Just In Case You're Getting Distorted FM on BBC 3 Counties Radio

[camtechman]

Just to let you know if you are a listener to BBC's 3 Counties Radio on 104.5 FM on your vintage radios (or your modern ones) and are getting distorted sound output, it's not your radios.

Since they moved their studio from Luton to Dunstable, they've also had to update their type of transmitter/network linkage, it all gone belly up and they are having all sorts of transmission problems, the worst being distortion.

I first noticed it last Thursday (2nd July) and, at first I thought it was one of the usual hick-ups with the local transmitter (it did happen from time to time) but was usually fixed by phoning them and it was soon put right.

However, this time, you can't even speak to their main reception phone number, as it goes straight to a special, limited message service only.

However, as I know one of the producers, I been put in touch with their technical manager, and he's aware of other problems but not the audio distortion problem.

When they just play music, the problem isn't so noticeable but with the spoken word & incoming on air listener phone calls it's very prominent.

Along with the distortion there are other problems. When they go to their weather or traffic reports via their network linkup, the lead jingle not only distorts, it also phases, followed by the news or weather presenter's voice distortion.

I've prepared an audio CD recordings of my various vintage & modern radios, exhibiting the problem and they've asked for it to be sent in.

They have two other FM frequencies: 95.5 & 103.8 FM but I'm not close enough to get a good reception, so I can't comment on the broadcast quality.

Anyone else experiencing this problem?

[HamishBoxer]

Dont go rushing to change "That Cap" !

[camtechman]

Here's an audio clip recorded from my Panasonic RF-D1 DAB/FM radio.

The clip is in two parts, 1st the FM, 2nd the DAB.