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Old 10th Feb 2018, 11:07 am   #321
ionburn
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Congratulations Phil!

An interesting result observation, and maybe one which can be made use of - I listen to Caroline while busy in the 'shack' during the day on my comms receiver with wire aerial with few issues (although I think quality appears to have diminished since they went public), but get the usual foreign station interference coming in towards dark. If I then change to a consumer transistor set there is far less interference. I think that is down to directionality. Has anyone any opinions / experience as to whether the interfering signal(s) could be minimised or cancelled out?
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Old 10th Feb 2018, 11:13 am   #322
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I get similar results, Ian, and my best reception is on a Grundig transistor portable. I have no doubt that this is due to the directional properties of the ferrite rod aerial. Another idea is a MW frame aerial, of which there are many DIY designs on the web. I used one decades ago (when Caroline was new!) and found its performance excellent.
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Last edited by Phil G4SPZ; 10th Feb 2018 at 11:13 am. Reason: Clarification
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Old 10th Feb 2018, 12:01 pm   #323
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

10 or more years ago I had the need to receive a weak medium wave signal in an electrically-noisy environment (near the server that was to stream that signal) and, having tried several radios and tuners, the best I found was a fairly nondescript transistor portable with its output fed through a 1:1 transformer to allow it to "float" with respect to the unbalanced input of the server's sound card.
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Old 10th Feb 2018, 8:38 pm   #324
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil G4SPZ View Post
I get similar results, Ian, and my best reception is on a Grundig transistor portable. I have no doubt that this is due to the directional properties of the ferrite rod aerial. Another idea is a MW frame aerial, of which there are many DIY designs on the web. I used one decades ago (when Caroline was new!) and found its performance excellent.
I do have a large frame aerial, which is often superior to my long wire, even though several feet lower. The only issue with it is it's size. I cannot easily rotate it in my room more than twenty or so degrees. I think I will experiment with ferrite rods.
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Old 10th Feb 2018, 11:21 pm   #325
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Earlier in this thread, someone mentioned a commercially-manufactured desk top frame aerial known as the Tecsun AN200 for MW, currently available from various online sources for around £20. There are also several DIY designs out there, and (if the videos posted on YouTube are to believed) they work very well. These are much smaller than the traditional MW loop.
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Old 15th Feb 2018, 10:56 am   #326
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I treated myself to the Tecsun AN200 loop as a Christmas present to myself. I am quite surprised how well it works on my small Wien 2 transistor radio it enhances some of the weaker local signals and on my more sensitive radios it does help to pull in some of the more distant weaker stations. I have also found that by using the directional properties of both the radios ferrite rod aerial and the AN200 loop you can seriously reduce co channel interference of the required signal be it a local station such as Absolute on 1215 or a weaker signal that's buried with co channel or local electronic noise which is such a problem these days.
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Old 22nd Mar 2018, 12:44 am   #327
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

This is the first time I am listening to Radio Caroline and am delighted to hear this historic station The signal is fair to good with occasional deep fading on my Sangean ATS909X. I am using a homemade hoola hoop antenna directly plugged in to the external antenna input socket. Reception seems to be better with the loop compared to my longwire antenna and copper pipe earth.
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Old 23rd Mar 2018, 10:42 am   #328
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

As a data-point, yesterday around 09:30 I was getting pretty good reception of 648 Caroline on my Sony car-radio while in a car-park in the centre of Devizes.

This was with the engine off: start the engine and the locally-generated interference wiped it out totally. [Diesel Land-Rovers are not electrically-silent!]
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Old 1st Apr 2018, 2:56 pm   #329
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I finally decided to try to listen today. 648kHz is reasonably audible above the digital hash using my Sony ICF-5900W using the internal ferrite rod, though you'd need to be pretty desperate to use it for normal listening. A more typical domestic set doesn't find anything meaningful though.

They seem to be announcing as Caroline North at the moment, which I wasn't expecting on 648, but does take me back to visiting my cousin in Blackpool in 1966 where CN came belting in.
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Old 1st Apr 2018, 4:21 pm   #330
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Paul,

The “North” relates to Caroline also being carried by Manx Radio on the I.O.M. which happens every so often.
Nothing during daylight here in N.I. on 648, but 1368 is a local signal.

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Old 21st Apr 2018, 8:15 pm   #331
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Default Radio Caroline

I went down to Orfordness yesterday.

Evidently there is a Guy who goes over on the little Ferry every day with cans of fuel for the generators for the relay station.

Evidently the mast is tuned for 648kHz.

Of course in these remote locations, rumors can abound, especially in that hitherto "Secret", and long time, very mysterious location....
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Old 29th Apr 2018, 11:35 am   #332
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I thought I'd try and tune in to radio Caroline on MW648 but I can't get reception? Are they broadcasting all the time on MW yet? I can listen to it on my phone but thought I'd rather hear it through my radiogram. Any info on MW schedules who or that I'm unlikely to receive it in Redditch?
Many thanks.
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Old 29th Apr 2018, 3:12 pm   #333
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

It's on 648kHz 24/7
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Old 29th Apr 2018, 3:41 pm   #334
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

It comes in rather weakly in the daytime up here in Manchester, Dave. At night it can be quite good but there is co-channel interference from other broadcasters. I suspect like most of us, you have quite a high noise level which will of course make matters worse. A loop antenna may help.
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Old 29th Apr 2018, 7:05 pm   #335
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I received it good last night, until EU stations came on then it faded away.

It came back around midnight ok, now nothing today.

This may be of Interest to some. https://www.mwradio.eu/

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Old 29th Apr 2018, 8:57 pm   #336
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I guess for a start then I need to improve my MW aerial . At the moment it picks up all the usual suspects on MW very well. Just felt I was missing out not receiving Caroline on my big old Braun radiogram. The FM aerial on it is connected to my roof aerial but the frame aerial for ME is a piece of wire dangling out the back of the set. I will try and improve this. Aerials are not my strong point, well the theory and maths behind it all etc.
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Old 30th Apr 2018, 11:38 am   #337
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Don't forget, this is a low power community station. It will be MW DX for most people, a hobby in itself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MW_DX
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Old 1st May 2018, 9:29 am   #338
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Comes in very well, most of the time, here in North Warwicksire. Amazing to think that, as far as I can remember, and its been over 50 years now, Old Radio Caroline and Radio London were not as strong here. Goes to show what 1Kw with a decent antenna can do and, perhaps, better receivers too?

Cheers

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Old 2nd May 2018, 6:45 pm   #339
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Here in North Oxfordshire, I always got good receptiion from the principal 'pirate' stations, such as Caroline South, Big 'L', City & 390. Some fading & interference after dark, but by day all the above were strong clear signals during daylight on two or three different radios of various makes. I cannot, however, receive Caroline on 648khz at all!
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Old 3rd May 2018, 9:14 am   #340
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Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Same experience here. As a teen back in the 60's, I was offshore radio mad and I found I could hear Radio City, 390, 270, R Scotland etc quite well, even on a modest transistor radio. These days the noise level is so high that signals of that strength are buried.
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