BBC European service

[kellymarie]

I just saw a youtube video about the wavelength changes in 1978 there was a short recording of the BBC European service announcing changing from 1088 Kc to 648 Kc what I would like to know is where was the 1088 Kc transmitted from? What power it used this is a bit of an unknown to me because I'm not old enough to remember it I got my own radio in about 1979 when I was just 12 years old

[Graham G3ZVT]

I think this covers it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspidistra_(transmitter)


https://www.nonstopsystems.com/radio...l-hawker92.pdf

[G6Tanuki]

Yes, Aspidistra was rather intriguing. Worth searching for [and reading] an online copy of Sefton Delmer's "Black Boomerang" which explains in detail a lot of the WWII Aspidistra operations.

[Junk Box Nick]

Possibly the biggest Aspidistra in the world?

[kellymarie]

Thanks very interesting reading just goes to prove stations are not always what they seem Lol

[Restoration73]

In 1972 a recorded announcement was run informing that the Radio 4 Midlands service
on 1088 was closing, before Crowborough changed to the frequency.

There was a brief period in late 1971 when Radio 4 South West on 1546 suffered co-channel when Crowborough started on the frequency around 2300 but this stopped after complaints. The two transmitters were nearly synchro.

[Hybrid tellies]

Originally Posted by Restoration73

In 1972 a recorded announcement was run informing that the Radio 4 Midlands service
on 1088 was closing, before Crowborough changed to the frequency.

There was a brief period in late 1971 when Radio 4 South West on 1546 suffered co-channel when Crowborough started on the frequency around 2300 but this stopped after complaints. The two transmitters were nearly synchro.

Interesting I did not know that the BBC European service used 1546Khz or 194m.
In 1971 it was BBC R3 that used 1546Khz from a number of low powered transmitters around the country including Redruth and Plymouth and in other areas where the 647 KHz signal from the high powered transmitter at Daventry was weak.
It was after 1972 that 1546Khz was handed over to local broadcasting both from the BBC and the new commercial stations.

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Junk Box Nick

Possibly the biggest Aspidistra in the world?

That is indeed apparently the origin of the name - the 600kW RCA transmitter was the most powerful broadcast transmitter in the world when it was commissioned, and the Gracie Fields song had only been released in 1938 so was very familiar. The Wiki link in #2 has lots of info.