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Old 26th Dec 2016, 5:24 pm   #1
Hybrid tellies
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Default Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Today is the last day for France Inter on 162Khz from the historic high powered transmitter at Allouis in central France. It is the second strongest Long wave signal in most parts of the UK and in some parts it's stronger than BBC R4 on 198Khz. So it is easily received on most AM radios new and old.
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Old 26th Dec 2016, 6:01 pm   #2
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

It's a shame that LW broadcasting (arguably more of a link to the earliest days of broadcasting than MW and something associated with France in particular) is steadily winding down. The muting of the familiar presence of Deutschlandfunk on 153kHz left a hole at this end of the band (the one voice broadcaster on the 60-160kHz band of my CR100!) and France Inter's demise continues the trend.

It's understandable that broadcasters wish to shed their expensive to run and maintain legacy services but the principle of a service that could reach very far and wide with few transmitters and simple, low-tech, low consumption receivers will be missed. No logging or flagging, either- maybe that's a downside in a data profiling-obsessed bean-counters' world.....
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Old 26th Dec 2016, 7:13 pm   #3
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

I shall miss France Inter. I was an occasional listener. The station had some interesting late evening music programmes. I know I can listen online but - and I know this is weird - but it just ain't quite the same.

I wonder about all this. In times of emergency a long wave transmitter could be a very useful facility, especially given the apparent ease of cyber attacks on online services. Old tech crosses borders and also facilitates clandestine listening to sources that might otherwise be forbidden/denied by a regime.
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Old 26th Dec 2016, 7:20 pm   #4
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Wow!

I'm over in Amsterdam at the minute visiting my Mother for Christmas. I brought a small Philips transistor with me in the hope of recieving RTE long wave.

Sadly no RTE, but plenty of French stations including Allouis and Radio 4.

A real shame too hear of the demise of another LW station.

Regards,
John Joe.
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Old 26th Dec 2016, 8:51 pm   #5
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

It's another sad loss. The signal from Allouis was so easy to receive. Listening online is so much more complicated.

Edward
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Old 26th Dec 2016, 9:43 pm   #6
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

I feel despondent. We seem to entirely lack, as has been said, any concept of a need for a universal, simple, reliable basic technology and are ever addicted to the complex, vulnerable, with all the bells and whistles. I guess this is what happens when everything is commercially led. Planning to record internet radio on cassette to play back on my analogue system ... KISS.

Last edited by Paul Stenning; 27th Dec 2016 at 12:53 pm. Reason: Removed irrelevant comment
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Old 26th Dec 2016, 11:19 pm   #7
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Whilst it is the last day of France Inter, I believe the transmitter will remain on the air with the time signal it also currently transmits. As an aside, I had excellent reception of the danish Kalundborg station this evening and also managed to catch the dutch longwave pirate "Radio luxemburg" on 261 khz for several hours this morning. I believe the latter are running an erp of C. 12 watts.
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 1:47 am   #8
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

The Allouis transmitter was switched off just after midnight. Now just a lasting memory on our tuning dials.
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 9:44 am   #9
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Still audible at good signal strength and with a positive "France Inter" ident

Situation révolutionnaire- or just finishing off the meter tokens?
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 12:27 pm   #10
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

According to the MW news site, final switch off has been announced as 23:00 UTC on the 31st.

https://mediumwave.info/news.html
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 12:27 pm   #11
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Still coming in loud and clear. Where did the original report that it was closing down come from?

EDIT. Posts crossed.
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 12:47 pm   #12
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

The transmiter will be switch off at midnight, on the 31st of December 2016 UK time and will no longer transmit as of from the 1st of Jan 2017 (just another memory I'm afraid)

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Old 27th Dec 2016, 5:51 pm   #13
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

My Roberts R200 has neither wavelength or frequency marks on LW, just black markings for 'Kalundborg', 'Light' and 'Paris'. There is a quite strong French broadcast on the 'Paris' spot.
Yes, it is Allouis. Before the top of the hour I believe they mentioned the impending closure of the transmitter.

Last edited by Neil Purling; 27th Dec 2016 at 6:01 pm.
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Old 27th Dec 2016, 6:12 pm   #14
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Another sad loss I remember back in the 1980s they had a rocknroll music programs presented by an English man called tony Crawley anyone else remember that programs? It is a shame it's gone or soon will be as others have said its so easy to pick up a radio tune it in and you got your program trying to do it on lines always a trial I don't even try now too much like hard work!! And longwave had a unique sound bye bye Allouisse you'll be missed
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Old 28th Dec 2016, 2:36 pm   #15
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Back in Dublin. Just checked and Inter strong reception here, on par with Radio 4. At least they are on full power tilll the end unlike RTE.

John Joe.
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Old 28th Dec 2016, 3:00 pm   #16
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

They did say that it was going off on Boxing Day and it did switch off at 0003 utc on 27/12. I was very surprised to see it back on. Looks like it's only a short reprieve for a few days.
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Old 28th Dec 2016, 7:32 pm   #17
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Listening to it today - French revision LOL
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Old 28th Dec 2016, 7:36 pm   #18
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Still audible here both on my Roberts R606 and WWII-era Pye PCR.
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Old 28th Dec 2016, 8:12 pm   #19
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hybrid tellies View Post
They did say that it was going off on Boxing Day and it did switch off at 0003 utc on 27/12. I was very surprised to see it back on. Looks like it's only a short reprieve for a few days.
They always switched off in the small hours of every Tuesday morning, I assume to allow maintenance.
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Old 28th Dec 2016, 8:18 pm   #20
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Default Re: Allouis 162kHz long wave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by linescan87 View Post
Back in Dublin. Just checked and Inter strong reception here, on par with Radio 4. At least they are on full power tilll the end unlike RTE.
162 was certainly on reduced power when I checked in the middle of the day on a few days a few weeks ago. I assume to help wean long distance listeners off it. But power gets turned up again recently for the final days and coming in well when I tried it on Christmas day. Very noticeable on the likes of a typical radio cassette with LW. And search tuning on digital tuned car radios were also once again easily stopping on the station instead of skipping it.

I also checked 183 (Europe 1) in the middle of the day yesterday and that was way down in power compared to what it used to be
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