LW/MW and has RTE gone now? - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Richard675 · 15th Aug 2021, 8:35 am

Had a late night listening session on the Grundig Music Boy 100.

BBC and RTL still going strong but no RTE. Just checked this morning, still nothing. So, have they finally pulled it after a long stay of execution?

MW is also getting thin on the ground although Spain seems the exception. RNE pops up all over the place, often with echo, indicating simulcasting on the same frequency from different locations.

But it can still turn up surprises. I discovered (new to me) Bretagne Cinque, (Brittany 5) on 1593 kHz, clear channel. It sounded an independent.

Is this dawn of some sort of MW revival?

Station X · 15th Aug 2021, 8:43 am

https://about.rte.ie/2021/06/11/esse...e-transmitter/

mark_in_manc · 15th Aug 2021, 9:40 am

Aaahhh - I listen periodically, and I had thought it was me!

Pete_kaye · 15th Aug 2021, 11:16 am

Just listened in but it is much weaker than before!

kalee20 · 15th Aug 2021, 12:42 pm

It's the bands being cleared to free-up airspace for all the unfiltered switching power supplies...

kellymarie · 15th Aug 2021, 12:53 pm

RTE is off for a while to do transmitter and mast work.

Station X · 15th Aug 2021, 12:58 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete_kaye

Just listened in but it is much weaker than before!

You're lucky, I can't hear it at all and assumed it was still off the air.

Pete_kaye · 15th Aug 2021, 2:00 pm

It was gone by 12 noon.

Pete_kaye · 16th Aug 2021, 7:37 am

I think it was the French station I heard. RTE will be back someday, to be sure!

paulsherwin · 16th Aug 2021, 10:55 am

252kHz is controversial within Ireland, and it's obviously the Irish who have to pay for it. Long term survival will be a political decision, but the fact that money is being spent on maintenance is a good sign.

SteveCG · 16th Aug 2021, 11:02 am

I assume that Pete_Kaye was receiving the French language service of Algerian Radio.

Station X · 16th Aug 2021, 11:21 am

RTE on 252kHz is back on air now.

SteveCG · 16th Aug 2021, 11:44 am

Indeed it is back - a strong signal for me.

KeithsTV · 16th Aug 2021, 4:32 pm

Loud and clear in Bradford as well. Good to have it back.

Keith

Hybrid tellies · 17th Aug 2021, 11:06 am

Listened at 2am this morning. Great to hear RTE R1 back on 252. It was sounding loud and clear with no co channel interference from Algeria which is still silent.

hamid_1 · 17th Aug 2021, 11:26 pm

Thanks for posting this. I had noticed that RTE's 252KHz frequency had been off-air for several weeks. It has been under threat of closure for several years, so after weeks of silence I thought it must have finally gone off permanently. Thankfully it's back again.

simpsons · 6th Sep 2021, 2:41 pm

For some little while, RTE 1 was off air but now can be heard quite easily in London. The audio quality on a wideband am receiver is almost FM.

Radio Algeria, which at night could be heard in the background, is no longer there. Looking at the Algerian web, there is no mention of 252Khz only FM.

Whether this is a permanent situation caused by the economics of the Country or lack of interest by listeners, I don't know.

cHRIS

Junk Box Nick · 9th Sep 2021, 11:19 am

Power has been much reduced in recent years from the heyday of Atlantic 252 – which used to boom in here – and the early days of RTE1. I read somewhere that it is around 100kW during the day and around 50kW at night.

In the break before the new Algeria Tx was commissioned listening at any time of the day or night was fine and, frankly, the audio was better than Droitwich. Once Algeria fired up I could only get RTE1 at night by nulling Algeria – I am fortunate here as the direction difference is 90º – though RTE1 was considerably weaker. I would suggest it would be impossible to hear RTE1 in Cork under these conditions.

Amazing in many respects that it is still on the air. I think the original plan was to phase it out in 2017 but there was the sudden announcement just before Christmas some years before that to close it at the end of January the following year. It was front page on the Irish papers that are available at most sellers in my neck of the woods – we have a large Irish/Irish heritage community. Protests followed and RTE backed down. Should RTE get clearance to put some output on UK DAB it will certainly go.

Graham G3ZVT · 9th Sep 2021, 1:36 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

we have a large Irish/Irish heritage community. Protests followed and RTE backed down. Should RTE get clearance to put some output on UK DAB it will certainly go.

The irony is that RTE are removing RTE R1 from DAB in Ireland.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/...work-1.4499356

kellymarie · 9th Sep 2021, 1:44 pm

I found a nice medium wave station from Tunisia on 963 kilocycles they play continues dance music all night long sounds a bit like Atlantic 252 in that respect! There are occasional announcements in French the TX us a 100 kilowatt unit near Tunis

15th Aug 2021, 8:35 am	#1
Richard675 Pentode Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Braintree, Essex, UK. Posts: 170	LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Had a late night listening session on the Grundig Music Boy 100. BBC and RTL still going strong but no RTE. Just checked this morning, still nothing. So, have they finally pulled it after a long stay of execution? MW is also getting thin on the ground although Spain seems the exception. RNE pops up all over the place, often with echo, indicating simulcasting on the same frequency from different locations. But it can still turn up surprises. I discovered (new to me) Bretagne Cinque, (Brittany 5) on 1593 kHz, clear channel. It sounded an independent. Is this dawn of some sort of MW revival?

15th Aug 2021, 8:43 am	#2
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? https://about.rte.ie/2021/06/11/esse...e-transmitter/ __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

15th Aug 2021, 9:40 am	#3
mark_in_manc Octode Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Manchester, UK. Posts: 1,875	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Aaahhh - I listen periodically, and I had thought it was me! __________________ "The best dBs, come in 3s" - Woody Brown

15th Aug 2021, 11:16 am	#4
Pete_kaye Octode Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,227	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Just listened in but it is much weaker than before!

15th Aug 2021, 12:42 pm	#5
kalee20 Dekatron Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Lynton, N. Devon, UK. Posts: 7,087	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? It's the bands being cleared to free-up airspace for all the unfiltered switching power supplies...

15th Aug 2021, 12:53 pm	#6
kellymarie Pentode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Weymouth, Dorset, UK. Posts: 135	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? RTE is off for a while to do transmitter and mast work.

15th Aug 2021, 2:00 pm	#8
Pete_kaye Octode Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,227	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? It was gone by 12 noon.

16th Aug 2021, 7:37 am	#9
Pete_kaye Octode Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 1,227	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? I think it was the French station I heard. RTE will be back someday, to be sure!

16th Aug 2021, 10:55 am	#10
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,958	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? 252kHz is controversial within Ireland, and it's obviously the Irish who have to pay for it. Long term survival will be a political decision, but the fact that money is being spent on maintenance is a good sign.

16th Aug 2021, 11:02 am	#11
SteveCG Nonode Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 2,495	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? I assume that Pete_Kaye was receiving the French language service of Algerian Radio.

16th Aug 2021, 11:21 am	#12
Station X Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, IP4, UK. Posts: 21,289	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? RTE on 252kHz is back on air now. __________________ Graham. Forum Moderator Reach for your meter before you reach for your soldering iron.

16th Aug 2021, 11:44 am	#13
SteveCG Nonode Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 2,495	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Indeed it is back - a strong signal for me.

16th Aug 2021, 4:32 pm	#14
KeithsTV Nonode Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: South Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 2,573	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Loud and clear in Bradford as well. Good to have it back. Keith

17th Aug 2021, 11:06 am	#15
Hybrid tellies Nonode Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 1966-1976 Coverack in Cornwall and Helston Cornwall. 1976-present Bristol/Bath area. Posts: 2,967	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Listened at 2am this morning. Great to hear RTE R1 back on 252. It was sounding loud and clear with no co channel interference from Algeria which is still silent. __________________ Simon BVWS member

17th Aug 2021, 11:26 pm	#16
hamid_1 Heptode Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: High Wycombe, Bucks. UK. Posts: 811	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Thanks for posting this. I had noticed that RTE's 252KHz frequency had been off-air for several weeks. It has been under threat of closure for several years, so after weeks of silence I thought it must have finally gone off permanently. Thankfully it's back again.

6th Sep 2021, 2:41 pm	#17
simpsons Octode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Harrow, London, UK. Posts: 1,493	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? For some little while, RTE 1 was off air but now can be heard quite easily in London. The audio quality on a wideband am receiver is almost FM. Radio Algeria, which at night could be heard in the background, is no longer there. Looking at the Algerian web, there is no mention of 252Khz only FM. Whether this is a permanent situation caused by the economics of the Country or lack of interest by listeners, I don't know. cHRIS

9th Sep 2021, 11:19 am	#18
Junk Box Nick Octode Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: West Midlands, UK. Posts: 1,571	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? Power has been much reduced in recent years from the heyday of Atlantic 252 – which used to boom in here – and the early days of RTE1. I read somewhere that it is around 100kW during the day and around 50kW at night. In the break before the new Algeria Tx was commissioned listening at any time of the day or night was fine and, frankly, the audio was better than Droitwich. Once Algeria fired up I could only get RTE1 at night by nulling Algeria – I am fortunate here as the direction difference is 90º – though RTE1 was considerably weaker. I would suggest it would be impossible to hear RTE1 in Cork under these conditions. Amazing in many respects that it is still on the air. I think the original plan was to phase it out in 2017 but there was the sudden announcement just before Christmas some years before that to close it at the end of January the following year. It was front page on the Irish papers that are available at most sellers in my neck of the woods – we have a large Irish/Irish heritage community. Protests followed and RTE backed down. Should RTE get clearance to put some output on UK DAB it will certainly go.

9th Sep 2021, 1:44 pm	#20
kellymarie Pentode Join Date: Sep 2020 Location: Weymouth, Dorset, UK. Posts: 135	Re: LW/MW and has RTE gone now? I found a nice medium wave station from Tunisia on 963 kilocycles they play continues dance music all night long sounds a bit like Atlantic 252 in that respect! There are occasional announcements in French the TX us a 100 kilowatt unit near Tunis