BBC WS restarts SW services

[paulsherwin]

The BBC World Service has restarted SW transmissions in Europe, primarily to serve Ukraine. It looks as if the transmitter is in Poland.

https://mobile.twitter.com/bbcworlds...b0a7784bb2808f

[AdrianH]

I tried listening to the broadcast last night after midnight, but must not have a good enough antenna for it. Just caught the odd snippet of words here and there.

Does show how the old SW bands can be useful.

Adrian

[electronicskip]

What frequency do they use? will be interesting to listen in .

[AdrianH]

15735 kHz 16:00 – 18:00 GMT +2
5875 kHz 22:00 – 00:00 GMT +2

Adrian

[kellymarie]

I think these transmissions come from the wooferton transmitting station in Shropshire the only remaining SW broadcast site. Poland scrapped all its shortwave stations a while ago if you hear radio Poland it's likely coming from a transmitter in germany where many small private low power broadcast stations are allowed

[AdrianH]

The coverage map certainly suggests Poland.

Adrian

[paulsherwin]

It will be interesting to see if the Russians try to jam it, as in the old days.

[PJC58-Hythe]

BBC Woofferton special shortwave radio transmission towards a disconnected Ukraine Transmission will be from 1400UTC to 1600UTC @ 15735kHz and 2000UTC to 2200UTC @ 5875 kHz

[paulsherwin]

I don't doubt that it's coming from Woofferton, but could someone who knows more about SW distance broadcasting than I do explain how the Ukraine coverage map results from that transmitter location? Is it something to do with the aerial configuration beaming east?

[PJC58-Hythe]

The attached is about the history Woofferton taken from the bbceng.info site

[Jon_G4MDC]

Ukraine is probably in the first skip zone. Before that it's going over your head.

[PJC58-Hythe]

Paul,

This should help you understand https://www.radioworld.com/news-and-...a-modern-twist

[PJC58-Hythe]

I'm currently listening to 15735kHz in southern England with 5/8 signal and some QSB (fading)...

[paulsherwin]

Originally Posted by Jon_G4MDC

Ukraine is probably in the first skip zone. Before that it's going over your head.

Yes, that makes sense. Thanks.

[Radio Wrangler]

15735 at S9+10dB here in Fife. There is fading repeating every 2-3 seconds. Perfect clear copy.

The 20m amateur band is wide open with signals from the mediterranean and central/eastern Europe very strong indeed. Difficult to tell if SSB signals have that characteristic fading rate.

I heard what sounded like an OTH radar at around 14.106MHz.

European CW has fading. I've heard a few UK signals, also strong, no fading.

I honestly can't say whether Poland or England, but the fadingmakes my suspect the former. No sounds of Russian jamming.

David

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

It looks as if the transmitter is in Poland.

It's certainly not from Skelton! Which is a damn shame as it was right on our target area.

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

It will be interesting to see if the Russians try to jam it, as in the old days.

The 81 Russian jamming stations were all put to use re-broadcasting the BBC after Perestroika broke out. In 1990, in Bulgaria, in a Ski-lodge at Pamporovo, the western broadcasters got together to co-ordinate schedules. Russians and eastern Europeans were undertaking a very similar exercise.

At Pamporovo, the Eastern-bloc group invited the Western group to join them on final evening of the conference at the bar, just as the Soviet broadcasters were leaving to go back on a coach around 03:00. As a direct result of this Eastern Bloc initiative, an international body was set up: The High Frequency Coordination Conference, to oversee shortwave transmissions.

But I expect they can undo all that.

[cmjones01]

I've just tried it here in Warsaw, Poland and 15735kHz is coming through loud and clear. It barely moves the signal strength meter on the Sharp GF-6500 boombox I used to receive it (hardly exotic equipment!) so I doubt it's transmitted from anywhere very close to here, but it's definitely at entertainment quality on the set's built in telescopic antenna.

A snippet at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UspBhXpDiL8

Chris

[Sideband]

I saw this mentioned by the BBC yesterday and was going to mention it as general radio interest but was unsure about the political situation since we are supposed to be politics free!

Anyway I shall try and receive on 15735 tonight although the amount of QRM (man-made noise) around here might make it difficult/impossible....

[russell_w_b]

Originally Posted by paulsherwin

Is it something to do with the aerial configuration beaming east?

Yes: slewable arrays fifteen degrees either way from fundamental bearing. The take-off angles from the Woofferton antennas would be such that the target area is under the first 'hop'. In the olde dayes, as propagation changed from day-to-dusk-to-night, Woofferton would crash off and Skelton would crash on the same frequency ('crash' being no opening note interval signal) to align with propagation conditions. Because Skelton is further north, our take-off angles (7 to 11 degrees, generally) were different to Woof. We - or thay - might also use a 'half-curtain' array to give a more circular target footprint.