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General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc. |
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25th Sep 2022, 8:58 pm | #21 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK.
Posts: 5,421
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
How's about this on a Kendy pocket radio sitting in my living room on medium wave.
https://youtu.be/hNZYzHlvQfo
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25th Sep 2022, 10:44 pm | #22 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Brentwood, Essex, UK.
Posts: 5,337
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Checked what I could get on MW just now (10PM) on my Sharp QT27 (stereo radio cassette with 4-band radio). About 30 listenable stations on MW, the usual UK ones, (including 4 Asian ones), 4 Spanish (all carrying the same programne), and a couple that sounded Eastern European. Negligible interference, some slight mid-band crackle like the brush noise you used to get from sparking electric motors, but no broadband switch-mode power supply hash. We are about 100m above O.D., with what would be virtually unobstructed views to East, South and West (from chimey-stack height) if it wasn't for all the trees.
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25th Sep 2022, 10:49 pm | #23 |
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Mareeba, North Queensland, Australia
Posts: 2,704
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Murphy,
What I mean by doesnt go far is that when you try using SSB for closer contacts, it seems the signal just dissappears. Goes to south america or Japan just fine, but a 100 watt SSB transmitter doesnt go 5 miles in some cases. I have never heard exactly why this happens explained properly, other than its caused by mineralization in the earth surrounding the transmitter. Its especially noticable with mobile radios. Joe |
25th Sep 2022, 11:15 pm | #24 |
Nonode
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Redruth, Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 2,573
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
I had a quick check on my Roberts R707 around 2000h this evening and found MW activity to be quite lively towards the upper part of the band. There were many foreign stations competing with some UK local stations. I was picking up Radio XL 1296kHz fairly clearly here in Cornwall but it occasionally faded out and was swamped by a distant station. Radio XL is for the Midlands so reception here could well be due to favourable atmospheric conditions.
Radio Caroline was generally clear most of the time but occasionally faded. Radio 4 being the best signal and Radio 5 a close second. Talk Sport and Absolute Radio both reasonably clear. I agree it will be a shame if existing MW stations are closed down. On medium wave, I mainly listen to R5 and R4. Regards, Symon |
25th Sep 2022, 11:36 pm | #25 | |
Dekatron
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 18,711
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Quote:
On 20m for example it is difficult for me to work another UK station unless they are within shouting distance. Even France is often too close to hear, while further European countries are S9. What I think is a red herring is citing SSB, as other modes eg CW, exhibit this effect equally.
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26th Sep 2022, 10:20 am | #26 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,965
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Where I live there are only four strong local stations on FM. DAB is not a good option as Newlite4 points out DAB radios are power hungry and either need frequent battery changing which is expensive or frequent battery charging so that Is why I still use AM.
On LW I get good signals from BBC R4 on 198 and RTE on 252. On MW I get good reception of BBC 5L on both 909 and 693, BBC R Wales on 882, BBC R Gloucestershire on 1413, Absolute on 1215, Talk Sport on 1089, and Smooth on 936. At night Manx Radio often puts in a strong clear signal on 1368. Radio Caroline can be heard during the day on 648, but it is a weak anorak quality signal.
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26th Sep 2022, 10:59 am | #27 |
Octode
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Thetford, Norfolk, UK.
Posts: 1,741
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
I still listen to a lot of Medium Wave; Five Live, Caroline and Smooth. Indeed, although Five Live is set for closure at some point, over 40% of their 5 million listeners still tune in that way.
Caroline sounds good to me, but I think the reason for your description will be due to their use of their fairly low bandwidth IP connection between the studio and the transmitter. This is much more cost effective for them as a charity, than the old fashioned dedicated lines that used to be used. |
26th Sep 2022, 11:21 am | #28 | ||
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK.
Posts: 5,421
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Quote:
I was about to reply to Joe's comment and you took the words right out of my mouth.
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26th Sep 2022, 11:26 am | #29 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, UK.
Posts: 5,421
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Hi.
In fact last evening after I recorded the video of the Kendy I listened to Caroline North on the Manx transmitter for a good hour, also received around 20 stations at listenable strength and some others that were too weak for entertainment. A few months ago before the light nights on my home made TRF I counted up over 50 perfectly listenable stations at 10pm.
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26th Sep 2022, 2:35 pm | #30 | |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 1,571
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Quote:
What was nice about the village where we stayed was that my mobile phone had no reception. Totally OT but during the Late Queen’s funeral procession there was frequent mention of ‘the Archers’ who are some military company and each time I found myself humming Barwick Green. |
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26th Sep 2022, 6:59 pm | #31 |
Heptode
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: High Wycombe, Bucks. UK.
Posts: 811
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
It very much depends on your location. Here it's very hilly, a bit like the Lake District. At home, a typical Hong Kong pocket radio only picks up a few stations. 5 Live, Talksport and Absolute Radio are the strongest ones. But if I drive my car to the top of the hill and try the car radio, there are lots more stations on Medium Wave. During the day I can pick up several Asian radio stations from London as well as BBC Radio 4 720KHz, Caroline 648, BBC Radio Wales 882KHz (actually broadcast from England), LBC News, Premier Christian Radio and Gold London, plus a few other weak signals. When it gets dark, Spanish and Eastern European stations can be heard. There used to be a lot of German ones receivable at night but they seem to have gone now.
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27th Sep 2022, 8:31 am | #32 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Cork, Ireland
Posts: 134
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Quote:
If what you mean by 'flat' as lacking treble, unfortunately the modern car radio manufacturers often roll off the AM audio above around 2 - 3kHz making AM listening unpleasent. Older car radios, on which you would have listened to R1 on MW, would have let through the full bandwidth. |
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29th Sep 2022, 9:37 am | #33 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,965
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Quote:
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29th Sep 2022, 8:52 pm | #34 |
Heptode
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Stockport, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 712
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Well this is all good news.
l listen to radio 5 on a pocket transistor radio when l am on my nightly walk. lt's nice to do the walk accompanied by an actual voice from a loudspeaker. l didn't get on with my phone and those tiny wireless headphones, l felt disconnected from my surroundings. |
30th Sep 2022, 12:36 am | #35 |
Tetrode
Join Date: May 2022
Location: Hangleton, (Hove) East Sussex. UK.
Posts: 61
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
I tend to listen to FM, but ran through AM on a few different radios. I can pick up a few stations; reception isn't great; but the radio that stands head and shoulders above all others for both sensitivity and selectivity is a small Japanese-made all-band Panasonic from the late 70s.
Trust the Japanese to show us how it should be done... |
30th Sep 2022, 4:09 pm | #36 |
Hexode
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Helston, Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 303
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
From My location on The Lizard I hear Spanish stations during the daylight hours on my 1M loop antenna, the take off across the sea no doubt helps!
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1st Oct 2022, 7:34 pm | #37 |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK.
Posts: 1,457
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
MW is almost dead here with only Smooth Radio on 1260 and Radio Wales consigned to history recently, it's time for a pantry TX.
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1st Oct 2022, 7:43 pm | #38 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 525
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Just gone through the radio earlier; still plenty on AM here ( the Cotswolds) , radio 4 on LW, lots on FM too ( 3 of them playing the same music track so must be networked) . The trouble is, theres little to interest me on it , only Absolute & Smooth AM on MW .
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1st Oct 2022, 7:52 pm | #39 | ||
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Cheltenham Spa, Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 525
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Quote:
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3rd Oct 2022, 10:36 am | #40 | |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area.
Posts: 2,965
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Re: Medium Wave Radio Stations.
Quote:
On more recent visits to Coverack with my portable multi band radio I noticed that you could pick up quite a few Spanish AM radio stations during the day just using the radios built in ferrite rod aerial. Still wish I was living down on the Lizard today.
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