DS Forums

 
 

Is there still a 'Cumberland Gap' on the M6?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 06-12-2016, 21:26
swb1964
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,446

There used to be a section of the M6 in Cumbria, one of the few on any motorway, where it was near impossible to get any BBC FM radio, or indeed anything much on the FM band.

Was the gap ever plugged? Does it still exist on DAB?
swb1964 is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 06-12-2016, 21:34
Mark C
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,076
There used to be a section of the M6 in Cumbria, one of the few on any motorway, where it was near impossible to get any BBC FM radio, or indeed anything much on the FM band.

Was the gap ever plugged? Does it still exist on DAB?
Still there on FM, plugged for BBC National DAB now I think
Mark C is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2016, 21:40
ahall41116
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 104
Still there on FM, plugged for BBC National DAB now I think
It's still there and 6 music disappears on dab too.

Not for long but it's a pain
ahall41116 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2016, 22:37
lundavra
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 25,455
Still there on FM, plugged for BBC National DAB now I think
It's still there and 6 music disappears on dab too.

Not for long but it's a pain
Dropped out around Tebay but there is a DAB relay somewhere around there so DAB does not drop out anywhere on the M6.
lundavra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-12-2016, 22:38
Eitshal
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 252
I can usually just about keep hold of BBC Cumbria through that section. For some reason, it seems more stable than the BBC network FM stations. It's not perfect, but it is listenable.

There's a similar gap north of the Scottish border on the M74 where there's very little to listen to on FM, after leaving the Sandale coverage area but before you come into range of Black Hill and the Central Belt stations.
Eitshal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2016, 12:55
swb1964
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,446
Thanks for the replies.

Are there any other remaining gaps on the motorway network apart from these two?
swb1964 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2016, 15:10
Mark C
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,076
Thanks for the replies.

Are there any other remaining gaps on the motorway network apart from these two?

It depends how good your radio is !
Mark C is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2016, 19:19
swb1964
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,446
It depends how good your radio is !
Well, yes. If you're talking about reception with a hifi tuner and a rooftop aerial then we have close to 100% landmass coverage. But I'm talking about an ordinary car radio.
swb1964 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-12-2016, 19:49
Mark C
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 8,076
Well, yes. If you're talking about reception with a hifi tuner and a rooftop aerial then we have close to 100% landmass coverage. But I'm talking about an ordinary car radio.
So am I, and there are huge variations in performance with car radios, factory fitted generally being the best, but ( according to reports in here) even that's no guarantee
Mark C is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2016, 11:06
Allerton Park
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: North Wirral
Posts: 149
So am I, and there are huge variations in performance with car radios, factory fitted generally being the best, but ( according to reports in here) even that's no guarantee
Big variability with aerials too, I've found. Not exactly a controlled experiment, but I always seem to have the most average of car radios in whichever car I've had, and length of aerial seems to make quite a significant difference.

Also, one winter a load of water got into the screw thread on the aerial mount, and the reception was never the same again, no matter how much I tried to dry it out.
Allerton Park is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 08:35.