Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

ronbryan · 20th Jul 2013, 11:01 am

Has anybody else noticed a 'Norman Collier' effect on R4 LW - there are ongoing momentary interruptions to transmission. Happens on several of my radios, so not an AF117 effect!

I first noticed it late afternoon yesterday.

Ron

raditechman · 20th Jul 2013, 11:23 am

The drop outs are still there Saturday AM, an announcement has been broadcast saying that the fault on Long Waves is "being looked at".
John

ronbryan · 20th Jul 2013, 11:32 am

Yes, I heard that too. Then Phil Tufnell said he had a Philips screwdriver, although he recommended switching it all off and on again to fix the problem.

Ron

bobbyball · 20th Jul 2013, 12:42 pm

Just (finally) got my Blaupunkt radio chassis going and yes, the "blips" are still there...

crusher19860138 · 21st Jul 2013, 2:05 pm

It sounds OK today ,was the carrier being lost or just the audio feed?

Junk Box Nick · 21st Jul 2013, 4:29 pm

Coming in very crisply on my 1966 Philips Popmaster complete with its original AF117s.

ronbryan · 21st Jul 2013, 5:24 pm

I think it might have been audio drop-out. On Saturday, as they were investigating, the drop-out silences were replaced by a few cycles of an audio tone and in a couple of cases momentary snatches of what seemed like another radio station.

Ron

MartinUKL · 31st Jul 2013, 8:15 pm

Hot summer afternoons listening to the cricket, distant storm-clouds slowly building with crackles on LW from static. - Bliss.

QQVO6/40 · 3rd Aug 2013, 6:02 am

Equally nice there Martin.
Listening to Radio Australia with the highlights of the day's cricket of an evening with the Aussies well on the way to winning the 3rd test.

Bliss!

Sorry people. I just could not help myself. Am I bad?

Mods, You can bin this one if you so desire. I do humbly apologise for my impropriety.

Cheers, Robert.

AC/HL · 3rd Aug 2013, 9:29 am

You're allowed a brief moment of gloating

Back (sort of) on topic. I think it was yesterday, a TV OB was interrupted by colour bars. I suspect the brave new digital world, with more computers and less humans will be increasingly prone to these glitches.

Radio Wrangler · 3rd Aug 2013, 10:22 am

On ye olde days, someone pushed the wrong button and it took a while to get noticed.

Here in the brave new future, some set of circumstances that a programmer never thought of happened, and a machine does something daft. It's still human error, but there's a random time delay before it comes to light.

Recently the Sony hard drive recorder software bug came to light when an electronic program guide was transmitted with just the right error to drive it loopy.

Thirty years ago a bug in Philips CD chipset came to light when an addressing error was pressed into millions of one Phil Collins CD track, and anyone with that machine and that disc discovered that the stuck gramophone needle had not been left in the past.

Most computer errors trace back to someone's typo or bad decision. It's their ablity to reproduce millions of times and all go wrong identically that's new.

David

raditechman · 3rd Aug 2013, 1:46 pm

During the Test Match luncheon interval on Saturday there was an interview with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who has sailed single handed around the world, he said how he listened to Test match special and other BBC programmes on Long Waves with a good aerial as far as the Azores! he also praised the Shipping Forecast on Long Waves. Nice to hear Long Waves being praised.

Radio Wrangler · 3rd Aug 2013, 3:20 pm

It may well be the shipping forecast and the phase modulated system control stuff that are the only reasons why 198kHz is still in use.

National defence; telling people when to get out the treacle and brown paper 'But remember to tag them first' can no longer be it... lots of households never listen to longwave.

David

Alex728 · 5th Aug 2013, 2:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AC/HL

You're allowed a brief moment of gloating

Back (sort of) on topic. I think it was yesterday, a TV OB was interrupted by colour bars. I suspect the brave new digital world, with more computers and less humans will be increasingly prone to these glitches.

Unfortunately a consequence of not so much digital tech but the "everything for free" culture of the Internet has basically eliminated many staff jobs for broadcast engineers (I was once one) and those who remain either end up having to monitor/QC 10 channels at once (and not being able to devote sufficient time to any of them) or they have a "feast or famine" freelance work pattern which only appeals to a narrower age range.

There is also increasing use of unpaid interns in UK creative industries to the point that it's being judged as illegal even by the current administration!

I still volunteer with my local community radio station when I can but in the early 2000s I ended up moving to normal corporate IT and telecoms just to pay the bills...

As for 198KHz I read a while back that Auntie was down to their last two valves for that TX and when they pop it's being shut down.

I believe BBC local radio does have some plans for national defence / local resilience announcements (especially in coastal areas or cities) and perhaps community staions do but they would be using Band II. I know very few younger folk other than sports fans who listen to MF or LF and many rarely even listen to Band II these days unless in a car...

paulsherwin · 5th Aug 2013, 3:44 pm

This thread has started to wander, so Radio 4 LW is rejoining Radio 4 FM.

20th Jul 2013, 11:01 am	#1
ronbryan Octode Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK. Posts: 1,960	Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave Has anybody else noticed a 'Norman Collier' effect on R4 LW - there are ongoing momentary interruptions to transmission. Happens on several of my radios, so not an AF117 effect! I first noticed it late afternoon yesterday. Ron Last edited by ronbryan; 20th Jul 2013 at 11:09 am.

20th Jul 2013, 11:23 am	#2
raditechman Heptode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: West London, UK. Posts: 867	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave The drop outs are still there Saturday AM, an announcement has been broadcast saying that the fault on Long Waves is "being looked at". John

20th Jul 2013, 11:32 am	#3
ronbryan Octode Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK. Posts: 1,960	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave Yes, I heard that too. Then Phil Tufnell said he had a Philips screwdriver, although he recommended switching it all off and on again to fix the problem. Ron

20th Jul 2013, 12:42 pm	#4
bobbyball Octode Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Stockport, Greater Manchester Posts: 1,217	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave Just (finally) got my Blaupunkt radio chassis going and yes, the "blips" are still there... __________________ Robert

21st Jul 2013, 2:05 pm	#5
crusher19860138 Hexode Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Stourbridge, West Midlands, UK. Posts: 434	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave It sounds OK today ,was the carrier being lost or just the audio feed?

21st Jul 2013, 4:29 pm	#6
Junk Box Nick Octode Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: West Midlands, UK. Posts: 1,571	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave Coming in very crisply on my 1966 Philips Popmaster complete with its original AF117s. Last edited by Junk Box Nick; 21st Jul 2013 at 4:30 pm. Reason: Error

21st Jul 2013, 5:24 pm	#7
ronbryan Octode Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Guildford, Surrey, UK. Posts: 1,960	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave I think it might have been audio drop-out. On Saturday, as they were investigating, the drop-out silences were replaced by a few cycles of an audio tone and in a couple of cases momentary snatches of what seemed like another radio station. Ron

31st Jul 2013, 8:15 pm	#8
MartinUKL Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: North London, UK. Posts: 15	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave Hot summer afternoons listening to the cricket, distant storm-clouds slowly building with crackles on LW from static. - Bliss. Last edited by MartinUKL; 31st Jul 2013 at 8:24 pm.

3rd Aug 2013, 6:02 am	#9
QQVO6/40 Hexode Join Date: May 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Posts: 321	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave Equally nice there Martin. Listening to Radio Australia with the highlights of the day's cricket of an evening with the Aussies well on the way to winning the 3rd test. Bliss! Sorry people. I just could not help myself. Am I bad? Mods, You can bin this one if you so desire. I do humbly apologise for my impropriety. Cheers, Robert.

3rd Aug 2013, 9:29 am	#10
AC/HL Dekatron Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, UK. Posts: 9,642	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave You're allowed a brief moment of gloating Back (sort of) on topic. I think it was yesterday, a TV OB was interrupted by colour bars. I suspect the brave new digital world, with more computers and less humans will be increasingly prone to these glitches.

3rd Aug 2013, 10:22 am	#11
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,902	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave On ye olde days, someone pushed the wrong button and it took a while to get noticed. Here in the brave new future, some set of circumstances that a programmer never thought of happened, and a machine does something daft. It's still human error, but there's a random time delay before it comes to light. Recently the Sony hard drive recorder software bug came to light when an electronic program guide was transmitted with just the right error to drive it loopy. Thirty years ago a bug in Philips CD chipset came to light when an addressing error was pressed into millions of one Phil Collins CD track, and anyone with that machine and that disc discovered that the stuck gramophone needle had not been left in the past. Most computer errors trace back to someone's typo or bad decision. It's their ablity to reproduce millions of times and all go wrong identically that's new. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

3rd Aug 2013, 1:46 pm	#12
raditechman Heptode Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: West London, UK. Posts: 867	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave During the Test Match luncheon interval on Saturday there was an interview with Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who has sailed single handed around the world, he said how he listened to Test match special and other BBC programmes on Long Waves with a good aerial as far as the Azores! he also praised the Shipping Forecast on Long Waves. Nice to hear Long Waves being praised.

3rd Aug 2013, 3:20 pm	#13
Radio Wrangler Moderator Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Fife, Scotland, UK. Posts: 22,902	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave It may well be the shipping forecast and the phase modulated system control stuff that are the only reasons why 198kHz is still in use. National defence; telling people when to get out the treacle and brown paper 'But remember to tag them first' can no longer be it... lots of households never listen to longwave. David __________________ Can't afford the volcanic island yet, but the plans for my monorail and the goons' uniforms are done

5th Aug 2013, 3:44 pm	#15
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,970	Re: Test Match Special on R4 Long Wave This thread has started to wander, so Radio 4 LW is rejoining Radio 4 FM.