Have they run out of valves?

On 12/05/2012 23:00, Ian Jackson wrote:

Regarding 198kHz, the Rutherglen

It's pronounced Westerglen.

--
mb

John Williamson wrote:

Brian Gaff wrote:
I thought they were these days made from a huge heap of semiconductor
modules?

Its gone off before for no apparent reason. The thing is that a lot of
minicab drivers seem to listen to it.
Brian

Droitwich long wave transmitter still uses (obsolete) valves, and
they've only got a few left.

That's why Arquiva are apparently claiming they can't afford to run it
beyond the end of the current contract.


I'm curious as to what valves they use. I've still got a stock for projects
overtaken by marriage and kids (Thankfully still in a solid state).



--
________________________________________________
PCLinuxOS release 2011 (PCLinuxOS) for x86_64
Kernel 2.6.38.8-pclos3
KDE version 4.6.5
Running on an AMD 4-core processor

On 12/05/2012 18:14, David wrote:
Today I do not think the BBC listen to their listeners and viewers.
Regards
David



"Martin" wrote in message
...

That will upset a lot of people.

"Some years ago the continental listener lobby killed off demands to
close down Long wave. Will they rise again?"

They're all dead as should 198LW.

On Sun, 13 May 2012 15:11:46 +0100, Mark Carver wrote:

R5 on 909 and 693 were a phasey mess,

Not surprising theer are quite a few transmitters on those
frequencies. One of them here has a distinct echo during daylight
hours. The other is

as was 198.

We are sort of in the "mush" area for 198kHz between Droitwich and
Westerglen.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Sun, 13 May 2012 15:11:46 +0100, Mark Carver wrote:

R5 on 909 and 693 were a phasey mess,

Not surprising theer are quite a few transmitters on those
frequencies. One of them here has a distinct echo during daylight
hours. The other is

as was 198.

We are sort of in the "mush" area for 198kHz between Droitwich and
Westerglen.

Certainly, in Northumberland, 198kHz is pretty horrible. On a radio with
a ferrite rod, it sometimes helps if you rotate it for cleanest
reception. However, as all three transmitters are around the same signal
level, and each from different directions, it's not really possible to
peak any one of them up and, at the same time, null out the other two.
On a car radio, where the aerial has no directivity, you are constantly
driving in and out of peaks and troughs, with lots of phase distortion
mush on the audio.
--
Ian

Mark Carver wrote:
Steve Terry wrote:
down Long wave. Will they rise again?"

Not now R4 is available on internet radio, it can be heard
around the world, and without atmospherics or fading

Try that abroad in a car, and assuming perfect and continuous 3G
coverage (which there isn't of course) see how many thousands of
pounds worth of data roaming charges you can notch up over a week ?

If the car wasn't moving, then R4 can be received in a lot of Europe
with a sat receiver and a portable dish pointing at 28 east

Depends just how desperate you are to receive R4

Steve Terry
--
Get a free GiffGaff PAYG Sim and £5 bonus after activation at:
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I still have some microdrives and 3 inch discs and my Atari 8 bit has 5.25
in drive that will still load up the accounts stuff I used to use in the
80s.
Amazing engineering if a little slow.

Brian

--
From the Bed of Brian Gaff.
The email is valid as
Blind user.
"hwh" wrote in message
...
On 5/13/12 6:25 PM, Brian Gaff wrote:
I'm sure someone can do it, after all we all used to get regunned tv
tubes.
Seems odd to me. I bet its some young uns who have never seen these
glowing
thingies before in their lives.

I recently showed my 13-year-old nephew a 3.5 inch floppy disc. It was
his first.

gr, hwh

Yes apparently at Bletchley Park there is a problem getting people trained
up to keep old gear going, in the main its old radio gear. When Mr Whit
finally goes nobody will be able to fix them and a whole era will turn to
still life.
Brian

--
From the Bed of Brian Gaff.
The email is valid as
Blind user.
"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote in message
...
In message , Brian Gaff
writes:
I'm sure someone can do it, after all we all used to get regunned tv
tubes.
Seems odd to me. I bet its some young uns who have never seen these
glowing
thingies before in their lives.
I still remember the wonder at age 11 of being taken on a tour of
Brookmans
Park with its cooling ponds and huge valves glowing pretty colours in
the
halls.
Seemed that something was actually going on, not just a big heap of
humming
cabinets as nowadays.

I envy you!

Maybe if this is pretty vintage they could run tours to pay for bits.

Brian

Trouble is (a) they're probably not in tourist areas (b) younger folk
(even, say, 30somethings) would mostly probably not be that interested
anyway.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)[email protected]+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Don't hit the keys so hard, it hurts.

On Sun, 13 May 2012 23:36:00 +0100, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

Yes apparently at Bletchley Park there is a problem getting people trained
up to keep old gear going, in the main its old radio gear. When Mr Whit
finally goes nobody will be able to fix them and a whole era will turn to
still life.
Brian

Apparently things in museums that are no longer expected to work get
cleaned with spit.
Disgusting I know, but I herd it from an archivist on the wireless so
I suppose it must be true.

--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

"Steve Terry" wrote in message
...
Martin wrote:
On Sat, 12 May 2012 17:53:10 +0100, "Ian Field"
wrote:
"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
No signal on 198kHz.
Bill

There's rumours they plan to let it wither & die:
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1550908

That will upset a lot of people.

"Some years ago the continental listener lobby killed off demands to
close down Long wave. Will they rise again?"

Not now R4 is available on internet radio, it can be heard
around the world, and without atmospherics or fading

Does that include at sea? Not many masts there I gather and if you need to
listen to the shipping forecast well long wave it is.

Yes cruise liners etc. have gimballed satellite dishes, but a trawler in a
rough North Sea?


Steve Terry
--
Get a free GiffGaff PAYG Sim and £5 bonus after activation at:
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