26-11-2014, 12:59 AM
26-11-2014, 10:16 AM
...but you can see why, and I really admire the plans for the re-purposing of all the equipment and land. Very good & well thought out handover...
26-11-2014, 11:37 AM
Just waiting for the upcoming technological crunch, and we'll all be sending in morse.
18-09-2016, 11:43 AM
Very sad.
I can't help thinking that a lot of LW, MW, SW closures are driven by a false sense of efficacy of Satellite, Internet and local FM or even DAB Radio.
All of those can be blocked by a censorious government.
Many of those are not as universal coverage as AM, nor as long life battery for listeners in a disaster or portable.
I can't help thinking that a lot of LW, MW, SW closures are driven by a false sense of efficacy of Satellite, Internet and local FM or even DAB Radio.
All of those can be blocked by a censorious government.
Many of those are not as universal coverage as AM, nor as long life battery for listeners in a disaster or portable.
10-05-2022, 04:43 PM
Since I last looked at this topic:
May 2021: The Official Irish DAB service closed. Since then two non-RTE stations have joined "Terrestrial Digital Radio", Radio Maria and UCB. RTE has a few extra Digital only stations. Terrestrial Digital Radio is still on DTT which has better coverage than Analogue TV had (which was on Band III in some areas as well as UHF, the last Band I 625 closed in 1999).
BBC has restarted some Shortwave AM World Service.
Five Live is still on MW due to lack of DAB coverage
R4 is still on LW due to lack of FM & DAB coverage.
DAB in UK is still less coverage than FM.
Satellite and Internet are complementary to Terrestrial Broadcast. FM and DAB only does local or main National. No use for International nor complete National coverage.
May 2021: The Official Irish DAB service closed. Since then two non-RTE stations have joined "Terrestrial Digital Radio", Radio Maria and UCB. RTE has a few extra Digital only stations. Terrestrial Digital Radio is still on DTT which has better coverage than Analogue TV had (which was on Band III in some areas as well as UHF, the last Band I 625 closed in 1999).
BBC has restarted some Shortwave AM World Service.
Five Live is still on MW due to lack of DAB coverage
R4 is still on LW due to lack of FM & DAB coverage.
DAB in UK is still less coverage than FM.
Satellite and Internet are complementary to Terrestrial Broadcast. FM and DAB only does local or main National. No use for International nor complete National coverage.
07-10-2023, 06:37 AM
Here in New Zealand there are no plans to introduce DAB as far as I'm aware. If disaster strikes internet and mobile phone is out and the only communication was done by a couple of old fogies of the AREC (Amateur Radio Emergency Corps) and there were not enough of them. I remember the old manual phone exchanges and party lines and later using satelites to phone to the other side of the planet with a few seconds lag. Now we've got fibre optics but Russia has mapped all the lines and in case of mayhem the lines can/will be easily cut.
The whole lot is becoming more and more fragile - we need only to look at the JIT (Just In Time) supply chain. Covid turned that upside down and we're all suffering the fallout from that.
Our daughter is in water treatment management and they've gone from using UHF communication to the internet using mobile celltowers. Bad move, in the floods the celltowers were flooded and shrted out so no communication. But it's all about saving a penny and not about building in redundancy.
The whole lot is becoming more and more fragile - we need only to look at the JIT (Just In Time) supply chain. Covid turned that upside down and we're all suffering the fallout from that.
Our daughter is in water treatment management and they've gone from using UHF communication to the internet using mobile celltowers. Bad move, in the floods the celltowers were flooded and shrted out so no communication. But it's all about saving a penny and not about building in redundancy.
07-10-2023, 07:33 AM
Looking at the UK broadcast spectrum below 30MHz.
We have one remaining SW site at Woofferton. The BECG has recently collected some souvenirs from Sender 93, a venerable Marconi BD272 transmitter. Sender 95, the last BD272, is still in active service. https://www.transmitter.be/mar-bd272.html Due to size there's no way we could preserve the whole of Sender 93.
MW services seem to be closing by the day.
The198kHz LW service from Droitwich will close in the next few years.
Anyone got a good alternative use for some LW and MW spectrum that's laden with interference?
All those with non-VHF receivers will soon have to rely on pantry transmitters or bluetooth adaptors. Rather like 405 TV enthusiasts having to rely on standards converters.
We have one remaining SW site at Woofferton. The BECG has recently collected some souvenirs from Sender 93, a venerable Marconi BD272 transmitter. Sender 95, the last BD272, is still in active service. https://www.transmitter.be/mar-bd272.html Due to size there's no way we could preserve the whole of Sender 93.
MW services seem to be closing by the day.
The198kHz LW service from Droitwich will close in the next few years.
Anyone got a good alternative use for some LW and MW spectrum that's laden with interference?
All those with non-VHF receivers will soon have to rely on pantry transmitters or bluetooth adaptors. Rather like 405 TV enthusiasts having to rely on standards converters.
07-10-2023, 11:08 AM
'tis a shame, that's economics (enocomics) for you. I only listen to four radio stations, Radios 3, 4, 4Extra and the World Service. All are on DAB (well done World Service) only two on analogue, one on LW. I will miss proper off air reception of Radio 4 LW on my vintage sets.
07-10-2023, 11:43 AM
Radio 3 hasn't been on medium wave for decades. Entirely reasonable and understandable. R4 198kHz is still used for the shipping forecast and Economy 7 switching. I understand the shipping forecast on LW is no longer really needed by mariners and smart meters will replace Eco7 switching. i think that remaining Eco7 meters with LW switching just revert to fixed times.
R4 198kHz is no longer the "last resort" station. How can it be when so many people no longer even own a radio with LW.
We are a fairly small enthusiast community and can't expect transmissions to be maintained for our benefit.
R4 198kHz is no longer the "last resort" station. How can it be when so many people no longer even own a radio with LW.
We are a fairly small enthusiast community and can't expect transmissions to be maintained for our benefit.