Mentioned in another topic but, a still caption was shown during "Find A Fortune" after ITV broke down during the programme, with a female announcer occasionally telling us that "We will be back shortly"
Date: 1st August 1999
Which funny enough, has the same music that was heard in this clip of a breakdown during the ITV's Weekend News.
As I type this, it's thunder and lightning where I am. So, there must surely have been an occasion where lightning has struck either a transmitter, or a dependant relay. In those circumstances, does the relay or transmitter try to pick up from another transmitter? Also, what headaches can it cause for broadcasters?
As I type this, it's thunder and lightning where I am. So, there must surely have been an occasion where lightning has struck either a transmitter, or a dependant relay. In those circumstances, does the relay or transmitter try to pick up from another transmitter? Also, what headaches can it cause for broadcasters?
It was called RBS, the BBC’s main transmitters had ( where possible) and alternative source. My local Tx Hannington which was off air fed by Rowridge, had Crystal Palace as an RBS source ( for the BBC, and Mendip for C4)
Lower order transmitters and relays had no back up source should the parent die.
With DTT there is limited use of RBS in some cases, but all main stations
and what were 30 or so relays in the analogue era all have primary and standby fibre circuits, and so called Fatsat at 27.5W satellite back up too ( that’s the primary feed for a handful of remote relays)
As I type this, it's thunder and lightning where I am. So, there must surely have been an occasion where lightning has struck either a transmitter, or a dependant relay.
Any lightning would hit the mast or an aerial, there will be means to prevent the charge from a lightning strike damaging the transmitter itself.
Of course the highest point on a TV mast will be a lightning rod
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In those circumstances, does the relay or transmitter try to pick up from another transmitter?
If the main transmitter is off air then the relays are too I think. Main transmitters don't rebroadcast others if there's a fault with their incoming these days, there's an alternative last resort option via satellite
Any lightning would hit the mast or an aerial, there will be means to prevent the charge from a lightning strike damaging the transmitter itself.
Of course the highest point on a TV mast will be a lightning rod
The Eitshal main transmitter on Lewis was hit by lightning in the early 80s I think. The BBC 1 and 2 transmitters in the building were all but destroyed. The ITV transmitter in the room next door was unscathed I think ! Also 3 miles worth of overhead BT phone line back to the main road totally vapourised. Took a while to get it all fixed and back to normal. There’s an article in BBC Eng Info about it.
In 1984 the transmitting aerial at Durris near Aberdeen was hit and caught fire. All four channels off for a few days. BBC 1 and ITV were restored first from a lash up at Redmoss. One of the IBA Eng Infos on You Tube has a feature about it.
Was Durris actually lightning? I heard a conspiracy theory that lightning was the cover up story but it was actually damage caused by trying to remotely restart the transmitters too many times when there was a fault condition.
:-(
A former member
BBC Alba had a rather long breakdown of 50 minutes this evening. At 21:10, despite there appearing to be no problems, a breakdown caption was shown with audio of the programme continuing over it. However, within moments, the audio began breaking up and was removed. The breakdown caption then began animating with a looped audio of the original BBC Alba music - though this stopped and re-started several times. At one point, the programme's audio returned, but then the Alba music played again. Eventually, at 21:25, the programme was replaced by 'This is BBC Alba'. At 21:59 it dropped to the breakdown caption again - even though the next programme had begun and the audio was playing - with vision restored at 22:00.
Any lightning would hit the mast or an aerial, there will be means to prevent the charge from a lightning strike damaging the transmitter itself.
Of course the highest point on a TV mast will be a lightning rod
If lightning strikes the lightning rod then it will convey a very large AC current and generate a strong alternating magnetic field like the primary winding of a transformer. Metal objects in the vicinity will pick up this magnetic field like the secondary winding of a transformer, causing potentially high voltages and currents to flow in them. Woe betide any semiconductor devices nearby! Even metal window frames can be blasted out by induced currents.
Here in Baltimore there are two television stations at the base of the candelabra tower (fun fact it’s was the first candelabra tower in the world) serving three TV stations and one FM. Two of the TV station's share a transmitter building while the other WBAL the transmission lines go straight into their building as they are closest to the tower and it’s on their property. When lighting strikes the tower, the power remains on but oddly the only thing that doesn’t work are the wireless microphones. So they usually take a slightly longer commercial break and relocate to the newsroom where there are hard wired microphones at the flash cam where they can finish the show.
Now they have lost power for other reasons such as weather but all the critical systems have UPS and the generator powers up. I’ve seen pictures from the talent where the lights are out but all the computers, on set monitors, robotic cameras work. It happened one time during a news tease around 4PM where the lights went out but they remained on air.
BBC Alba had a rather long breakdown of 50 minutes this evening. At 21:10, despite there appearing to be no problems, a breakdown caption was shown with audio of the programme continuing over it. However, within moments, the audio began breaking up and was removed. The breakdown caption then began animating with a looped audio of the original BBC Alba music - though this stopped and re-started several times. At one point, the programme's audio returned, but then the Alba music played again. Eventually, at 21:25, the programme was replaced by 'This is BBC Alba'. At 21:59 it dropped to the breakdown caption again - even though the next programme had begun and the audio was playing - with vision restored at 22:00.
That slate is from the launch pres package.
When the 'this is BBC Alba' carousel was a lot less stable than it is now, and was a bit prone to crashing, I'd occasionally marry the breakdown slide with Radio nan Gaidheal audio, and cut that to air while giving the server a kick - otherwise the viewer would would have had their radio listening interrupted. (It was a task not helped by the playout suite being unmanned during the day and the MCR being in a somewhat distant location)
Was Durris actually lightning? I heard a conspiracy theory that lightning was the cover up story but it was actually damage caused by trying to remotely restart the transmitters too many times when there was a fault condition.
Yes, that’s another story. Another slant is the aerial cylinder started to fill with snow and ice, that would have tripped the VSWR breakers. As you say one story is the IBA repeatedly tried to restart the ITV and C4 transmitters. We don’t know what the BBC did for their pair, but certainly just one out of the four transmitters would have been enough to cause catastrophe
Original description (from TV Home): We lost the highlights and saw black for a few seconds before the caption was brought up. This then disappeared a few seconds later but then returned (this bit has been encoded) with the announcer explaining there are some problems.
