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BBC 198 transmitter will not be repaired if it breaks

B

BMR

I don't know how big a deal this is, or how many of you DX the 198 BBC transmitter from Droitwitch in England, but the BBC have just announced as part of their cuts that there will be no new investment in longwave. In plain english, this seems to mean they will run this transmitter until it breaks, and that will be it.

So DX it while you can......
 
BMR said:
I don't know how big a deal this is, or how many of you DX the 198 BBC transmitter from Droitwitch in England, but the BBC have just announced as part of their cuts that there will be no new investment in longwave. In plain english, this seems to mean they will run this transmitter until it breaks, and that will be it.

So DX it while you can......
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to get it yet, but I will try. How much power do they run?
 
radioman148 said:
BMR said:
I don't know how big a deal this is, or how many of you DX the 198 BBC transmitter from Droitwitch in England, but the BBC have just announced as part of their cuts that there will be no new investment in longwave. In plain english, this seems to mean they will run this transmitter until it breaks, and that will be it.

So DX it while you can......
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to get it yet, but I will try. How much power do they run?
Click to expand...

There are several sites in the UK, listed as running BBC4 on 198 kHz. The one we'd be interested in is the 500kW transmitter at Droitwich.

~BG
 
Tincap said:
radioman148 said:
BMR said:
I don't know how big a deal this is, or how many of you DX the 198 BBC transmitter from Droitwitch in England, but the BBC have just announced as part of their cuts that there will be no new investment in longwave. In plain english, this seems to mean they will run this transmitter until it breaks, and that will be it.

So DX it while you can......
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to get it yet, but I will try. How much power do they run?
Click to expand...

There are several sites in the UK, listed as running BBC4 on 198 kHz. The one we'd be interested in is the 500kW transmitter at Droitwich.

~BG
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 
kilokat7 said:
Nick said:
Sad thing is, there are more longwave radios out there than HD radios.
Click to expand...

How about HD capable longwave radios? I see one DRM station listed that broadcasts on longwave - Germany's Deutschlandradio Kultur, from 0000-0300 UTC according to the EAMWG.
Click to expand...
The listening audience for HD LW would probably be in single digits. ;D
 
Nick said:
Sad thing is, there are more longwave radios out there than HD radios.
Click to expand...

There are, many many times more. But hardly any new radios have it. Most are either AM/FM or FM/DAB. (AM meaning 540-1600 khz)

Longwave is a dead duck in the UK.
 
Isn't 198 Radio 4, IIRC?

Assuming that's correct, I can't imagine why anyone in London...especially Central London... would opt for noisy 198, when there's a clean local signal (1KW) on 720.
 
MarioMania said:
What is the best time to look for 198??
Click to expand...

When most of the path between your location in CA and the UK is nighttime. http://www.daylightmap.com/index.php
Generally, the time range to listen would be between sunset at your location in CA and sunrise in the UK. There can be a propagation enhancement an hour or so before sunrise on the UK side, with more optimal results near the autumnal and vernal (spring) equinoxes [approximately a week or two either side of September 23 and March 20, respectively]
 
K6JHU said:
Is there any longwave operating on this side of the pond?
Click to expand...

They are just radionavigation, no broadcasting. See: http://www.dxinfocentre.com/ndb.htm Broadcasting would be perfect for local, low powered stations as LW is mostly groundwave propagation, but the uptake would be very slow, similar to "HD" radio. Should have been done years ago, it's too late, I'm afraid to say.
 
I finally managed to snag some faint audio on 198 last night. Now I'm saddened this might be the last time I ever hear them. Propogation was so go0d on longwave last night that I heard a 25 watt beacon from Greenland and 189 and 207 from Iceland wth audio. The beacon was at either 398 or 399 khz.
 
mimo said:
I finally managed to snag some faint audio on 198 last night. Now I'm saddened this might be the last time I ever hear them.
Click to expand...

I think we are talking years rather than months for longwave switchoff. But probably not very many years.

It may be no subsitute because it's only 100 kw at night but I think the 252 khz transmitter in Ireland will continue in the medium term at least.

a) It was built in the late 80s so it's a much more modern design than Droitwich

b) There is a sizeable audience amoung Nationalist communities north of the border who can't get RTE on FM and also amoung Irish expats in England, Scotland and Wales.
 
Just because it's only 100 kW doesn't mean you have no chance (that is, if you're using something better than a portable DSP radio with a 4" ferrite bar designed for mediumwave and are not on the US west coast). What power do they run in the daytime? Any reason you couldn't try to snag them at that time of the morning (their time) right when they switch to their higher daytime power while most of the path is still dark? Or does "sunrise enhancement" only work for mediumwave?

My best catch of 774 JOUB from Akita, Japan, was made right after my local sunrise. Local pest 760 KFMB, 7.3 mi NW of me, runs 50 kW directional at night and 5 kW omnidirectional daytime, so it was easier to hear JOUB immediately after my local sunrise. Here's a recording of that catch, as heard on my Tecsun PL-380 aided by the Select-A-Tenna.
 
pianoplayer88key said:
Just because it's only 100 kW doesn't mean you have no chance (that is, if you're using something better than a portable DSP radio with a 4" ferrite bar designed for mediumwave and are not on the US west coast). What power do they run in the daytime? Any reason you couldn't try to snag them at that time of the morning (their time) right when they switch to their higher daytime power while most of the path is still dark? Or does "sunrise enhancement" only work for mediumwave?

My best catch of 774 JOUB from Akita, Japan, was made right after my local sunrise. Local pest 760 KFMB, 7.3 mi NW of me, runs 50 kW directional at night and 5 kW omnidirectional daytime, so it was easier to hear JOUB immediately after my local sunrise. Here's a recording of that catch, as heard on my Tecsun PL-380 aided by the Select-A-Tenna.
Click to expand...

What date did you make that catch of JOUB?
 
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