The future of RTE Radio 1 LW

ClosedAccountFuzzy

Glaceon wrote: »

The height of the mast might need to be altered too. Hence why Lisnagarvey's top was chopped off when BBC Ulster moved to 1341.

I’d say if it’s a big construction job, RTE won’t be touching it.

I don’t know enough about the intricacies of AM broadcasting but it’s a very different world to dealing with small, VHF & UHF sites used for FM and DVB-T

TAFKAlawhec

If RTÉ were to plan with applying to retune the Clarkstown LW TX to 261 kHz, it would first need to submit notice to the ITU to seek agreement from at least Germany and possibly also Bulgaria and Russia whom also have allocations on 261 kHz (they could retune unilaterally, but diplomatically it's not a good idea especially in future co-ordination seeking and conferences). Technically the small frequency shift shouldn't mean that the mast radiator itself would have to be modified, but the antenna tuning unit would have to be amended (which I'm told is not an insignificant job for a high power transmitter) while there may be slight differences in the angles of radiation as well as the usable bandwidth of the sidebands that affect audio production (more critical if they were going to use DRM, but it seems that ship has sailed from RTÉ).

When the Lisnagarvey transmission site was first brought into service in 1936 with its Blau-Knox tower, it radiated the NI regional service on 977 kHz so the mast would have been planned for that frequency. I'm not sure when it got decapitated, but it eventually was shifted in frequency to 1151 kHz, then 1340 kHz and finally 1341 kHz in 1978 - I'd reckon that at some point, probably around when it moved to 1340 kHz, that the radiation pattern from the mast on that frequency was not ideal (likely that skywave propagation was affecting reception in parts of its service area) and that a decision was taken to shorten it.

It's mad to think that Atlantic 252 could at times be heard as far away as Brazil at night.

Most of the LW broadcast transmissions in western Europe and northern Africa, wherever now off air or still on for now at least, that had at least a bit of power in them could be heard by many DXers in the Americas over the years especially during sunspot minimums. The main problem they often encountered was dealing with NDB beacons on their continent especially above 190 kHz. The video below is from a DXer in Michigan, USA receiving an audible signal on 252 kHz id'ing as RTÉ Radio 1 - their video description states that they had to use five different notches in the software to "clean up" the audio.

Also, until 2014, when Russia shut down all its LW transmitters, DXers in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the western coasts of Canada & the USA along with others in the Pacific region would often try and chase broadcasts coming from the Russian Far East.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Pp2FZN9es

Mickey Mike

Are we back yet

Gerry Wicklow

https://boards.ie/discussion/comment/117633906#Comment_117633906

Yeah 2RNs long wave engineers got at the servers🤣

Mickey Mike

Is there anyone writing on this anymore? What happened to the threads.

Gerry Wicklow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117667596#Comment_117667596

I'd be curious to see user numbers on the new look forum. Every time I open it I expect to see tumbleweeds roll across the screen 😂

galtee boy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117668086#Comment_117668086

Totally agree, new look is a disaster. Can't tell at a look, is there a new post on a thread, what date it was posted etc. I've actually more or less stopped using boards and I'm not the only one.

Digifriendly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117693795#Comment_117693795

There is a new post indicated under latest posts sub forum with new look but I tend to agree that this new format has been underwhelming to say the least. Maybe I was so used to the previous format but there don't seem to be anywhere near the same numbers posting as before.

Gerry Wicklow

I have always used two browser bookmarks, one for the terrestrial forum and one for the satellite forum. Threads with new posts are flagged. However the new CSS leaves a hell of a lot to be desired. I badly miss dark mode. There is an awful lot of empty space. The actual posts are little more than half the page. Things like hyperlinks are very hard to see unless you mouseover them. Apart from us few diehards, actual activity seems to be way down.

/rant

Only another 10 days until RTE returns to LW 252, how time flies

Mickey Mike

It looks like Algerian radio 252 is off air and have been for a long time, so no need to change frequency. Just how long will RTE keep long wave going is another thing.

Mickey Mike

Looks like we have lost a lot of friends with this new look form, what a disaster, why didn't they just leave it alone.

rathfarnhamlad

Well, is it back on yet?

MenloPete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117742652#Comment_117742652

Judging by the lovely clear reception of Radio 4, it isn't. Modern radios are terrible a discriminating signals - I could always hear RTE in the background when tuned to 198. Every cloud has a silver lining 🙂

Mickey Mike

Not on yet, I don't think RTE will be in any hurry switching it on. If it does come into service, I hope they ramp it up to full power, otherwise leave the off.

rathfarnhamlad

Just checked for a signal on all radios with LW that I have, plus a couple of Web SDRs. Nothing at all on 252 yet.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117744589#Comment_117744589

Agree with you on turning up the power. Can't see it happening though...

It was meant to be back yesterday.

Hotblack Desiato

Wow, an attachment on the new Boards that is actually legible! 😁

Gerry Wicklow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117747129#Comment_117747129

Shush, don't tell them or they might 'fix' it 🤣

Mickey Mike

I for one don't like this setup, the other system was much better.

Oscarziggy

According to -https://about.rte.ie/2021/06/11/essential-maintenance-of-rte-longwave-transmitter/

"For the health and safety of those carrying out the works, the transmitter must be switched off for the works period, until Saturday 14th August (estimated). Furthermore, the works must be completed during the summer months when there is better light and weather conditions".

Does anyone know how I get off this darn paragraph mode please ?There are no options with that icon thing outside the box on the extreme left.

Thanks

Apparently a few anoraks went up to the site over the past couple of months and no maintenance work whatsoever was to be seen happening

dxhound2005

Back on.

marclt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117755146#Comment_117755146

There’ll have to be an audit trail, surely. Some note in an accounts system detailing costs for the maintenance?

Mickey Mike

Surly it will run till the end of the decade without any more switch offs. Pity they didn't move it to 567MW.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117778091#Comment_117778091

The transmitter and tower would not be suited for 567.

kazoo106

BUT probably a near perfect match for 612

Mickey Mike

What I really mean is to activate Tullamore 567kHz and forget about Clarkstown. It now seems they are going knocking that TX which is a real shame.

Mickey Mike

It looks like Algerian radio 252 is completely off air, nothing coming through, unless of course its running on very reduced power, so its lucky for the ones who depend on the service.

Mickey Mike

I wonder if RTE has further reduced the power output of its longwave 252 service to maybe 100kw by day, now that Algerian radio is off air they will be no interference, it just sounds incredibly weak. The Irish diaspora in Britain must surely feel the same.