Long wave radio transmissions to cease.
Discussion
Long wave transmission had the benefit of only requiring one powerful transmitter to cover a huge geographical area (often entire continents). The quality mattered less than the reach.
It has just become a victim of the proliferation of reliable and relatively inexpensive digital communication networks.
It has just become a victim of the proliferation of reliable and relatively inexpensive digital communication networks.
eldar said:
I see that long wave transmission of radio is to cease next year. I'm surprised it's still going, given the appalling quality it provides. Does anyone actually rely on it? Apart from nuclear missile submarines, allegedly.
Hopefully they'll inform the captains of the subs before they do it.jingars said:
Just so long as this doesn't mean the dismantling of the Droitwich transmitter as I use it as my visual cue to leave the motorway at the next junction.
That site also does MW for 5Live and Talksport so you’ll be ok for a while.R4 LW is also transmitted from Burghead and Westerglen in Scotland, and by careful adjustment of the relative phase, the signal could be ‘steered’ to try to combat jamming by countries who would rather not receive it
LW always carried the shipping forecast, although I believe this will subsequently be transmitted on coastguard frequencies
It's the only radio I can get here without an external aerial. Geography & transmitter siting.
My village (Highlands) is surrounded by hills on 3 sides and with sea on the other there's no nearby transmitter with line of sight.
I only listen to it these days when t'internet is down/power cut/test match & I'm in the garden. The former rare fortunately. I can just about get wifi in the garden for the latter.
My village (Highlands) is surrounded by hills on 3 sides and with sea on the other there's no nearby transmitter with line of sight.
I only listen to it these days when t'internet is down/power cut/test match & I'm in the garden. The former rare fortunately. I can just about get wifi in the garden for the latter.
My car radio in the 1990s was usually tuned to Atlantic 252 as this was by far my favourite music station at the time. Unknown to me at the time, it was broadcast from somewhere in rural Ireland.
Long wave was also good for wasting time tuning into foreign stations in incomprehensible languages in those pre-internet years.
Long wave was also good for wasting time tuning into foreign stations in incomprehensible languages in those pre-internet years.
ChocolateFrog said:
Atlantic 252.
It used to be on in the background of our Technology lessons in school.
Has always stuck with me.
Same here. Came in handy when I needed a memory aid for sea-water density and some condition or other, sang the jingle in my head (every time) and there was the answer 1025.2 kg/m3 It used to be on in the background of our Technology lessons in school.
Has always stuck with me.
ChocolateFrog said:
Transmitter power was 500kW on Atlantic 252.
Didn't realise they required that much power.
And needed a 900ft transmitter mast! Demolished just a couple of weeks ago https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2023/07/27/video-goi...Didn't realise they required that much power.
Still the only form of radio my car can pick up reliably.
FM gives up regularly. DAB is such a screeching joke I haven't turned it on for 3 or more years. The idea of internet streaming is even more laughable.
I guess most others live in a parallel reality where this stuff works. It certainly don't for me.
The only medium I've ever sampled that was totally rock solid is satellite radio, but it doesn't really exist in the UK for anything that moves.
FM gives up regularly. DAB is such a screeching joke I haven't turned it on for 3 or more years. The idea of internet streaming is even more laughable.
I guess most others live in a parallel reality where this stuff works. It certainly don't for me.
The only medium I've ever sampled that was totally rock solid is satellite radio, but it doesn't really exist in the UK for anything that moves.
Skyedriver said:
DAB radio: hopeless once out of major conurbations.
FM slightly better.
And new cars don't have CD players any more
Grumble over
DAB worked mostly fine when I lived in darkest West Cumbria 10 years ago and FM was everywhere. There was even this magic USB stuff I could plug an iPod into.FM slightly better.
And new cars don't have CD players any more
Grumble over
Where is this radio desert you drive around?
bloomen said:
Still the only form of radio my car can pick up reliably.
FM gives up regularly. DAB is such a screeching joke I haven't turned it on for 3 or more years. The idea of internet streaming is even more laughable.
I guess most others live in a parallel reality where this stuff works. It certainly don't for me.
The only medium I've ever sampled that was totally rock solid is satellite radio, but it doesn't really exist in the UK for anything that moves.
I live in the frozen wastelands of Northern England and DAB works fine for me. I think there are couple of blind spots of maybe a hundred yard circumference that I am aware of when I'm out and about including some quite rural areas in the Northern Dales. FM works everywhere as far as I can tell. So it's either your car or you live on St Kilda?FM gives up regularly. DAB is such a screeching joke I haven't turned it on for 3 or more years. The idea of internet streaming is even more laughable.
I guess most others live in a parallel reality where this stuff works. It certainly don't for me.
The only medium I've ever sampled that was totally rock solid is satellite radio, but it doesn't really exist in the UK for anything that moves.
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