TV Home Forum

Medium Wave Radio

(December 2008)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
JO
Jon
Tumble Tower posted:

My radio at home (Bath) is only ever tuned to Bath FM. I mostly listen to the 8am news and weather when having my breakfast, though sometimes I put it on Bath FM for a bit in the evening, close to bedtime (when a tape / CD has finished playing and there isn't time for me to play another tape / CD in its entirety before bed). I never put my radio on medium wave or long wave.
Enjoy Bath FM, while it lasts, Tumble.
RS
Reg Shaw
Tumble Tower posted:
Reg Shaw posted:
Johnny83 posted:
LW is the one that's not really used in the UK that much anymore is it? Apart from Radio 5 Live the only other station I can remember on there was Atlantic 252, which went bust a few years back IIRC.

Regarding the old FM/AM, once they stations are made to move off of those frequencies who or what is going to use them?


I don't think Radio 5 has ever been on LW ... always been 909/693 even before the 'live' bit.

Were you thinking of Radio 4?


The original Radio 5 never was on long wave. When it launched on 27 August 1990, it was on 693 and 909 kHz AM medium wave.. Those were the frequencies previously used Radio 2 from 23 November 1978 to 26 August 1990. The present Radio 5 Live replaced the original Radio 5 on 28 March 1994. Why the change I don't know. Pie in the sky really. Apart from appending "Live" to the back end of the name, what else changed about the station?

Radio 4 has been on 198 kHz long wave since autumn 1978.


Kinda stepping on my point there.
SP
Steve in Pudsey
Revitt posted:
Tumble Tower posted:
In my opinion, medium wave sound quality gets worse after dark. It tends to sound "hossily" (background squeaky / whining noise) in the evening / through the night? Anyone know what causes that "hossily" sound? You don't get that on FM.


IIRC, that is interference from the rest of the continent. For some reason, and I'm no scientist so don't ask me why, the phenomenen only happens during the hours of darkness.


AIUI it's something along the lines of the sun ionising the ionosphere which causes radio waves of the kind of frequency you get on MW to pass through rather than bounce back down to earth which is why they travel further and cause more interference after sunset.
RS
Reg Shaw
Steve in Pudsey posted:
Revitt posted:
Tumble Tower posted:
In my opinion, medium wave sound quality gets worse after dark. It tends to sound "hossily" (background squeaky / whining noise) in the evening / through the night? Anyone know what causes that "hossily" sound? You don't get that on FM.


IIRC, that is interference from the rest of the continent. For some reason, and I'm no scientist so don't ask me why, the phenomenen only happens during the hours of darkness.


AIUI it's something along the lines of the sun ionising the ionosphere which causes radio waves of the kind of frequency you get on MW to pass through rather than bounce back down to earth which is why they travel further and cause more interference after sunset.



Quote:
Medium wave signals have the property of following the curvature of the earth (the groundwave) at all times, and also refracting off the ionosphere at night (skywave). This makes this frequency band ideal for both local and continent-wide service, depending on the time of day. For example, during the day a radio receiver in the state of Maryland is able to receive reliable but weak signals from high-power stations WFAN/660 kHz, and WOR/710 kHz, 250 miles (400 km) away in New York City, due to groundwave propagation. The effectiveness of groundwave signals largely depends on ground conductivity—higher conductivity results in better propagation. At night, the same receiver picks up signals as far away as Mexico City and Chicago reliably, assuming that there is no atmospheric noise or man-made interference.


An explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium_wave
NG
noggin Founding member
Tumble Tower posted:
The present Radio 5 Live replaced the original Radio 5 on 28 March 1994. Why the change I don't know. Pie in the sky really. Apart from appending "Live" to the back end of the name, what else changed about the station?


Radio Five was a much more general station - with sport, kids and educational output. (Some of the sports output had previously been carried on split FM/AM networks - but slowly the BBC had their dual frequencies removed, so rather than lose the MW frequencies they launched a new network on them)

The first Gulf War showed the appetite for something close to a rolling radio news channel, when Radio Four switched to a rolling news format on its FM frequencies (aka "Scud FM")and proved popular. When the war ended, there was a perceived demand for this kind of output.

Equally - Radio Five had not been a major success (though its kids output was critically popular - and campaigners were unhappy when it was axed)

Thus Five Live was re-born out of Radio Five as a News and Sport station (retaining the sporting content, jettisoning everything else and replacing it with news and discussion). Major change in output, and the Live was added because most of the output was live - quite important for a News and Sport station! (It also helped pioneer national radio having a conversation with its audience - something previously really limited to local radio)
IS
Inspector Sands
Tumble Tower posted:
The present Radio 5 Live replaced the original Radio 5 on 28 March 1994. Why the change I don't know. Pie in the sky really. Apart from appending "Live" to the back end of the name, what else changed about the station?


Lots, they are 2 totally different stations

The old Radio 5 was essentially a repository for everything the other stations didn't want - sport, childrens, schools, education, regional 'yoof' programmes.... with a few music, comedy and World Service programmes here and there

Radio 5 Live is news and sport only, the original Radio 5 sports programmes were the only thing that stayed
TT
Tumble Tower
wells posted:
Enjoy Bath FM, while it lasts, Tumble.

What makes you say that? I've not heard any rumours of it closing.
JO
Jon
These articles may interest you.

http://radiotoday.co.uk/news.php?extend.4186
http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/news/Wage-pledge-radio-station-staffarticle-481599-details/article.html
RE
remlap
Yes I listen to MW.

http://uk.youtube.com/remlap

Laughing
JO
Johnny83
Reg Shaw posted:
Johnny83 posted:
LW is the one that's not really used in the UK that much anymore is it? Apart from Radio 5 Live the only other station I can remember on there was Atlantic 252, which went bust a few years back IIRC.

Regarding the old FM/AM, once they stations are made to move off of those frequencies who or what is going to use them?


I don't think Radio 5 has ever been on LW ... always been 909/693 even before the 'live' bit.

Were you thinking of Radio 4?


Sorry I meant Radio 4, not Radio 5 DOH! Laughing
MA
Markymark
noggin posted:
AM Stereo has been possible for many years, and trialled on MW in the UK a couple of times. I have recollections of Capital using it for a while on their AM frequency in the 80s?



Capital were very keen to use the system, and AIUI had made advanced preparations. However the IBA only conducted one test, Radio Orwell in Suffolk, the reason being that there are a couple of US Air bases in the transmission area, and therefore radios available to pick up the tests.

The trial was successful, but the IBA never pursued the idea. I suspect the scheme was swept away with the IBA's abolition later that year ?

More background:-

http://www.zen77094.zen.co.uk/vintagebroadcasting/amst.htm
NH
Nick Harvey Founding member
As this topic is both about radio and largely technical, would it not be a good idea to decamp over to Metropol and continue it over there?

Newer posts