UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Powered By Google Custom Search Vintage Radio and TV Service Data

Go Back   UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum > General Vintage Technology > General Vintage Technology Discussions

Notices

General Vintage Technology Discussions For general discussions about vintage radio and other vintage electronics etc.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools
Old 4th Dec 2017, 9:28 pm   #281
Andrew2
Nonode
 
Andrew2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,034
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I think I read that the adjustment is at its limit and they are looking into it. EDIT: Ah, here we are - "Frequency accuracy. Yes, we are approximately 3Hz low, on 647.997. Although our transmitter was fully tested and setup before it was shipped to our transmitter site, for some reason when it was installed, it was running slightly low. It is adjusted to its maximum, but we appreciate the need to be more accurately on channel and reduce the nighttime flutter experienced in fringe areas. This will be attended to in due course though the OFCOM and ITU limit is for 10Hz, so we are well within the required specification."

From http://www.radiocaroline.co.uk/#reports_round_up.html
__________________
Andy G1HBE.
Andrew2 is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 12:08 pm   #282
Aub
Nonode
 
Aub's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Nuneaton, Warwickshire, UK.
Posts: 2,034
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I was listening to the car radio while driving to pickup SWMBO from work. This was between 16.40 and 17.00. Wasnt sure it was Caroline until the announcement at 17.00. The signal was not too strong, but listenable with a little flutter and faint background stations. The music was varied; some of it to my taste, some not. Turned off when they played Coldplay!

Cheers

Aub
__________________
Life's a long song, but the tune ends too soon for us all.
Aub is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 2:56 pm   #283
Phil G4SPZ
Dekatron
 
Phil G4SPZ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,736
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Getting it fine on 648kHz early this afternoon on the Bush VHF81 with its ferrite rod, whilst the Trio with wire antenna brings in nothing but noise. Sad that the music is far too near the hard rock end of the spectrum for my taste. A bit disappointed; perhaps I had wrongly expected some music from the 60s, jingles, DJs and so on. Back-to-back rock music tracks just don't float my boat, sorry
__________________
Phil

Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts
Phil G4SPZ is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 3:45 pm   #284
Andrew2
Nonode
 
Andrew2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,034
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Reception seems to have fallen into a pattern now. Good early morning on the portable, then beginning to fade due to daytime conditions taking over. Good for a few more hours on my Wellbrook loop + SDRPlay receiver using reduced b/w and sync detection. After lunch it's all downhill until darkness approaches.
__________________
Andy G1HBE.
Andrew2 is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 4:04 pm   #285
Boom
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Westbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 2,451
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I've been up to Battlesbury Hill a few times now Caroline hunting. Even when I can't hear Caroline at home each time I have gone to the hill which is only some three miles away from me I have been met with a good solid signal at all times of day and night. (Battlesbury Hill is on Salisbury Plain next to the garrison). This works out at some 185 miles from the Caroline transmitter and I assume the signal must be arriving via ground wave. Some ground wave! The ASL is about 500 feet.

There is another hill next to it - Cradle Hill - famous for its UFO activities. This hill has just one telephone cable running the full length of the hill on poles carrying the comms' signals for the entire tower and carries data hash which totally wipes out the whole medium wave.
Boom is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 5:01 pm   #286
Sideband
Dekatron
 
Sideband's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 7,549
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil G4SPZ View Post
Getting it fine on 648kHz early this afternoon on the Bush VHF81 with its ferrite rod, whilst the Trio with wire antenna brings in nothing but noise. Sad that the music is far too near the hard rock end of the spectrum for my taste. A bit disappointed; perhaps I had wrongly expected some music from the 60s, jingles, DJs and so on. Back-to-back rock music tracks just don't float my boat, sorry
Oh well...we can't all be rockers!! I thought it was OK. I think the music will change when normal transmissions start. I think the emphasis will be 60's - 70's 'because that's how a lot of people remember us' as I read on their website.
__________________
There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman.....
Sideband is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 6:28 pm   #287
Hartley118
Nonode
 
Hartley118's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Cambridge, Cambs. UK.
Posts: 2,196
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Boom View Post
There is another hill next to it - Cradle Hill - famous for its UFO activities. This hill has just one telephone cable running the full length of the hill on poles carrying the comms' signals for the entire tower and carries data hash which totally wipes out the whole medium wave.
It's frustrating for those of us who remember beavering away in days of yore designing kit to meet PO Telephones spec so that it would pass their lab tests and could legally be connected to a phone line. Maximum drive signal 0.775V and bandwidth limited to 3.4kHz.

Nowadays, in order to force the digital stream through, BT/Openreach seem to have thrown away the rule book, resulting in gross MF interference for the rest of us.

For that kind of reason, I find Caroline has a rather poor signal to noise ratio here in Cambridge on a long wire aerial, but that improves dramatically with a loop aerial: it then sounds very good.

With the loop, even their sister station, Manx Radio is listenable here in the evening - its signal is rather reminiscent of the fading of '208' Luxembourg in the olden days.

Martin
__________________
BVWS Member
Hartley118 is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 6:55 pm   #288
Phil G4SPZ
Dekatron
 
Phil G4SPZ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Bewdley, Worcestershire, UK.
Posts: 4,736
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

But I thought that normal transmissions had started...
__________________
Phil

Optimist [n]: One who is not in possession of the full facts
Phil G4SPZ is offline  
Old 6th Dec 2017, 9:34 pm   #289
Sideband
Dekatron
 
Sideband's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Croydon, Surrey, UK.
Posts: 7,549
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

As far as I know, they are still test transmissions. I listened yesterday on the way home and they only gave one station ID at around 4:30 and then requested reception reports.
__________________
There are lots of brilliant keyboard players and then there is Rick Wakeman.....
Sideband is offline  
Old 7th Dec 2017, 12:19 am   #290
Bill
Pentode
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Denton, Manchester, UK.
Posts: 186
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew2 View Post
Reception seems to have fallen into a pattern now. Good early morning on the portable, then beginning to fade due to daytime conditions taking over. Good for a few more hours on my Wellbrook loop + SDRPlay receiver using reduced b/w and sync detection. After lunch it's all downhill until darkness approaches.
I'm only a couple of miles from you and so far have not had any success with Caroline. I have tried various sets that would have received the station very well in the 60's including a Beolit 611 classy transistor portable. Obviously doing something wrong. What sort of aerial do I need for e.g. a KB 5valve superhet or a Bush AC11?
Bill is offline  
Old 7th Dec 2017, 12:48 am   #291
Biggles
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Hexham, Northumberland, UK.
Posts: 2,234
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Not so good reception up here tonight. A bit difficult to make out. Don't know what's changed.
Alan.
Biggles is offline  
Old 7th Dec 2017, 7:59 am   #292
Neil Purling
Nonode
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 2,083
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

At that time of night the two Spanish stations are dominant. The signal is usually slightly better just after sunset, before the sky wave starts to introduce the competing transmissions. In the morning the competing stuff drops away before the sky wave effect drops away entirely.
Neil Purling is offline  
Old 7th Dec 2017, 10:01 am   #293
'LIVEWIRE?'
Rest in Peace
 
'LIVEWIRE?''s Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton)
Posts: 7,306
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Bill, surely if you were in Manchester in the 1960s, you would have been tuned to Caroline North, which (a) IIRC had a 10kW transmitter, and (B) Ramsey Bay is much nearer to Manchester than Orfordness. Presumably you can receive Manx Radio on 1368kHz where you live?
'LIVEWIRE?' is offline  
Old 7th Dec 2017, 11:22 am   #294
Bill
Pentode
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Denton, Manchester, UK.
Posts: 186
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Yes, you are quite correct, Caroline North. I was really alluding to the age of the sets I have been trying. Am I expecting too much of a 65 year old Bush to receive a bit of the 1kW RF from Orfordness? Also, Andrew2 , apparently quite near here reports sometimes reasonable reception , though it seems I may have to obtain an SDR, which sounds quite boring (no valves in it?) to get reception.
Bill
Bill is offline  
Old 7th Dec 2017, 11:54 am   #295
Andrew2
Nonode
 
Andrew2's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
Posts: 2,034
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Bill, you shouldn't need an SDR. They are not necessarily 'better' than conventional receivers, but they are far more twiddle-able! On a good night I can hear Caroline on the better transistor radios in my collection. As we are so close you should be getting comparable reception, but I wonder if you have a high noise level? If so, can you take that nice Beolit out into the garden, away from some of the noise?
Or maybe a tuned loop antenna placed near the radio? The night-time signal can be pretty good, so you should get something.

Livewire. Manx Radio on 1368 KHz can be problematical around here. We have a local MF site just up the road (probably closer to Bill than to me) with 'Asian Sound' on 1377 KHz. If your radio is a bit wide, Manx just gets hammered to death. This is where the twiddle-ability of an SDR comes in handy.
Also on that site is Gold 1458, with a huge signal and Magic 1152, also a whopper. Could be that Bill is seeing a generally raised noise floor. A tuned loop sounds like the answer.
__________________
Andy G1HBE.

Last edited by Andrew2; 7th Dec 2017 at 12:15 pm.
Andrew2 is offline  
Old 7th Dec 2017, 12:08 pm   #296
'LIVEWIRE?'
Rest in Peace
 
'LIVEWIRE?''s Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: N.W. Oxfordshire(Chipping Norton)
Posts: 7,306
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I didn't know that there was a station local to your area on one of the two channels adjacent to that used by Manx Radio, not having been up to the North West for many years.
'LIVEWIRE?' is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2017, 1:31 pm   #297
Boom
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Westbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 2,451
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

At the risk of being accused of cheating, the Caroline MW signal is being carried on this SDR which is located at Bedford. Signal is solid 24/7. No hardware needed.

http://remoteradio.changeip.org:8073/
Boom is offline  
Old 16th Dec 2017, 7:13 pm   #298
Boom
Retired Dormant Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Westbury, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 2,451
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

I made a note in my diary and promptly forgot that Radio Caroline transmissions will be coming from MV Ross Revenge today and tomorrow (16/17 Dec').

I went to Andover today and had a rock solid signal on the car radio on 648kHz all the way there and back. Caroline North via Manx Radio put in a show on 1368kHz but was not really of usuable quality.
Boom is offline  
Old 16th Dec 2017, 8:17 pm   #299
1100 man
Octode
 
1100 man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Ventnor, Isle of Wight, & Great Dunmow, Essex, UK.
Posts: 1,377
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil G4SPZ View Post
But I thought that normal transmissions had started...
As far as I am aware, these are still only test transmissions which just use back to back music. There is still no official start date, but I suspect it might be the New year.
Music wise, they have three options. Either they can use their main stream or their 'flashback' stream which is much more '60's based. Alternatively, they could have a third stream just for MW. At this stage, they have not said what they propose to do.
I suspect it won't be that 'heavy' when it does start.
All the best
Nick
1100 man is online now  
Old 17th Dec 2017, 10:13 pm   #300
stuie319
Pentode
 
stuie319's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK.
Posts: 229
Default Re: Radio Caroline to return on Medium Wave.

Hi Folks

Just listened to the end of this month's broadcast on 1368, and the chaps on the Ross whilst not actually announcing a date for the start of the 648 service, did suggest that anyone interested might want to be tuned in at 7.00 AM on this Friday coming

Regards
Stu
stuie319 is offline  
Closed Thread

Thread Tools



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:50 am.


All information and advice on this forum is subject to the WARNING AND DISCLAIMER located at https://www.vintage-radio.net/rules.html.
Failure to heed this warning may result in death or serious injury to yourself and/or others.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright ©2002 - 2023, Paul Stenning.