seamless switch over from DAB to FM.
I appreciate that the small scales muxes are run on a shoestring and are experimental, so it does beg the question why the Breeze are using the same DAB SID and RDS PI causing car radios to switch between if there is such a huge delay.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/t25qlm15wj...fault.wav?dl=0
This is a recording of the afore mentioned problem on 107.2.
Starts around 1:00, most noticeable around 1:28.
This is a recording of the afore mentioned problem on 107.2.
Starts around 1:00, most noticeable around 1:28.
The DAB SID on the Aldershot minimux has now changed, so no more rogue DAB to FM switching. Much better.
Link expired. Here is an alternative
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AkYg0KXd8dWbliR9lCAyIj_zF3_p
https://1drv.ms/u/s!AkYg0KXd8dWbliR9lCAyIj_zF3_p
I kinda miss the old TOTH where they'd state the TX coverage. Now its all generic, but there was something nice about...
"This is the breeze for that field near the A303, and the 2 Sheep near Gillingham on 107.4..."
"This is the breeze for that field near the A303, and the 2 Sheep near Gillingham on 107.4..."
Portsmouth still gets a mention.
I think local splitting is becoming a thing of the past. Traffic info seems to be generic across Hants now, yet this was the reason they left Hants DAB.
I think local splitting is becoming a thing of the past. Traffic info seems to be generic across Hants now, yet this was the reason they left Hants DAB.
Originally Posted by adc82140:
“The audio levels on the Aldershot/Woking DAB mux for The Breeze are all over the place- distortion earlier in the week, now really quiet. Also the timing is out- when falling back to 107.6fm or 102.0, you find it's a full 30 seconds ahead of DAB, making a mockery of any seamless switch over from DAB to FM.”
“The audio levels on the Aldershot/Woking DAB mux for The Breeze are all over the place- distortion earlier in the week, now really quiet. Also the timing is out- when falling back to 107.6fm or 102.0, you find it's a full 30 seconds ahead of DAB, making a mockery of any seamless switch over from DAB to FM.”
At least it's on DAB there on the pretty empty Devon Mux they aren't even on, so FM only which seems odd in an industry moving towards DAB
Just bending the subject slightly, did whoever runs The Breeze have to but/license the name The Breeze from Global?
IIRC the AM counterpart of Essex FM became The Breeze in its later years before becoming Jurassic Gold Breeze
IIRC the AM counterpart of Essex FM became The Breeze in its later years before becoming Jurassic Gold Breeze
Originally Posted by pjex:
“At least it's on DAB there on the pretty empty Devon Mux they aren't even on, so FM only which seems odd in an industry moving towards DAB”
“At least it's on DAB there on the pretty empty Devon Mux they aren't even on, so FM only which seems odd in an industry moving towards DAB”
Minimuxes=cheap though. The traditional Devon mux is probably priced too high.
Originally Posted by HistoricDealer:
“I kinda miss the old TOTH where they'd state the TX coverage. Now its all generic, but there was something nice about...
"This is the breeze for that field near the A303, and the 2 Sheep near Gillingham on 107.4..."”
“I kinda miss the old TOTH where they'd state the TX coverage. Now its all generic, but there was something nice about...
"This is the breeze for that field near the A303, and the 2 Sheep near Gillingham on 107.4..."”
I used to produce all those split liners! When I began there were only 4 Breeze stations. When I finished there were 11. For the toth news intros, there were about 15 intros for each station. I remember the Andover and Newbury areas having some very interesting place names.
A lot of the liners were split, and I managed to get split promos on air too (eg. breakfast on The Breeze Portsmouth, or breakfast on The Breeze Winchester - complete with relevant links and travel/news clips.
Same here in Berks and Hants. Plenty of space on the MUX but no Breeze. Too expensive I guess? Surely it would be better for the MUX operator to charge 50% of the cost rather than a half full MUX....???
Paul Smith probably checked with Global to use the Breeze name?
From the Muxco site
It could be that comercial local mux operators now operating costs are less ask Ofcom if they can reduce ratecards so less used muxes can fill spare space for new stations. But will have offer the new lower rate to existing users which could affect profit margins?
From the Muxco site
Quote:
“Bandwidth which is available to be contracted is subject to the current Ofcom licensing regime.
How much does it cost to buy capacity?
This depends on the multiplex area and its coverage. Capacity is sold a ratecard with a standard fee for a 112 kbit stereo service. The fee is then adjusted according to the actual capacity required by the radio station, and hours broadcast etc.”
“Bandwidth which is available to be contracted is subject to the current Ofcom licensing regime.
How much does it cost to buy capacity?
This depends on the multiplex area and its coverage. Capacity is sold a ratecard with a standard fee for a 112 kbit stereo service. The fee is then adjusted according to the actual capacity required by the radio station, and hours broadcast etc.”
It could be that comercial local mux operators now operating costs are less ask Ofcom if they can reduce ratecards so less used muxes can fill spare space for new stations. But will have offer the new lower rate to existing users which could affect profit margins?
Originally Posted by Hot Hits:
“Same here in Berks and Hants. Plenty of space on the MUX but no Breeze. Too expensive I guess? Surely it would be better for the MUX operator to charge 50% of the cost rather than a half full MUX....???”
“Same here in Berks and Hants. Plenty of space on the MUX but no Breeze. Too expensive I guess? Surely it would be better for the MUX operator to charge 50% of the cost rather than a half full MUX....???”
Celador have been very open in admitting that they don't want to spend out on putting their stations on other peoples DAB muxes. Fire Radio is only on the Bournemouth MUX because it was a condition of their licence renewal. They've made the sound quality so bad that no one would listen to it anyway!
I'd turn the entire network into Fire Radio. Why do they think people aged 40+ want to listen to all of this dull soft music?
I am in my 40s and like chart music, as do most of my friends and relatives.
I am in my 40s and like chart music, as do most of my friends and relatives.
Originally Posted by TaylorJ1:
“I'd turn the entire network into Fire Radio. Why do they think people aged 40+ want to listen to all of this dull soft music?
I am in my 40s and like chart music, as do most of my friends and relatives.”
“I'd turn the entire network into Fire Radio. Why do they think people aged 40+ want to listen to all of this dull soft music?
I am in my 40s and like chart music, as do most of my friends and relatives.”
An adult CHR format would be good. Target those too old for Capital and in Hampshire there's the added benefit of Winchester and North Hampshire.
