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Old 7th Sep 2019, 11:42 am   #1
KeithsTV
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Default RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Just heard on RTE1 that the LW transmitter will be off between 10th September until 17th October for maintenance.

http://www.hildegarde.ie/works-to-ma...rrow-naughton/

Looks like it's being reprieved for another couple of years.

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Old 7th Sep 2019, 3:04 pm   #2
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

One post deleted. Please remember that the forums are a Brexit free zone.
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 9:53 pm   #3
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Five-odd weeks sounds like significant work/investment (though those more familiar with big senders and aerial systems would be better placed to judge!). Sounds as though there is at least some appreciation of olde-worlde LF and AM to get through with the minimum complication at the receiving end. UK DAB slots and 'net-borne services will always be subject to non-RoI commercial and other considerations, so maybe they feel that all those input kW and big aerials are still a worthwhile, self-contained way of getting through.

Be interesting to see what the future for 198kHz pans out to be.
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Old 7th Sep 2019, 10:03 pm   #4
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

They were off for an hour or two last Thursday, there must be work ongoing
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Old 28th Sep 2019, 3:06 pm   #5
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

I always check the channel, Clarkestown is still off and from late evening Algeria Chaîne 3 is usually at domestic listening quality here, with a really good late-night music show.
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Old 28th Sep 2019, 6:33 pm   #6
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Whilst reading the Irish Times there was an article on RTE. It said that the station had funding difficulties. The article went on to say the 252Khz transmitter was especially important now for both Irish & NI listeners and its engineering work couldn't have come at a more difficult time.
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Old 17th Oct 2019, 4:04 pm   #7
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

The tx is back on today with an absolutely massive signal. I expect they will resume programmes in the next day or so.
My friend who can measure the QRG accurately reckons the 2Hz error has been corrected, and we suspect it is a new transmitter. Maybe it's one of those DC-modulated types and they could be testing the carrier at 4 × normal power?
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Old 17th Oct 2019, 7:33 pm   #8
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Now carrying programme RTÉ Radio 1. Carrier level is the same, except it's gone up a bit after dark, so disregard my comment about variable carrier power
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Old 21st Nov 2019, 2:05 am   #9
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

RTÉ are putting resources into LW at the expense of DAB. Found on mediumwave.info:

Quote:
RTÉ is going to spend €250,000 per year transmitting its Radio One station to the Irish diaspora in Britain – while closing down all its digital stations.
The station is shutting down RTÉ Gold, RTE Junior, RTÉ 2XM, RTÉ Pulse and RTÉ Radio 1 Extra, but would not specify how much this will save.
However, it has confirmed that it is going to continue its Longwave radio service [252 kHz] to the Irish diaspora in Britain up to 2022.
https://www.businesspost.ie/news/rte...ce-axed-457245
Mike Terry via WOR groups.io (17/11-2019)
(Business Post article is paywalled.)
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Old 21st Nov 2019, 10:41 am   #10
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Pity they could not use some of this resource into retuning the transmitter and ATU to the nearby and clear 261Khz to avoid severe co channel interference with Algeria on 252.
If they did they would reach a lot more of the Irish diaspora in Britain and improve the coverage across Ireland as well.
At the moment you can sometimes reduce the co channel effects by using the directional properties of the ferrite rod aerial. But this is not possible with car radios or vintage valved radios that use a wire aerial.
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Old 21st Nov 2019, 11:28 am   #11
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

AFAIK, Ireland was allocated 252kHZ in the 1978 reorganisation of MW/LW Frequencies in the EBU area, so might be in breach of international agreements if they moved to 261. Without checking I don't know to whom 261kHZ was allocated. Presumably those who made the allocations didn't envisage any problems giving the same channel to both Ireland and Algeria. As others no doubt remember, when Atlantic 252 came on air, for a short while they were actually on 254, since they started before the 2kHz downward shift in LW frequencies was implemented, so the channel has been occupied for maybe 40 years by Ireland.
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Old 21st Nov 2019, 11:52 am   #12
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

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Originally Posted by Hybrid tellies View Post
Pity they could not use some of this resource into retuning the transmitter and ATU to the nearby and clear 261Khz to avoid severe co channel interference with Algeria on 252.
If they did they would reach a lot more of the Irish diaspora in Britain and improve the coverage across Ireland as well.
At the moment you can sometimes reduce the co channel effects by using the directional properties of the ferrite rod aerial. But this is not possible with car radios or vintage valved radios that use a wire aerial.
There is a particular problem in Bristol and Somerset because Dublin is practically due north and Algeria is due south, making it impossible to null out the interference.

UK coverage with 252kHz is certainly not perfect, with good reception only in the west - Wales, the West Midlands, NW England and SW Scotland. London in particular isn't served well. That is one of the reasons why the commercial stations on 252kHz weren't successful.
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Old 22nd Nov 2019, 10:26 am   #13
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

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Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
There is a particular problem in Bristol and Somerset because Dublin is practically due north and Algeria is due south, making it impossible to null out the interference.

UK coverage with 252kHz is certainly not perfect, with good reception only in the west - Wales, the West Midlands, NW England and SW Scotland. London in particular isn't served well. That is one of the reasons why the commercial stations on 252kHz weren't successful.

Some portable radios which have a sharp null point or good directional properties you can reduce the Algerian signal by quite a large amount especially during the day and still have a usable RTE R1 signal. Its more difficult at night and sometimes impossible to do because RTE R1 reduces its power at night.
Its interesting that some of my portable radios have better directional properties, with a sharper null, than others with some of the best being my earlier radios from the 1960's and 1970's!
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Old 22nd Nov 2019, 10:51 am   #14
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

I wonder how soon mobile internet car radios will become generally available so that interference will be a thing of the past. For Volvo car owners the Parrot "Sensus Connect" uses 3G/4G stand alone connection. It has Tunein as one of its apps. RTE is on this app.

For other mortals it's tethering a smartphone connection which for many, is not a problem. The issue then becomes which programme on RTE 1 is of interest to and that is where RAJAR would throw some light except its UK only.

However given RTE programming attracts 34-54 year old listeners, JNLR Figures, the potential mobile internet audience might be small. All might change as the Country attracts more EU citizens to staff the ever growing economy.

Its hard to keep up with the many ways radio stations can be heard in the home with an internet connection or through a smart phone "on the go."

Last edited by simpsons; 22nd Nov 2019 at 10:57 am.
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Old 23rd Nov 2019, 4:55 pm   #15
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

It's been announced that 252 will stay on air until 2022
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Old 23rd Nov 2019, 6:43 pm   #16
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

The signal from Algeria on 252 seems weaker the past couple of weeks or so.
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Old 31st Mar 2020, 9:48 pm   #17
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Slightly O/T but Roumoules 216kHz went qrt this afternoon. The departure of R. Monte Carlo leaves 3 empty channels on LW
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Old 30th Jun 2020, 12:46 am   #18
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

The signal strength in London tonight (29th May) at 11PM was very good.

I don't remember hearing any interference from other radio stations.

Did they forget to turn the power down as they usually do in the evening?
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Old 30th Jun 2020, 10:26 am   #19
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Here in the North-East of England RTE Radio 1 is coming in loud and clear. Using the Dynatron TP15 "Commodore" radio.
Evening reception is good with little or no interference from the Algerian station.

DFWB.
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Old 30th Jun 2020, 7:46 pm   #20
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Default Re: RTE 1 252kHz to go off air for maintenance

Quote:
Originally Posted by turretslug View Post
Five-odd weeks sounds like significant work/investment (though those more familiar with big senders and aerial systems would be better placed to judge!).
Five weeks sounds very reasonable if the antenna has to be dropped for inspection and / or stays need to be greased and inspected. Transmitter maintenance will be limited to working into load if that's the case, and the work would be weather-dependent.

Then there'll be a rush to check the antenna matching and power-test it when it's hauled up if the riggers don't get done 'til nearly the end of the outage!

Five weeks flies by very quickly when the weather is iffy. And there's always the chance of finding something you don't want to find...
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