BBC Radio 4 long wave reception problems etc.

[winston_1]

Originally Posted by rojosuiza

I found this in the thread:

http://www.radioandtvhelp.co.uk/chec...-0/#/undefined

Does the site work? - Not with my postal code in the Netherlands, because airwaives cannot leave the territory of the UK, of course.

They can when Droitwich is used for the World Service overnight.

[paulsherwin]

Please stay on topic.

[Vintage Engr]

Well I shall definitely miss it, as my off-air frequency standard is locked to Droitwich, I don't often use it but in the last few weeks I've used it on most days.
When it finally goes off-air I guess I will have to use another & more expensive solution.

David

[thermionic]

I think that Droitwich will be on air for a few years yet. There are still many thousands of people with Radio Teleswitches in their meter cupboard performing tariff and heating switching on a daily basis,that rely on the data piggybacked onto the 198kHz frequency.

As smart meters are installed, the teleswitches are being removed, but there’s a way to go yet!

[marceljack]

Originally Posted by thermionic

I think that Droitwich will be on air for a few years yet. There are still many thousands of people with Radio Teleswitches in their meter cupboard performing tariff and heating switching on a daily basis,that rely on the data piggybacked onto the 198kHz frequency.!

We had a similar case in France with the transmitter of Allouis (164 kHz) which used to broadcast France Inter and time signals used by many industrial clocks.
Three years ago Allouis has stopped the audio modulation of France Inter in order to reduce the costs for Radio France but Allouis continues to transmit the time signals (at reduced power).

[Hartley118]

Originally Posted by Hybrid tellies

The audio quality of the Droitwich VVC R4 198 transmitter is very good , even compared with FM and and of the digital platforms, and has been for a while now. When the sibilance fault does show up it is soon cleared by the Arqiva engineers.

Very good audio quality? So long as the listener has no interest in any audio frequency above 5kHz. Not exactly hi-fi surely? I recall that even back in the AM unlimited bandwidth days, Droitwich was notably more limited in HF content than the BBC’s MW stations.

Martin

[Hybrid tellies]

But analogue audio quality limited to just above 5KHz sounds a lot better than a low bit rate DAB signal or a break up and burbling that you also get with DAB.

Most of what we hear is actually below about 4-5 KHz the rest up to 15-20 KHz is harmonics. So you can barely hear some musical instruments such as triangles which you can on FM and only on DAB stations with a decent bit rate.

Returning to topic where I live, between Bristol and Bath, Radio 4 on Long Wave is by far the strongest consistent and clearest signal compared to FM and DAB both which can be a bit variable or hit and miss at at times. This is also the case for BBC R5L which is far clearer and more reliable than DAB. So for me its long live Droitwich and Long wave.

[Vintage_RC]

I just went to try out a set on LW and nothing on 198, I then tried another set and once again nothing on 198.

[AdrianH]

Missing on mine at Blackburn.

Adrian

[AdrianH]

From 10:02am on 10th Oct 2022 BBC Radio 4 Off the air due to essential engineering.

Just found.

Adrian

[Aub]

Don't know if it's related but Radio Five on 693 was off the air this afternoon for at least an hour and ten minutes

Aub

[Vintage_RC]

BBC R4 198KHz was back on air yesterday evening when I tried it but it's off air again this morning. I fear that the day will come when essential maintenance becomes "no longer viable to keep the service going"

[McMurdo]

Certainly on at 7-30am to 7-45 as I ate my breakfast to it on the hacker.

[skodajag]

Anyone else notice that the signal has become very weak?

[Heatercathodeshort]

Probably working on 'reduced power' as the maintenance continues similar to the days when the TV transmitters were converted to UHF when 'Transmitter Information' told us what was going on. The engineers would have been fried on full power. Mind you, it could be just a low emission EF37A. J.

[marceljack]

Originally Posted by skodajag

Anyone else notice that the signal has become very weak?

Reception is rather weak here in Paris however there is a long time since last time I received it so I cannot make a fair comparison. And in a concrete building you have to find a place where it works ...
It is possible that they decided to reduce power in order to lower consumption in these days of energy crisis.

[Mascot-22]

I was listening to Absolute 1215 in the car this morning , it went off just after 10:00 along with the other Droitwich services.
I had to to to Worcester early after noon and chose to use the A38 past the Droitwich site.
There was climbing activity on one mast. All back to normal now.

Paul

[marceljack]

According to a recent announcement in France, it seems that Radio Luxembourg LW (RTL, 234 kHz) will cease broadcasting at the end of this year.
It's one of the oldest stations (1933) to be in activity on (almost) the same wavelength (1293 m / 232 kHz changed to 1282 m / 234 kHz when the 9 kHz spacing has been applied).

[agardiner]

Radio 4 LW appears to be off air at the moment, on 198Khz. Anyone else experienced this?

Cheers,

[AdrianH]

OK here.

Adrian