Roger Bunce

(Part only) Our submarine commanders listen to Radio 4, and if it goes off the air for a day or two, they assume that London has been destroyed and launch their missiles.

Tony Crake

Just one thing wrong with that even though Droitwich transmits on 198 kc/s /1500 m Long Wave you can’t hear it submerged.. you will have to pop up to the surface or damn near it !

Transmission  to the subs is on 19Kc/s and 22 Kc/s  VLF  a continuous data link radiated from Anthorn and Skelton in Northern bit of Cumbria even then you will have be up somewhere near the surface to get it….

Graeme Wall

I thought the whole point was that long wave yx can be picked up underwater?

Ian Hillson

The way I heard the joke, long ago, was that the subs surfaced to listen to see if "Today" was being broadcast on Radio 4 – I would have thought that the enemy would have got wise to this by now and be waiting for them on the surface after consulting "Radio Times" to see when said programme was on air.

Dave Buckley

There may be a time in the not so distant future when the Droitwich TX may go off the air for good due to lack of spares. There was an article in the “Daily Mail” reporting that the Shipping Forecast may be in danger due to this problem. Apparently, the Beeb have bought up all the spare TX valves in the world and no more are being made.

I can see the towers of Anthorn on the other side of the Solway Firth from my house about 20 miles north (this is why my old 60kcs digital clock I made from a kit in the late 1970s works still works well – it’s much closer to the TX than Rugby which was still being used when we moved here!)  Behind the disused airfield and much higher, is Caldbeck TX which carries all the digital television services for north Cumbria and south and southwest Scotland.

Geoff Fletcher

" …ANTHORN, 20 OCTOBER 1997

The disused airfield at Anthorn, once known as HMS Nuthatch, is situated on the Northern edge of the Solway Firth and is one of the loneliest and God forsaken places I have ever visited. I arrived as dusk was falling on a bleak, wind-swept October evening, and drove slowly around the narrow road that once formed part of the perimeter track until I found a place to pull over and stop. I got out and walked away from the car.

To the left lay the waters of the Firth, like a thickly heaving brown oil, sullen and cold. The odd scud of rain leaked from the grey cloud which covered most of the sky like the ridged underbelly of some monstrous aquatic animal. Far to the South, over the lakeland mountains, stretched a narrow line of golden light at the ragged edge of the cloud bank. The wind keened eerily in the wires and lattice towers of the huge radio station which now entirely covered the old airfield. Small shed-like brick built hangers were scattered, apparently at random, along the deserted foreshore, empty and forlorn. The long abandoned runways remained, silent, moss covered, and without purpose. Far across the airfield, in the fast gathering gloom, a light came on in the old control tower, now modified and put to some new use. This was the sole sign of life anywhere in the half hour or so I spent at Anthorn. Nothing else moved or called out, not even a solitary bird.

Presently, the final thin sliver of the far off golden edge was snuffed out and the last of the light was gone. I retraced my steps back to the car, started the engine, and drove slowly back to Kirkbride ….”

Bill Jenkin

I find it surprising how often Anthorn goes off the air. Sometimes days at a time, most annoying if you have a mains clock radio which is synced to it and you have had it switched off while on holiday. This has happened to me twice.

Tony Crake

It is very annoying to have the Anthorn 60 kc/s clock switched off from time to time BUT it ( if you actually complain ) ONLY a Courtesy service. It is not provided as a free 24hour service. Nobody actually reimburses Babcock the operators for their Transmitter service now.  If you are a Customer of the NPL or who ever maintains the Atomic clock or whatever it is that is different. They are very busy with other projects up there!

Also in answer to an earlier point… I don’t really believe that the valves at Droitwich could not be replaced by a different model. Some years ago Up at Skelton and Woofferton, the glass valves in the penultimate stage of the modulator ran "out of stock", but a manufacturer was found who made a pin compatible ceramic valve  replacement with great success. Probably Arquiva or who ever owns Droitwich being difficult, and want to join in the general exit from MW and LW.

If you would like to look at all the strange warbling world in the VLF spectrum, try this site:http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/.  

…There must be so many submarines out there just waiting in the depths!

     (Click on the picture below to see larger version:
     use your Browser’s BACK button to return to this page)

     

It takes a bit to master the controls but you need to tune in the area 18-100kc/s  You can monitor the beeping MSF clock on 60kc/s. also.   The various stations are labelled by clever people who have worked it out.  The UK ones are on 19.6, 22.1, 52, and 81kc/s .

John Howell

Now that is some receiver.

I live not far from Northwood, home of, amongst others, Commander Operations Royal Navy. Now I haven’t seen any submarines in this area but there is a colossal signal on 22.1KHz coming from that direction.

DAB

Online “Daily Mail” 3 November 2015

• FM radio may be switched off permanently in next few years, minister says
• Culture Minister Ed Vaizey believes Digital Audio Broadcast radio is ‘future’
• It could potentially force millions of people to pay for a supposed upgrade
• One in four new cars are still not fitted with a digital radio, figures reveal

Pat Heigham

I just wonder if Ed Vaizey has tried driving around the country listening to (or trying to listen to) car mounted DAB radio.

There are annoying areas of non-coverage, when the signal cuts out. These can range from a few yards on the road to a half-mile or so.  Try the A303 for instance!

I keep one memory button tuned to R4 on FM when that happens.

There is one advantage in that one does not have to retune between transmitters up and down the country, as DAB seems to not require this.  The processing time delay is a pain, though.

Dave Plowman

I’d give a plus for DAB. In London, reception is much better than FM on any of the stations I listen to. But the DAB car radio I have was expensive – and the proper DAB aerial needed to get the best from it cost more than many a complete car radio at the thick end of 100 quid.

I’d say that’s generally true out of London too – but of course can’t claim to have driven on every road in the country. But my set will swap to FM (on the national stations like R4) if the DAB signal dies. 

I don’t use DAB at home. Or FM, come to that. Freeview. The tuners for that are cheap as chips compared to DAB or FM.

Bob Auger

Looks like a big opportunity for an "after market" product that receives digital radio off-air and re-transmits it at low power to the built-in FM receiver in the car. 

Apart from the fact that the compressed digital audio sounds dreadful, that there is no graceful handover at transmitter boundaries (for local stations), that quality deteriorates "disgracefully" when the signal fades and that the "digital delay" puts the pips out of sync, I can’t wait to sell my car so that I can benefit from Ed Vaizey’s dream of the future.

Or is that a nightmare?

Dave Mundy

It’s called Pure ‘Highway’! (In-car DAB digital radio and audio adaptor).

I’ve got one, but I still have to revert to MW Radio 5 live quite often!

John Howell

Some time ago I tried a device such as this to play an iPod through the car’s radio and in the London area I couldn’t find a vacant frequency to tune it to.

Peter Cook

[extracts from a letter from Peter Cook to Ed Vaizey (his local MP) and circulated to the Tech Ops forum  (Ed)]

“… The Greenwich time signal and Big Ben Chimes are a long established and accurate national benchmark for synchronising a nation of listeners, and a wide range of devices. Digital platforms, TV or Radio, are not reliably synchronous. Comparison shows that on digital TV or radio, whether via Freeview, internet or other platform, this time signal has been rendered unreliable with a delay of between a couple of seconds and many seconds. Even on Freeview, Standard and High Definition channels are not in synch.
…
If broadcasters are unwilling to address this well-known problem, then I believe that Government should endeavour to improve the situation and not make it worse. A complete and irrevocable switch to DAB from analogue will permanently impair the capability of synchronised timing in UK. I cannot see any justification in a technically advanced culture of initiating such a retrograde step….”

Keith Wicks

Around 2000 hrs one evening, I listened to Radio 4. When GTS indicated 20:00 hours, my computer clock, linked to the Apple Europe clock, indicated 27 seconds past the hour.

In other words, I was listening to Radio 4 online. A delay caused by digital decoding resulted in the GTS online being 27 seconds behind Apple Europe atomic clock.

Later that same day, I confirmed that my computer clock (linked to Apple Europe clock) agreed with the GTS on long wave (LW) and with my domestic radio controlled clock. Only the GTS on Radio 4 online was out — delayed by 34 seconds on this occasion.

I did not compare the Apple Europe clock with GTS on FM Radio 4, but I would expect them to be almost perfectly in sync. So I would agree that switching off FM radio would deprive many of an accurate time signal (although it would still be available to those able to listen on medium wave or long wave).

Ian Norman

I bought a DAB radio 10 years ago in anticipation of getting a signal, but still nothing.  On-line check:"…DAB coverage is not currently available in your area…"

Very likely, it’ll never become available where I live in the middle of Exmoor, but FM is.  The only option will be FreeSat or Internet as Freeview is also borderline.  Of course, no mobile phone coverage, 2G, 3G or 4G.

There is a digital divide, based on population density and it’s getting  worse.

Dave Buckley

I have a DAB radio at home, and my car has DAB available.

However, where I live (SW Scotland) not all the services I listen to are on DAB. At home I use DAB for Radio 2, but have to switch to FM for Radio Scotland, as it isn’t available from Caldbeck. Also, Radio Cumbria isn’t available on DAB from the same TX.

When I drive to Glasgow, I use FM for both Radio 2 and (if I want it) Radio Scotland. Interestingly, although my car radio is set to automatically following transmitters, there’s no problem with Radio 2 etc, but Radio Scotland needs retuning when I move from Calbeck to the Glasgow area TXs.

The other problem with DAB (in my opinion) is that it won’t ‘take off’ until the opt-outs match FM. For example, the local Dumfries studio opts-out at certain times for local news, or a  locally produced programme, but the internet feed (and if available) DAB, stay with Glasgow. This is most apparent at 18:30 when the Glasgow based  late afternoon magazine programme ends. DAB, internet and MW go to sport while FM has a very good light music programme called “Get It On” which is ‘driven’ by listeners requesting songs on a given theme.

Another problem I have found is that, while going up the access ramp to a carpark in Carlisle, DAB comes and goes even though the TX is about five miles away. FM stays rock solid!

It all seems to be about money. Put everything onto DAB and sell off the recovered radio spectrum!!

Ian Norman

I was led to believe the LW transmitter at Droitwich would be used in  the event of a catastrophe to broadcast an emergency message, as it covered the entire country. Radio 4 played a short clip of the message read by Peter Donaldson  yesterday.

With the move away from traditional radios to digital, will there be a  method of transmitting a message to everyone in the event of a catastrophe?

John Howell

Slightly tongue in cheek…..give every household a crystal set tuned to  Droitwitch it wouldn’t cost much, coil, 2 fixed capacitors, crystal diode and a transformer to match modern earphones all encapsulated in  epoxy. No power required and it should be cheap to make in quantity. The transformer would be the most expensive item.

Keith Wicks

No need for an expensive transformer to match modern low-impedance earphones. Instead, listen on a very cheap high-impedance piezo-electric earphone.

Graeme Wall, Dave Plowman

But how will I know when to listen to it?  You’ll get an SMS to your mobile phone.

Rather like TalkTalk who sent me emails saying they couldn’t contact me by email.

John Howell

I would have thought the BBC in the deep dungeons at Wood Norton would have published an update schedule. If it was the only means of receiving information I’m sure you’d check it regularly.

Bob Auger

Received the following this morning, it may clarify current thinking on DAB:

—- START —-

PRESS RELEASE – 13:00 4th November 2015

UK and German Government Ministers share vision for radio’s digital future
London, Wednesday 4 November 2015

UK Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey, and Dorothee Bär, German Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI), today set out their shared vision for radio’s digital future. 

Speaking to an international audience of over 200 radio experts at the WorldDAB General Assembly in London, the two Ministers emphasised their commitment to digital radio and the importance of working together to accelerate the growth of DAB in Europe.   

Ed Vaizey said:  “UK listening figures show the future of radio is increasingly digital. It’s reflected in the fact that more than three quarters of new cars now come with digital radio as standard. Listeners are already benefitting from a wide range of new digital radio services and significant improvements in reception quality, so the time is right for European governments to work together to accelerate the international adoption of digital radio.”

Dorothee Bär said:  “Germany is fully committed to a digital future for radio.  DAB+ offers significant benefits for listeners and broadcasters.  We see particular advantages for motorists – with the potential for greatly enhanced free-to-air traffic information services.  DAB+ is emerging as the future platform for radio in Europe.  We are keen to work with other markets to help realise this vision.”
WorldDAB President, Patrick Hannon, said: "DAB digital radio is making great progress across Europe and beyond.  The Ministerial messages we have heard today set out a clear vision for the next phase of DAB’s development.  International collaboration across all elements of the radio ecosystem will be the key driver of success.”

In other sessions at the event, delegates also heard about the opportunities which DAB provides for commercial radio.   Case studies from the UK, Italy and Australia illustrated how private broadcasters are developing new services, often using brand extensions, to grow audiences and generate new revenues.  Media regulator Ofcom also provided an update about the cost-effective solutions for small scale local broadcasters currently being trialled in the UK.

The third major focus of the event was the automotive sector.  Several countries reported significant progress on getting DAB into vehicles.  The UK announced that 75% of new vehicles are fitted with DAB.  Norway and Switzerland reported similar figures, of 63% and 60% respectively.   

All this is against a background of growing international interest in DAB.  Norway leads the way with Digital Switchover (DSO) in 2017; Switzerland is close behind with DSO between 2020 and 2024.  Solid progress was reported in Germany, Netherlands, UK, Denmark and Italy.  Other markets taking early steps include Poland, France, Belgium, Czech Republic and Austria. 

Outside Europe, DAB+ is well established in Australia, and a growing number of markets are embarking on trials, including South Africa, the Gulf States and Thailand.

The General Assembly also saw the re-election of Patrick Hannon for a second 2-year term as President of WorldDAB.  Patrick outlined WorldDAB’s priorities for the coming 12 months – with a particular focus on extending the international footprint of digital terrestrial radio and ensuring that DAB secures its position in cars and mobile handsets. 

Anthony Sethill, Founder and CEO Frontier Silicon, was announced by Joan Warner, CEO of Commercial Radio Australia and Chair of the WorldDAB Asia-Pacific Committee as the winner of the WorldDAB Award for Outstanding Service.  The award is recognition of Anthony’s contribution to the growth of DAB around the world – both in terms of Frontier Silicon’s technology leadership and Anthony’s personal contribution to the development of DAB in key international markets. 

— Ends–