Radio startup/closedown sequences?

[Chris55000]

Before Radio 1/2 went over to 24 h "always on" broadcasting, I remember there was a startup sequence that consisted of a period of continuous 400/440 Hz tone until about two minutes (the exact time the sequence changed before programme startup occasionally varied) followed by a few seconds of silence, then regular tone–blips every 10s, (which, on my a.m. only radio, sounded like "woo!"), and finally the programme startup jingle!

Was this the startup sequence always used by the BBC, and does any Member have any memory of hearing anything different in use?

I know that BBC Radio 3 VHF/FM had a special sequence of closedown tones that were broadcast after programme closedown on Wednesdays and Saturday nights, documented in publications such as J.P. Hawker's "Radio Reference Data" and other similar books for performance tests on stereo decoders/receivers – I've a feeling Gordon J. King's "F.M. Stereo Receiver Handbook" referred to these tests as well!

Were there any variants on these sequences, and what purpose did the startup "tone blips" serve? Were they ever used at closedown?

Chris Williams

[paulsherwin]

I believe they were used to switch on automated transmitter sites. I was always fast asleep when they were broadcast. There were also in-band tones used to switch transmitters from mono to stereo and back again.

[kalee20]

Radio 3 on FM also used to transmit stereo test tones, switching between L and R channel, for adjusting stereo decoders.

[Oldmadham]

Never listened to UK radio close down or opening procedure in my short sojourn in that country 50 plus years ago, but in Australia, it was standard practice at the attended transmitter sites that the PMG Dept/Telecom Australia operated for the ABC, for their studios to put 440Hz tone on the programme lines after closedown.

In the morning, we would check the level from the Studio, do a quick Noise & distortion check on the transmitters, using our local audio generator, then take a set of transmitter meter readings & return the Tx inputs to ABC tone.

They would then open up, at if I remember correctly, 0530.

At close down, they would play "GSTQ" (later replaced by "Advance Australia Fair"), & close.

The transmitters were then ours to "play with".
Another set of N & D tests, a set of readings, & off went the Txs.

Once a fortnight (later reduced to once a month), the ABC would send a full set of frequencies out on the Programme lines, which we used to check the frequency response, Noise & distortion of the programme lines, our transmitters & both combined.

All this entailed various frequencies, levels & silent periods.
The attended site where I was involved the most at that time consisted of two MF stations, two HF Broadcast stations, plus standby programme lines, so we were "busy as a one armed paper hanger".

The unattended stations were normally looked after on a "first-in maintenance" basis by the Techs from the local telephone exchange, who picked up a nice bit of overtime on those nights.

Later, that changed, with Techs from the Broadcast service centre in Perth attending sites once a year.
Doing the studio/Tx tests for those places then entailed ringing up the ABC & "asking nicely" for a special set of tests----they were usually not very happy!


At around this time Telecom Aust introduced their "Bridging Training" course to elevate us lowly Techs to the exalted heights of "Technical Officer".
Part of this was a practical project, of which mine was a "Magic Box" which could live in the racks at the Studios & be activated by a Tech on site at an unattended site, so the ABC wouldn't have to do the "specials"

All the remote/auto stuff worked out OK, but the switched Wien bridge type Signal generator took too long to settle.

Just after that, the ABC went to 24-hour programming on their MF AM outlets, so it was all a waste of time.

Slightly "off topic", but whilst in the UK, I was surprised when, in mid-afternoon, the local BBC TV station shut down & did a string of video tests, including a sweep using a sideband analyser (once you have seen the resulting display on a TV screen, it is unmistakable.)

[nsykes1]

The MW transmitters were turned on and off by the presence/absence of audio so the tone was needed to bring them on air. Once they had hit full power the operator would switch to the periodic “bongs” to keep them alive until the station opened. I can’t remember the exact timings but I think 10 mins of dead air would cause them to shut down. Also, as I recall, the VHF transmitters were on timers so didn’t need these tones (but might have ended up broadcasting them).

[paulsherwin]

I vaguely remember there was a prolonged period of dead air on one of the networks which caused transmitters to shut down in the 70s, but may be misremembering.

[nsykes1]

And I think Radio 3 was 440Hz (concert pitch) while the others were 1kHz but I might be misremembering ?

[nsykes1]

In the 80s some unauthorised wiring in the MDF during the day caused Woo Gary Davies to be silenced for 15 minutes or so around lunchtime on R1. I don’t believe any audience research was done on the public reaction (positive or negative ?) to this incident but we definitely got a serious memo about following procedures!

[Maarten]

Not too related, but the transmitters in The Netherlands, now switched on 24 hours a day, will revert to looping an audio message like "we've lost connection to the studio" when they don't receive any audio input for (I think) 30 seconds.

[kellymarie]

When radio one closedown at midnight Ion Sundays at least I wound the volume up and for a few minutes heard a few odd clicks and rumbles at low level on the super strong carrier from start point then when start point dropped carrier I could here other TXs still on air but all going on within 30 seconds or so. Also whilst my local TX was still on I could hear very faintly BBC World service was told this was down to the Luxembourg effect caused by the 6.195 Megacycle transmission from Rampisham mixi g with SP

[emeritus]

The purpose of the BBC tone sequences that used to be transmitted after shutdown in the 1970's was mentioned in a thread that I can't now find, a couple of years ago. I had posted my experience of having nodded off listening to R4, having been woken up by the tones, and how, when getting up out of my chair to cross the room to turn the radio off, had found myself passing through standing waves of sound in which it was possible to find positions where the sound completely cancelled out to silence in one ear or the other.

I well remember the 1960's shutdown sequence of Radio Luxembourg at 1.00 AM. Some guy singing "At the end of the day", followed by (presumably) the Luxembourg national anthem, then increased background hiss as the transmitter shut down almost immediately afterwards.

[G6Tanuki]

One SW broadcast-station I used to occasionally listen to 45+ years ago had an interesting closedown sequence. They would tell you something like "This is Radio Slobovia on the 49 Metre band closing down" then a few seconds later drop carrier with a thump - only to come back up a minute or so later using narrow-shift FSK for about a minute.

Being an enquiring mind, along with some friends we hooked up an early RTTY decoder which, though it locked to the signal delivered gibberish [presumably being some non-Western alphabet and our gear didn't understand Cyrillic?]

We can only hypothesize about what they were sending - I have a suspicion it was a transmission-schedule aimed at either their overseas-relay stations or the likes of the Iron Curtain trawler-fleets.

[Ted Kendall]

Originally Posted by emeritus

The purpose of the BBC tone sequences that used to be transmitted after shutdown in the 1970's was mentioned in a thread that I can't now find, a couple of years ago. I had posted my experience of having nodded off listening to R4, having been woken up by the tones, and how, when getting up out of my chair to cross the room to turn the radio off, had found myself passing through standing waves of sound in which it was possible to find positions where the sound completely cancelled out to silence in one ear or the other.

The tone sequence included tests for stereo decoders, including antiphase tones for adjusting stereo separation.

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by nsykes1

The MW transmitters were turned on and off by the presence/absence of audio so the tone was needed to bring them on air.

As I recall, there was a Line Tone and a Reserve Inhibit tone carried on the programme feed (I won't mention the frequencies but were above audio band).The MF TX would shut down when both tones were present.

When the Reserve Inhibit tone was present, the TX was forced to main programme feed.

One or two MF transmitters were configured slightly differently insofar as they could be forced into shutdown with the presence of one tone only.

[Malcolm G6ANZ]

I remember hearing that the 'no sound' close down for transmitters had to be increased in length on Radio 3 due to the occasional long periods of silences they had. Unlike the other stations that had wall to wall noise.

[Julesomega]

Originally Posted by G6Tanuki

One SW broadcast-station I used to occasionally listen to 45+ years ago had an interesting closedown sequence...

Since you mention it, I've been wondering about the evening transmission of the Voice of Turkey on 5980kHz, which is a massive signal in the UK, presumably beaned from Emirler towards the Turkish community in Germany, from 17:00-22:00z (500kW). After closedown there is an extended period of what sounds like slow phase-modulated data. This can continue for hours, and sometimes appears before the 17:00 start, and sounds like the slight warblings to be heard on the LW transmissions of time data. I've only recently noticed this so I don't know if it's a new thing.

[arjoll]

As far back as I can remember (so late 70s on) the stations I would have normally listened to (4ZA or Foveaux Radio) were 24 hours - 4ZA was RNZ commercial network from about 7pm until 6am, while Foveaux was local with overnight announcers. 4ZG was a weird one - local Gore programming in the morning, RNZ Concert Programme at other times but the ZM Allnighter from midnight to 6 when Concert closed down. I think Rhema still shut down at midnight when it started here but the tx was left running broadcasting silence. I never listened to 4YZ (RNZ National Programme)

As for silence - not sure about "back in the day" but for at least the last 30 years all Rhema and NZME brands have silence detection and emergency programming. Don't know much about what NZME do except that they have set tracks that aren't in the playlist for each brand, so any staff listening know to start scrambling. Rhema have head-end silence detection EPU for all brands, and many sites also have this. The one we ran for Life FM in Gore started with a dual Teac tape deck and moved to MP3 player - format was normal playlist from when the tapes/cards were created (so usually a few years old) with a half second of silence, half second beep, half second silence between each track. I swapped the Tussock Creek AM site (Rhema 1404, Word/Star 1026) from cassette decks to MP3 as well. Before and after shots of both sites attached (the AM ones don't show the transmitters, those beasts are a bit bigger than the few RU used for FM!).