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Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

economist.com

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Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#31

Post by yakkers »

bilegeek wrote: post #29

IMO, when the last LW transmitter shuts down, the whole band needs to be reallocated to hams. Realistic small-ish antennas are shockingly doable with a capacitance hat, loading coil, and counterpoise.

There’s still a lot of utility stations in the LF/longwave band. Particularly time signals (WWVB in the US, ALS162 in France, DCF77 in Germany, JJY in Japan, etc.) and NDB beacons.

At least in VK/Australia, there’s the 2200 meter band, but it’s quite limited (1W power limit, CW/digital only, 135.7–137.8 kHz).

At the same time, as much as I don’t want the AM broadcast band to die, I’d love an amateur band in the lower/middle part of MF/MW.

Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#32

Post by bilegeek »

yakkers wrote: post #31
bilegeek wrote: post #29

IMO, when the last LW transmitter shuts down, the whole band needs to be reallocated to hams. Realistic small-ish antennas are shockingly doable with a capacitance hat, loading coil, and counterpoise.

There’s still a lot of utility stations in the LF/longwave band. Particularly time signals (WWVB in the US, ALS162 in France, DCF77 in Germany, JJY in Japan, etc.) and NDB beacons. At least in VK/Australia, there’s the 2200 meter band, but it’s quite limited (1W power limit, CW/digital only, 135.7–137.8 kHz). At the same time, as much as I don’t want the AM broadcast band to die, I’d love an amateur band in the lower…

> There’s still a lot of utility stations in the LF/longwave band. Particularly time signals (WWVB in the US, ALS162 in France, DCF77 in Germany, JJY in Japan, etc.)

I meant just the broadcast band 148.5-283.5 kHz. (Though I'd love if 2200m and 630m were just a bit wider.)

> and NDB beacons.

Good point[1]. So 148.5-200 kHz in ITU Region 2 (and keep LowFER allowances on 160-190kHz as a consolation prize.)

[1]https://www.dxinfocentre.com/ndb.htm

Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#33

Post by jimnotgym »

I'm very sad to see this go.

I was listening to DAB in the car, not so far from here last weekend, and it kept cutting out. Whereas you could get LW everywhere!

I developed a love of cricket on Test Match Special from a very young age. A tiny inexpensive radio could get it anywhere. I actually never minded the interruptions from the Shipping Forecast, the real reason they kept this service up for so long. I know there are many ways to get a forecast now, none of which is as reliable as radio 4.

Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#34

Post by dingaling »

pessimizer wrote: post #26
RachelF wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In some way it is short-sited, as radio is a good backup medium for global communications in case the entire Internet ever goes down. Vacuum tubes also aren't vulnerable to nuclear weapon electro-magnetic pulses. However, other than ham radio enthusiasts I guess no one listens to analogue radio anymore.

They still broadcast on FM.

... on a patchwork off different frequencies across the UK due to the poor propagation of VHF

Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#35

Post by Scoundreller »

jimnotgym wrote: post #33

I'm very sad to see this go. I was listening to DAB in the car, not so far from here last weekend, and it kept cutting out. Whereas you could get LW everywhere! I developed a love of cricket on Test Match Special from a very young age. A tiny inexpensive radio could get it anywhere. I actually never minded the interruptions from the Shipping Forecast, the real reason they kept this service up for so long. I know ther…

A/The real reason was that electricity meters were built around a part of the signal being used to switch between price tiers but recently phased out.

Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#36

Post by phire »

RachelF wrote: post #17
cjs_ac wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IIRC, their operation relies on enormous vacuum tubes that the BBC can’t get replacements for any more.

In some way it is short-sited, as radio is a good backup medium for global communications in case the entire Internet ever goes down. Vacuum tubes also aren't vulnerable to nuclear weapon electro-magnetic pulses. However, other than ham radio enthusiasts I guess no one listens to analogue radio anymore.

This transmitter doesn't really have the range for reliable global communication, it's optimised for covering the UK. For the global communication usecase, there are other networks of military transmitters (DHFCS) that are much better suited for the job, and they aren't being shut down any time soon.

What it did provide was a simple but reliable way to maintain emergency broadcast to general public within Britain. And it probably should have been kept online just for that reason.

Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#37

Post by Peanuts99 »

jimnotgym wrote: post #33

I'm very sad to see this go. I was listening to DAB in the car, not so far from here last weekend, and it kept cutting out. Whereas you could get LW everywhere! I developed a love of cricket on Test Match Special from a very young age. A tiny inexpensive radio could get it anywhere. I actually never minded the interruptions from the Shipping Forecast, the real reason they kept this service up for so long. I know ther…

Digital radio was always going to be crap, it doesn't degrade gradually as signal gets worse They should have just put all the money into a better 4G network and ran radio through that.

Re: Long Wave radio era set to end with switch-off

#40

Post by toxik »

bilegeek wrote: post #29

IMO, when the last LW transmitter shuts down, the whole band needs to be reallocated to hams. Realistic small-ish antennas are shockingly doable with a capacitance hat, loading coil, and counterpoise.

I hate to rain on your parade, but a lot of interests want the low-frequency spectrum. It will absolutely never be allocated to amateur radio.
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