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Old 20th Aug 2021, 11:28 am   #61
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

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Originally Posted by Jon_G4MDC View Post
This is all a little puzzling. Presumably Ofcom licensed them for some ERP value.
They can can use a 1kW transmitter and put a poor aerial on it, or otherwise, a better one.

The ERP goes up but their mains power consumption and so the electricity bill remain the same.
They could upgrade the transmitter subject to Ofcom permission. The world is awash with fairly new redundant MW transmitters at the moment. I would imagine going to 10kW would be perfectly affordable and would allow them to reach the huge London audience.
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Old 20th Aug 2021, 12:21 pm   #62
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Hasn’t Caroline got fairly wide London coverage on London ‘SSDAB’ or does the map flatter to deceive? It’s on Birmingham SSDAB but the transmitter is on the east side and the signal only just reaches the city centre. I get a display on the Rx but no signal.

Enjoyed the on air snippet – just about enough for me. Was listening to Caroline last night and it’s definitely improved! (We’ve both got old...) Clearly from the North ship but interesting that there was no station identification, jingle or DJ identification during the 25 or so minutes. (I listen to one local commmunity station where a presenter feels it necessary to announce his name, name of the show, station name and frequency during every link!)

I listened to the South ship. I think I get a better daytime signal now on 648 with 1kW than I did from the Mi Amigo on 1187 with 50kW.

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Back in the day, DJs used to gabble! Tony Blackburn still seems to be able to do it. I haven't worked out whether he's skillfully re-creating his style of old, or whether he's just stuck with it
Tony Blackburn has been doing the same show for nearly sixty years. Good luck to him – few of us manage ten years doing the same job in the same manner!
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Old 9th Nov 2021, 10:54 pm   #63
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Default Radio Caroline improved reception

Hi. Is it my imagination but has the daytime reception of Radio Caroline improved a bit more? Not sure if and when the upgrade in power is planned, but it is a bit better than it was before. Of course, the night time reception is still poor after a certain time. It will be great if this power increase is soon due! My Bush VHF61 radio can now receive 648 without having to turn up the volume to maximum as it was before. Anyone else experienced this slight improvement?
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 10:34 am   #64
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Congrats to you people lucky enough to still have MW or SW stations in your country.
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 10:56 am   #65
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

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Congrats to you people lucky enough to still have MW or SW stations in your country.
Hi,


A bit off topic, but i'm curious to know what Medium Wave is used for in Finland, if there are no radio stations on there anymore?

Thanks

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Old 10th Nov 2021, 11:15 am   #66
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Is Caroline ever going to make use of the now redundant Radio Wales TX in Wrexham? 2kW will go a long way!
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 11:30 am   #67
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

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Quote:
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Congrats to you people lucky enough to still have MW or SW stations in your country.
Hi,

A bit off topic, but i'm curious to know what Medium Wave is used for in Finland, if there are no radio stations on there anymore?

Thanks

Aub
Absolutely nothing AFAIK. I only ever pick up polish or russian radio on it from time to time. I think it's a crying shame. FM rules pretty supreme here, find it strange there is nobody interested in MW or SW for that matter.

If nothing else I think it could be a good candiate for DRM, since there's notihng there now.
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 12:21 pm   #68
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Let's stay on topic please.
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 12:22 pm   #69
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

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Is Caroline ever going to make use of the now redundant Radio Wales TX in Wrexham? 2kW will go a long way!
That would be interesting at my location: one Caroline signal splattering over another!

Though reception improved generally when the switch was made to the 1/4 wave vertical, I suspect the recent improvement in signal – at least in my location – is down to ground wave conductivity given recent wet weather.

Latest Caroline Support Group newsletter indicates that the ‘new’ Tx (a second-hand item found in Germany) has had an overhaul that sounds rather like a restoration.

Quote: It is a Harris DX25, sufficiently powerful for anything we may wish to do in future.

I think I read somewhere that the lowest power this Tx will transmit is 10kW but of course modifications in restoration may have changed this. The Tx also has to operate for many months physically unattended.

Peter Moore says: “It was a pleasant surprise when Ofcom agreed our request for more AM power. I feel we have friends there.”
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 12:28 pm   #70
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

It does seem a shame to leave the Wrexham transmitter unused, but remember that the mast may need expensive maintenance even if a much more economical transmitter was installed.

It's a very good location for a 'Caroline North' service though - it would cover the West Midlands, Merseyside and Manchester very well with only a modest transmitter.
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 12:31 pm   #71
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

It would have to be bang in sync otherwise it would make for very annoying listening here!
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 12:35 pm   #72
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

It's unlikely the Wrexham TX would be used again, it was installed in 1946, or there abouts, and probably needs a total overhaul by now.
One day I'll try receiving it with a decent setup, I might be able to receive it although it's unlikely.
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Old 10th Nov 2021, 12:58 pm   #73
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

The Wrexham Tx did seem to give good coverage. Back in the day (about 20 years ago) I used to listen to Radio Wales a lot and 657’s 2kW wasn’t that far down compared to 882’s 100kW. It was easily listenable on the kitchen portable. Wrexham is about 60 miles and Washford about 120 miles distant with the latter having Severn Estuary sea path.

I think Caroline’s aim is just to put out a ‘respectable’ signal on 648. It is a bit the broadcasting equivalent of a heritage steam railway and other than us enthusiasts few will be listening seriously on AM. It might be get into London a bit better but the local QRM in such a crowded city will make it impractical for many, plus there is SSDAB there which doesn’t seem so small-scale from the coverage map.

It is a shame the ‘Birmingham’ SSDAB coverage is so miniscule – it barely reaches the city centre – otherwise I would listen on DAB. My MW sets are tuned to 648 but I listen online a fair amount – especially at night when 648 is poor due to co-channel QRM.

I do listen to the Caroline North transmissions on AM but this is for the sense of nostalgia more than anything. 1368 booms in during darkness. In the times before they turned 648 over to North for the duration of the weekend there was even the novelty of hearing of hearing two Carolines from two different transmitter locations on the band once more – something that hadn’t occurred since March 1968.
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Old 11th Nov 2021, 12:48 pm   #74
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Was R Caroline North originally on 199m? If so its a pity they could not re engineer the Wrexham transmitter to put out Radio Caroline on the now unused 1503.It would cover parts of NW England and the west Midlands during the day.
Here near Bristol I can sometimes get quite a decent signal from R Caroline on 648 the best times are an hour or so before and after dusk. Manx Radio, and when it carries Caroline, on 1368 puts a superb signal in to this area most evenings and often for an hour or so just after sunrise.
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Old 11th Nov 2021, 1:01 pm   #75
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

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It would have to be bang in sync otherwise it would make for very annoying listening here!
I was speculating that they could use a different frequency - there's no shortage of clear channels on MW nowadays. I guess it's not going to happen though.

The transmitter at Wrexham is unlikely to date from the 40s - the BBC had a big modernisation programme in the 70s and replaced most of their really ancient transmitters then. It may still be 50 years old though, and obviously unsuitable for an operation like Caroline to use.

I know nothing about the condition of the mast, but it may well need work.
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Old 12th Nov 2021, 5:13 pm   #76
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Hi. I am very pleased with the progress that has been made with Radio Caroline's transmitter up to now. Hope that the increase that they promised will come in to being soon.
Looking forward to my Top 15 selection on Thursday 18th Nov.
Cheers
Mike
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Old 26th Nov 2021, 11:22 am   #77
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

They seem to have made the change now and the signal here is solid, with just the occasional dip down towards the noise. A vast improvement, although it will be interesting to see how it fares as daytime conditions tighten their grip.
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Old 26th Nov 2021, 2:21 pm   #78
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Radio Caroline have contacted me to confirm that the power increase has now happened. The exact power is being kept secret at the moment, don't know why, perhaps in case of problems.

BUT - go listen. Many more people should now be able to receive.
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Old 26th Nov 2021, 3:30 pm   #79
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

According to their web page, the TX is a DX25 from Harris. These can do 25 kW output, so if OFCOM is allowing them to use it at full chat no wonder it's such an improvement. It's gone from 'bad, even by Anorak standards' to 'armchair listening' on my shack radio, and even on my Sony portable it would count as 'good Anorak'.
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Old 26th Nov 2021, 3:40 pm   #80
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Default Re: Radio Caroline Power Increase

Yes, much stronger here. I was never a big Caroline fan though I'm afraid.

Cheers

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